In snack food processing, frying temperature is an important factor in determining the taste, color and nutritional content. Appropriate frying temperature can ensure that snacks are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and can maximize the retention of their nutritional value. The frying temperature varies for different types of snacks, ranging from 150℃ to 190℃ depending on the characteristics of the ingredients, taste requirements and frying effect. Below are the frying temperatures of some common snacks and their differences.
- Snacks like chips
Chips are common fried snacks, mainly using potatoes and sweet potatoes as ingredients. Chips are usually deep-fried at high temperatures to ensure a crispy texture.
Frying temperature: usually between 170℃ and 180℃.
Reason: This temperature can quickly remove the water in the chips to keep them crispy and evenly colored in a short period of time to avoid poor color due to oxidation.
- Fried Chicken Snacks
Fried chicken or chicken snacks require high frying temperature to ensure the surface is crispy and the meat inside is tender.
Frying temperature: Generally between 180℃ and 190℃.
Reason: Chicken is rich in protein and needs to be fried at a higher temperature than vegetables to ensure it is cooked through and sterilized. Higher temperatures are effective in making the surface golden and crispy, and locking in the internal moisture to retain the tenderness of the meat.
- Peanuts and Bean Snacks
Peanuts, soybeans and other legume snacks produce a special aroma when deep-fried, while care needs to be taken to avoid over-frying.
Frying temperature: generally between 150℃ and 160℃.
Reason: Higher temperatures are likely to lead to scorching of the outer layer of beans and the generation of bitter flavors, while lower temperatures are more conducive to even heating to ensure a crispy texture without scorching.
- Fried Pasta Snacks
Pasta snacks require good control of the heat, neither over-frying nor too low a temperature.
Frying temperature: Generally between 160℃ and 175℃.
Reason: Pasta products are difficult to color at low temperatures, affecting the taste, while high temperatures tend to result in a browned surface and an undercooked interior. This temperature range is suitable for pasta to expand and set, and at the same time, it can effectively remove moisture and increase crispiness.
- Vegetable Crisps
Vegetable crisps etc. require lower temperatures to preserve the color and nutrients of the vegetables.
Frying temperature: generally between 150℃ and 160℃.
Reason: Higher temperatures tend to destroy the color and vitamins of vegetables, while lower temperatures retain the nutrients and reduce color changes, making vegetable crisps look more natural.
Effect of snack frying temperature
Frying temperature not only affects the taste of snacks, but also its nutrient content and healthiness. Too high an oil temperature may lead to the decomposition of fats and oils to produce harmful substances (e.g. acrylamide, etc.), while too low a temperature will easily increase the absorption of fats and oils, making the oil content of snacks too high. Therefore, in the process of deep-frying snacks, a moderate oil temperature is usually chosen to ensure the appearance and taste of the food as well as relative health.