Topics In This Section



1. Introduction 2. General Rules of Frying 3. Temperature Control
4. Preparation of Food 5. Fat Absorption and Topping Up
6. Choice of Frying Medium 7. The Spoilage of Fats and Oils
8. Cleaning 9. Frying Specific Foods 10. Recommended Frying Temperatures 11. The Basic Chemistry of Fats and Oils 12. The Chemistry of Fat Spoilage
13. The Visible Effects of Chemical Spoilage 14. The Role of the Oil Refiner
15. The Role of the Fryer 16. Fire Hazards



Reproduced with permission from Pura Food Products Limited

2. General Rules of Frying

Never heat the oil above 205C (400F) or it will spoil more rapidly. Use a thermostat or thermometer and regularly check them for accuracy, regulate the temperature of the oil as carefully as possible, avoiding hot spots and high flames. Frying at too low temperatures will result in greasy products and an excessive absorption of fat by the food. For further details see section 3.

  1. Fry the food in the correct amount of oil. The general rule for batch fryers is to fry one part of food in six parts of oil. If too much food is immersed, the temperature of the oil will drop and the food will be greasy. If too little food is immersed, the amount of fat needed to top up the fryer becomes small and the main bulk of the oil will spoil more rapidly. For further details, see section 3 and section 5.
  2. Choose the right medium for the job and use it properly. Solid fats should be treated more carefully during melting down and during topping up. Temperatures should not exceed 132C (270F) during the melting down of solid fats. Once melted, the fat can be heated to normal frying temperature.
  3. Prepare the food carefully, ensuring that it is as dry as possible before frying. Wet foods - particularly potatoes - tend to make the oil froth and break down and this is unsafe and wasteful. Fragile foods must be handled carefully to avoid break-up during frying. If a potato whitener is used, the manufacturer's instructions should be followed. For further details see
  4. Clean the oil regularly by filtering at the end of each day to remove the small pieces of charred food which might accumulate. Clean the equipment by scrubbing with soap and water once a week. Rinse away any soap or detergent used in cleaning. Do not use iron, or copper utensils as these metals c an accelerate the breakdown of an oil. For further details see section 8.

Return to Top of Page