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
8 Cleaning
Once an oil begins to deteriorate as a result of heating, the products which are formed tend to promote further deterioration and a sort of chain reaction is set up.
A good system of cleaning should be in operation to help control this, and this implies the regular cleaning of both oil and equipment.
The oil itself should be cleaned at the end of each day's run by passing it through a fine mesh strainer to remove particles of food. If left in the fryer, these
particles will char, accelerating decomposition and producing smoke and off flavours. A stainless steel mesh is preferable to one made of copper or iron, as
mentioned earlier. If a very fine mesh or filter paper or filter cloth is used to strain the frying medium it must be remembered that a fat which is solid at
room temperature will tend to set up - and block the strainer - as it cools.
The equipment must be emptied and cleaned at least once a week, to avoid the build up of brown resinous material which is a natural breakdown product of oil.
Cleaning should be effected by scrubbing with hot water and soap or detergent. Care must be taken where electric elements are located inside a fryer, partly to
ensure they are thoroughly clean, and partly to avoid corrosion. Whatever soap or detergent is used it must be thoroughly rinsed away because soap and alkaline
materials greatly promote the breakdown of oil. Also, if a fryer is not properly rinsed after cleaning, the fresh oil will already form a thin layer of fine foam
on melting or initial heating (see Section 13).
If the equipment is fitted with a fat trap, ensure that it is regularly cleaned to avoid odours and fire hazards. For the same reasons, regular attention should be
paid to extractor hoods and ducts.