Potato Chips

Light, crispy and salted just the way you like.

I would love to have the money I spent on store bought potato chips over the years.
For something so inexpensive they charge a arm and a leg.
Sometimes way to salty depending on the brand, and lets face it, the amount they put in a bag is just shameful.


Back when mom had to start watching her sodium intake due to some heart problems I decided to try and make her chips at home.Something that would be comparable, if not better than the store bought she loved so much, but with less salt.

Once I made them a few times and wasting a couple batches I realized I was overthinking it.
Its just fried potatoes after all.
Well, there are soft fried potatoes and there are crispy fried potatoes.There are thick cut and there is thin cut.

I just wanted a good crispy chip that we could salt ourselves that didn't take a lot of fuss.

I figured out using a regular old russet potato worked best, using my mandolin for a thin slice and making sure the slices were rinsed well before frying made us the best chips.
The oil temp needs to be kept around 300 so that the chips dont burn and fry them in small batches.
 
Now I make them on a regular basis and the whole family loves them.

I like to place my chips in a paper bag for salting and storage.Yes, they stay crispy for a couple of days.I suppose you can store them in a plastic bag or airtight container as well, just make sure they are cooled completely.

I like the brown bag method because you continue to remove oil while they are stored.

TIP: Double bag the chips.

Flavored chips are also easy to do, even-though just salted chips are our favorite.
We do get a hankering for BBQ chips, and another favorite of mine is garlic and rosemary.
For my BBQ chips I just add paprika, sugar and a little salt.Add a little cayenne for heat if you like.
Garlic powder and fresh rosemary are how I do the others pictured, but you could certainly use dried if you like, just make sure to chop that dried rosemary very well.
Amounts you use to season will be all up to you, and depends on the amount of chips you fry up, and just how much seasoning you want.
I recommend always starting light then adding more if needed.Just make sure to season as soon as possible before the chips cool.You will want the fat to help seasoning adhere to the chips.

Let your imagination run wild with homemade chips.
Ranch and chili powder are also great seasoning.
I dont do cheese powder, but wonder if you used that cheese powder from the cheap boxes of macaroni and cheese would work.If you try that one let me know.

A great dip is always welcomed for regular salted chips in my house and I can recommend a couple of homemade dippers for you to try.
Ranch  
Jalapeno Ranch Dip




Jodies Kitchen Homemade Potato Chips
Oil (I use canola or vegetable)
Russet Potatoes scrubbed and rinsed
Large bowl of cool water
Salt or seasoning
Thinly slice potatoes with a mandolin or knife.Add slices of potato to the bowl of water.Make sure you have plenty of water covering the potatoes.Let potatoes sit at least 5 minutes in water then pour out water, rinse well and make sure to swish potato slices around to remove the starch.Cover potatoes once more with water and let sit until you heat oil in a pot or deep fryer to 300 degrees.Remove potatoes from water and drain on a large clean kitchen towel, patting dry as well as possible.Add potato slices (in small batches) to heated oil one at the time and stir around with a slotted spoon so chips do not stick together.Cook until light golden brown and remove to a brown paper bag or paper towels.Sprinkle with salt or seasoning while still hot.
NOTE:Chips will crisp up the more they cool down.
If a couple get darker in color, dont toss them out, taste first, sometimes they look over cooked but taste fine.Make sure to keep temp at 300 when frying and you should have no problem.