Potato chips are thin slices of potatoes, quickly fried in oil, and then salted and seasoned.
Who invented the chips? - History of creation
According to the official story, potato chips were invented in 1853 by chef George Croom at a restaurant called Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Spring, New York.
The popularity of potato chips quickly spread throughout the country. Chips were usually prepared in someone's kitchen, and then delivered immediately to shops and restaurants or sold on the street. Shelf life allowed them to be transported over long distances. Two inventions paved the way for mass production. In 1925, an automatic potato peeling machine was invented. A year later, several Laura Scudder potato chip company employees learned how to pack chips in special waxed paper. Potato chips got an extra boost when the US government declared them their staple food in 1942, which allowed factories to remain open during World War II.
In many cases, potato chips were the only ready-to-eat vegetables. After the war, it was common to use chips with ordinary dishes and were part of salads and soups. Television also contributed to the popularity of chips, because Americans loved spending time with them sitting in front of TVs on the couch.
Today, potato chips are the most popular snacks in the United States. According to the Association of Snacks, potato chips account for 40% of the consumption of snacks, overtaking pretzels and popcorn, despite the fact that hardly anyone considers potato chips nutritious. However, the main challenge facing manufacturers in the 1990s was to develop delicious, low-fat chips.
Chips Production
Treatment
When the potato arrives at the plant, it is checked and filtered for quality. Potatoes are checked for green edges and stains.
Potatoes move along the conveyor belt to various stages of production.
Potato separation
The potato is loaded into a vertical screw conveyor, which filters it and pushes it up to the conveyor belt to an automatic potato peeling machine.
How does automatic potato peeling work?
Potato peeling takes place on abrasive drums. Peel the peel with the help of a round-shaped installation: getting into it, the tubers rotate around the rough walls, and the peel is erased. This happens in just a minute and a half. After it is peeled, the potatoes are washed with cold water.
Cutting
The potato goes through a rotating slicer / clip, which cuts them into thin slices 0.06-0.072 inches thick (1.7-1.85 mm). Straight blades produce even chips, while grooved blades produce ribbed potato chips.
Slices fall into a second rinse with cold water, which removes the starch released when the potatoes are cut. Some manufacturers who sell their chips as natural do not wash starch from potatoes.
Color processing
If potatoes need to be chemically processed to improve their color, this is done at this point. Slices of potatoes are immersed in a solution that is controlled by hardness and mineral content.
Frying and salting
Slices pass under air jets that remove excess water when they enter the frypot. This section has a length of 12.2-23 meters. The oil temperature is maintained at 176.6-190.5 ° C. Potato chips to be flavored pass through a drum filled with the desired powdered seasonings.
Cooling and sorting
At the end of the gutter, the mesh belt pulls out the hot chips. As the chips move along the conveyor belt, excess oil drains and the chips begin to cool. Then they move to optical sorters, which remove any charred pieces and remove them with air currents.
Packaging
Chips are served on a packaging machine. When the installed weight of the chips is measured, the metal detector again checks the chips for any foreign objects, such as metal pieces, that could come with the potatoes or were collected during the frying process. Packages are taken from a roll. The central processing unit (CPU) code on the package tells the machine how many chips should be in it. When the package is full, it is sealed with a hot press. The filling process must be carried out to prevent excess air from entering the packaging. Sealed bags are transported to the warehouse and packed manually in boxes.
Future
Potato chips show no signs of declining popularity. Nevertheless, increased public demand for low-fat foods has set manufacturers on the fast track for the production of reduced-calorie chips that are gaining new fans.
