Frying for food preparation, optimization of the process, maintaining oil quality
Modern equipment manufacturers are continuously striving to innovate the process so that they can effectively comply with regulations as well as deliver the best possible solutions to their customers.
Frying, although being one of the oldest methods of food preparation, can be a complex procedure especially when it comes to bigger scales.
At Kuipers, their technology has always considered maintaining oil quality and how to maintain it continuously.
This is for Kuipers one of the most important aspect within the line since oil can contribute to savings, a more sustainable production and most important the quality of the finished product.
Their approach is quiet simple, but effective. Kuipers ensures optimization of the process happens at various stages which subsequentially improves the overall result.
The prevention of oil deterioration with good filtration techniques
To begin with, it is important to try and prevent oil deterioration before frying. This varies according to the product.
For example in Kuipers pellet processing technology small particles of the product are screened before the product enters the fryer.
In other cases such as chips, procedure such as blanching is performed before frying to remove starch and soluble solids.
This makes the product more ‘’ready’’ to be fried. Good filtration techniques are also important within the frying systems. Each product is unique and may need a more sophisticated or simple filtration system. For example while processing nuts or corn nuts, a finer more complex filtration is essential. This filtration system needs to be capable to screen very fine particles and ensure they are not in contact with the oil.
As Kuipers begins one of the main processes, frying, various factors must be considered. The heat transfer being one of them. At Kuipers, the frying oil is gently heated with very small fluctuations in temperature. No direct heating is ever applied which helps to prevent rapid oil degradation.
In addition, Kuipers’ fryers ensure minimal oil volume content is used. While using too little oil is not advised, many other equipment manufacturers use too much oil. At Kuipers they have a lowest possible oil content in their fryers which subsequently saves clients huge costs and most important helps them achieve the lowest oil turnover time in the industry. This in some cases being less than three hours.
Oil turnover provides better frying oil qualilty
Oil turnover is a very important figure in frying solutions. The lower this time is the better as it allows continuous operation for a longer period.
A high ratio of fresh oil to total oil provides better frying oil quality overtime. Naturally the lower the turnover figure is the more frequent the replacement of oil happens.
Most of continuous production lines will have a 5 to 12 hour turnover time depending on the product.
Frequent replacement of fresh oil also decreases the chances of FFA formation and increases frying life and quality of oil. For example a 2,000 kilograms French fries fryer contains 1,300 litres of frying oil. With a 10% oil pick up, this gives us 130 litres per hour and a frying oil turnover of 10 hours (1300/130). Therefore, every 10 hours the complete oil content is refreshed. As a result Kuipers lines guarantee a 24/7 production without the need to change the oil.
Lastly, a good transportation system within the fryer is also important. Kuipers fryers are customized according to the product, thus, every single portion of the product has exactly the same retention time and no possibility to escape the flow to remain behind and cause burning.
