Potato sticks, also known as potato straws, are a popular snack food made from potatoes. They are thin, crispy potato slices that have been deep fried or baked until they become crunchy. Potato sticks make for a tasty snack on their own or can be used as a crunchy topping on salads, soups, and other dishes.
What are potato sticks?
Potato sticks are thin strips of potato that have been sliced and then fried or baked until crispy and brown. They are salty and savory, with a light potato flavor. While potato chips are made from thinly sliced potatoes and fried until crisp, potato sticks have an even thinner, straw-like shape. This gives them a light, crunchy texture.
Commercially made potato sticks are deep fried for a crisper, crunchier texture. They may be lightly salted or flavored with additional seasonings. Some popular flavors include sea salt, black pepper, ranch, and barbecue. When made at home, potato sticks can also be baked in the oven rather than fried.
Potato stick ingredients
The primary ingredients in potato sticks are simple:
- Potatoes – Russet or other high starch potatoes work best.
- Oil – For frying, peanut or vegetable oil is typically used. When baking, a small amount of oil is used for seasoning the potato sticks.
- Seasonings – Common seasonings include salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ranch, and barbecue.
How are potato sticks made?
Making potato sticks involves slicing potatoes, frying or baking them until crisp, and seasoning. Here is an overview of the potato stick making process:
Peeling and slicing potatoes
Potatoes are thoroughly washed and peeled. The potatoes can be peeled using a standard vegetable peeler. Some recipes may leave the skins on for added texture and nutrients.
Once peeled, the potatoes are sliced into thin sticks. This is done using a mandoline slicer on the thinnest setting or using a knife to cut potato planks, then stacks of potato planks into sticks. The sticks should be between 1/16 to 1/8 inches thick.
Blanching the potatoes
The potato sticks are blanched in hot water for 1-2 minutes. This helps remove excess starch from the surface of the potatoes that can cause them to stick together. It also partially cooks the potatoes.
After blanching, the potato sticks are removed and allowed to drain and dry completely on paper towels.
Frying the potatoes
For fried potato sticks, oil is heated to 350-375°F in a deep fryer or heavy pan. Peanut, vegetable, canola, or other high heat oil may be used. Once hot, the potato sticks are carefully added to the oil in batches.
The sticks are fried for 2-3 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. They are removed from the oil and allowed to drain on paper towels.
Baking the potatoes
For baked potato sticks, the raw sticks are tossed in a small amount of oil, about 1-2 Tbsp per pound of potatoes. They are spread in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
The potatoes are baked at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. They are flipped and rotated halfway through bake time. Once browned and crisped, they are removed from the oven.
Seasoning
While still hot, the potato sticks are seasoned immediately after frying or baking. Tossing the hot sticks in seasoning helps it stick. Salt is a must for flavor. Other common seasonings include:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
- Ranch seasoning
- Barbecue seasoning
The sticks are tossed until evenly coated in the desired seasonings.
Storage
To maintain their fresh taste and crunch, potato sticks are best consumed shortly after preparation. For storage, here are some guidelines:
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months in air-tight bags or containers.
- Reheat frozen potato sticks in a 375°F oven for 4-5 minutes before serving.
- Avoid humidity, as it can cause potato sticks to lose their crunch.
Common problems and how to avoid them
Here are some common issues that can occur when making potato sticks and tips to avoid them:
Potatoes sticking together
Be sure to rinse starch off potato slices by blanching. Let potato sticks dry completely after blanching before frying or baking.
Uneven cooking
Cut potato sticks to a uniform size and thickness. This ensures even cooking. Flip/rotate periodically during baking or frying.
Not crunchy
Let potato sticks drain thoroughly after frying or baking to remove excess oil. Fry at an adequate temperature – around 350-375°F. Bake at 400°F, flipping sticks during baking.
Burnt or bitter taste
Avoid over frying at too high of heat. Fry at 350-375°F. For baking, don’t overbake. Watch closely near the end of baking time.
Soft, mushy texture
Use high starch russet or similar potatoes. Do not pack wet potato sticks tightly when storing, as moisture can make them limp.
Tips for the best potato sticks
Follow these tips for crispy, flavorful potato sticks:
- Start with firm, high-starch potatoes like russets.
- Slice potatoes very thin, between 1/16 to 1/8 inches thick.
- Rinse off excess starch by blanching for 1-2 minutes.
- Allow potato sticks to dry fully after blanching before frying or baking.
- Fry at 350-375°F until golden brown.
- Bake at 400°F, flipping halfway through for even crispness.
- Season immediately after cooking while hot.
- Allow to cool fully before storing to maintain crispness.
- Store in air-tight containers at room temperature.
Common variations
While the basic potato stick is quite simple, there are some popular recipe variations including:
- Seasoned – Potato sticks flavored with seasonings beyond just salt. Smoked paprika, garlic, and chili powder are popular options.
- Spicy – Potato sticks can be given a kick with the addition of cayenne, chili powder, or other spicy seasonings.
- Ranch – Buttermilk ranch seasoning adds great flavor to potato sticks.
- BBQ – Smoky barbecue seasoning can be used on sticks for a sweet, tangy flavor.
- Cheddar – Sharp cheddar cheese powder adds cheesy flavor.
- Sour cream and onion – Sour cream and onion seasoning replicate the potato chip flavor.
The seasonings are added to the hot potato sticks immediately after frying or baking so they stick. Get creative and try out flavor combinations you enjoy!
Popular recipes
Here are two delicious recipes for making your own seasoned potato sticks at home:
Baked Barbecue Potato Sticks
Ingredients
- 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8″ sticks
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp barbecue seasoning
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a bowl, toss potato sticks with olive oil until coated. Add garlic powder, barbecue seasoning, paprika, and salt. Toss until potatoes are evenly seasoned.
- Spread seasoned potato sticks in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip potato sticks. Return to oven and bake 15 more minutes, or until crispy and browned.
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Ranch Potato Sticks
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8″ sticks
- 2 quarts peanut oil for frying
- 1 Tbsp ranch seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Rinse cut potato sticks and blanch in boiling water 1 minute. Drain and pat very dry.
- Heat oil to 350°F in a heavy pot. Fry potato sticks in batches 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towel lined plates. Immediately toss with ranch seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Try these crave-worthy potato stick recipes for your next party or snack session!
Nutrition
One serving (28g or around 1 ounce) of potato sticks contains:
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | 10g | 15g | 2g |
Since potato sticks are fried in oil and tend to be heavily salted, they are higher in fat and sodium compared to other potato products. However, they can be enjoyed occasionally as part of an overall balanced diet. Baked potato sticks are a slightly healthier option.
Cost analysis
Making your own potato sticks at home can provide big savings compared to buying pre-made potato sticks from the store. Here is a sample cost comparison:
| Item | Store-bought cost | Homemade cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 pound potato sticks | $3.99 | $1.25 |
Store-bought potato sticks cost around $3.99 per pound. To make 1 pound of potato sticks at home, you need:
- 2 Russet potatoes ($1)
- 1 Tbsp oil ($0.05)
- Seasonings – estimate $0.20 total for salt, garlic powder, etc.
This brings the homemade cost to just $1.25 per pound, saving you over $2.70 per pound! Making potato sticks from scratch is very economical.
Equipment needed
You can make tasty potato sticks with minimal equipment. Here is what you need:
- Knife and cutting board – For hand slicing potatoes into sticks
- Mandoline (optional) – For quick, uniform sticks
- Pot – For blanching sticks
- Fryer or pot – For frying (or baking sheet for oven baking)
- Tongs – For flipping potato sticks during frying/baking
With just these basic kitchen tools, you can make batches of crunchy potato sticks at home. No special equipment required!
Industrial scale production
For large-scale manufacturing, potato sticks are made in production facilities with specialized equipment. This allows streamlined, automated potato stick production.
On an industrial level, here is an overview of the potato stick production process:
Washing and peeling
Large batches of potatoes are washed and abrasively peeled by machine. The abrasive rollers remove the entire outer peel.
Slicing
Potatoes are precisely sliced into thin sticks by high-speed industrial cutters. This achieves uniform sizing and shape.
Frying
Continuous fryers transport potato sticks through hot oil on a mesh conveyor belt. This allows high volume, automated frying.
Seasoning
Seasonings are sprayed onto potato sticks immediately after frying for even coverage while hot. Conveyors transport sticks under seasoning spray nozzles.
Packaging
Potato sticks are conveyed to packaging equipment. Weight filling machines portion sticks into bags or cans. Packages are sealed then packed for shipping.
Quality control checks are conducted during various stages of manufacturing. With streamlined equipment, factories can produce thousands of pounds of potato sticks per day.
Conclusion
Potato sticks make for a delicious snack packed with potato flavor in every crunchy bite. While they may seem indulgent, homemade potato sticks are economical to prepare. With just basic kitchen tools and a few simple steps like peeling, slicing, frying or baking, and seasoning, you can create crave-worthy potato sticks at home.
Follow recipes for classic salty potato sticks or get creative with seasonings like barbecue, ranch, and spicy flavors. Understand the potato stick making process including how industrial manufacturers mass produce these tasty snacks. Now go enjoy some freshly made crispy potato sticks – your tastebuds and wallet will thank you!