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Testing Fat for Frying

1. For large pieces of raw food-335° to 360° F. A one-inch cube of bread from the soft part of the loaf will cook to a golden brown in 1 to ¼ minutes. If a fat of low smoking temperature is used, this time must be increased to 13/4 to 2 minutes. 2. For smaller pieces of raw food or large pieces of cooked food-340° to 380° F. The piece of bread will brown in 50 to 60 seconds. For fats of low smoking temperature, the time must be increased to ¼ to 12 minutes.

3. For most cooked foods-360° to 400° F. The bread will brown in 40 to 50 seconds. For fats of low smoking temperature, the time must be increased to 60 to 80 seconds.

Great care should be taken to have the right temperature in frying. If fat is too hot, it scorches the food or does not cook it through, or spoils the fat. If it is too cool, the food becomes soaked with fat. Fats of low smoking temperature will naturally soak into food a little more than fats of high smoking temperature, because the food must remain longer in the fat.