Fried foods are wonderful delights, and the reason behind their success lies in their crunch. Those addictive and finger-licking chicken nuggets, with their juicy, succulent interior and crunchy exterior, make for the perfect food for snacking.
But it is only delicious as long as it maintains its crunch, and this applies to all fried foods.
Once fried foods turn soggy, they lose their signature texture and flavour, making them unappetizing. But as you have prepared them with your time and effort, you would definitely want those delights to stay crunchy and fresh forever. Although that’s not possible, you can definitely make sure they last longer by following these hacks.
Don’t Overcrowd The Pan While Frying
When you’re frying, whether it’s in an air fryer or a traditional deep-frying pan, you must not overcrowd the pan or the fryer while frying. This is a practice that you should follow every time.
Uneven cooking and inadequate crispiness result from overcrowding the pan or air fryer, impacting both immediate and extended crunchiness.
Use A Wire Rack
Using a wire rack is very important if you want to ensure that your fried foods maintain their crunch for a longer period of time. The reason is that fried foods are full of moisture, and keeping the food once it’s fried in a wire rack helps in ensuring that there’s air circulation from each direction, which allows the moisture to escape, thus giving you a crispy and delightful snack.
Avoid Reheating In Microwave Oven
It’s a common practice, and it’s also a common culprit that causes our food to get soggy when we reheat it. The reason behind this is that the heat from the microwave oven creates friction among the water molecules in the food, which is released in the form of steam, thus making the food soggy. Therefore, it is always advised to use a traditional oven and its dry-heat form for reheating. It will maintain the texture and keep the food crispy.
Store And Pack Carefully
Storing and packing the fried foods is a crucial step, as it directly determines how long your fried foods will maintain their crunch. The best approach is to simply wrap the snacks in a paper towel to absorb any excess oil and moisture. Once this step is done, only transfer your snacks to an airtight container.
Also, make sure you don’t carry your sauces and dips in the same container, as the moisture and wetness from the condiments will make the fried food soggy. Carry your condiments in a different container, and enjoy the crunchy delights with each bite when you decide to eat them.
Avoid Adding Sauce Before Serving
As stated above, you need to keep your sauces and dips away from your fried food. You must follow this to ensure that your snacks don’t get soggy, and when you decide it’s the right time to eat, only add your sauces and dips.
