The specification discloses a system for frying food items including a fry basket and an insert which functions to maintain the food items in the fry basket in a separated condition. The insert is dimensioned to fit at least partially within the fry basket and is removably disposed therein. The insert includes two longitudinal support members, a plurality of elongate transverse support members extending between the longitudinal support members and a plurality of separators extending from the tra...

A French fry rotary cutter tool is provided for use in food processors having a hub removably engageable with the drive means of the food processor and a disc-like member secured to the hub having an opening extending from a region near the hub to a region near the periphery with an elevated portion located behind the opening. A cutting structure is positioned in the opening for producing multiple, elongated rectangular cuts in food applied thereto which pass through the opening into the bowl of...

Arcuate shield segments form a collar around the perimeter of a frying pan cooking surface while suspended within the pan side walls for containing splattering grease within the fry pan. Tabs extending from lower edge portions of the shield segments permit attachment to pans having various size openings. Multiple shield segments are removably attached to each other and aligned to surround the pan cooking surface. The segments are removably attached such that a handle removes all segments simulta...

A fry scoop with one or two cells store food and condiments within a folded container. The fry scoop starts as a single blank with a rear panel, a rear wall, a bottom, a front wall with flanking side panels, and a front panel. The panels fold onto their respective walls, the walls fold upwardly from the bottom, and the sides then fold and attach to the rear wall. With the sides, front wall, and rear wall upright, an open top food container forms. Pulling the front and rear panels inwards opens t...

A french fry cooking apparatus for deep-frying french fries includes a cooking unit having a plurality of frying baskets. Mounted above the cooking unit is a refrigeration unit which includes a first conveyor upon which a supply of frozen french fries is stored. The first conveyor discharges the fries onto a second conveyor which dispenses a metered quantity of fries to a delivery mechanism. The delivery mechanism includes a shaft and a rotatable directional chute for directing the frozen fries ...

A cut food piece formed in the shape of a helical split ring (10) by means of first cutting a slot in the whole food product by slot cutter (30) prior to urging the whole food product into engagement with cutter blade assembly (20) having wheel plate (21) rotating about central axis (23). Said cutter blade assembly (20) has a plurality of ring cutters (24) attached to and extending normally out from wheel plate (21) for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product. She...

A fry kettle is divided by an internal crosswall to define an oil storage compartment having a heating element submerged in the oil for cooking foods. Crumbs and other contaminants are separated from the cooking oil by continuously drawing off a small portion of the oil from the storage compartment through an opening in the crosswall into an integral filter compartment where the oil passes through openings into a crumb catcher which is carried by a removable frame adjacent the internal crosswall...

A fry-like microwave cooking process for producing food with a crisp exterior and a soft, tender interior includes the steps of applying an edible hydrophilic lossy susceptor to at least a portion of the surface of the food bearing a moisture-retardant edible barrier layer, and microwave cooking the susceptor-bearing food to provide a crisp exterior and a soft, tender interior for the food. The barrier layer is a natural skin, a dough layer or a film formed of a plasticized material selected fro...

The present invention relates to a process of preparing frozen potato products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for imparting an improved golden-brown color to frozen french fried potato products by passing potato pieces through a solution containing 0.8% to 0.4% by weight of caramel, 0.02% to 0.08% by weight of oleoresin of turmeric, 0.3% to 1.4% by weight of dextrose or any other suitable reducing sugar, and 0.5% to 2.2% by weight of sodium acid pyrophosphate or a...

A french fry carton with front and rear face panels and a pair of overlay panels positioned over one of the face panels and including a pair of transversely aligned tear-out sections with partially concealed access tabs available only upon an erection of the carton from its folded stored position to its open in-use position, the tear-out sections providing for the selected disclosure of hidden prize or promotional materials.