Fried snacks getting Soggy?

Though Fried crumbed snacks is the most popular appetizer option, they also face a maximum number of culinary challenges.

Fried snacks, when consumed within minutes out of the fryer delivers the perfect aroma, texture and flavour. The challenge is to keep the crunch intake with extended time period. Be it dine-in or delivery; a crumbed starter tends to lose its signature crispiness after a period of time.

Let us look into top 5 significant factors why these fried snacks get soggy.

1. Coating performance

Coating the substrate is a standard industry practice and also a necessity in fried snack. Chefs also add flavouring to this flour coat. The challenge is the synergy of the coating system with the base matrix. If this is not correct, it leads to soggy chewy product, with moisture being the probable reason which being loosely held in the base matrix, on frying, slowly gets to the coating system and makes it soft soggy and chewy.

2. Product reheating not suitable

Dine in or Delivery, consumers tend to prolong time before consuming their fried snack.

The occasion may be socializing or celebration, people keep reheating their food or refrigerating the left overs. This puts Fried snacks in a odd spot because when reheated later crispiness cannot be regained.

3. Frying Temperature

Lack of correct coating system pairing with substrate may lead to soggy, chewy or otherwise dry and burnt product when fried at 185ºC - 195ºC

4. Packaging

Be it Styrofoam, poly coated paper box or aluminium foil, any packing that suffocates the fried items later contributes to its sogginess. Though vented paper containers help solve the problem with crispness, it also cools down the food quickly.