Vacuum-packed fresh chips

Vacuum-packed chips are fresh chips sealed airtight immediately after cutting. It is how we supply our chips: cut on Tuesday and Friday mornings, vacuum-packed straight away in 10 kg bags and then delivered to your business by our regular drivers. If you are looking for vacuum-packed chips for catering, you mainly want to know why the packaging is needed and how best to handle it in the kitchen. That is what this page covers.

1. Why fresh chips are vacuum-packed

A raw, cut potato reacts with oxygen. Enzymes in the flesh then turn the cut surface grey or brown over time. That is not harmful, but it does not look good and the chips lose their freshness. Removing the air from the bag slows that process down considerably.

The big advantage is that nothing needs to be added to the chips. Our chips contain no additives and are not pre-fried. There is only potato in the bag, from our own fields. The vacuum pack is what keeps them fresh, together with good refrigeration at your end.

2. Storing in the cold store

Put the bags straight into the cold store after delivery. Keep them unopened, flat or neatly stacked so the packaging is not damaged, and away from sharp edges and hot equipment. A tiny hole is enough to let air in, and then the benefit of the vacuum is gone.

Work on a first in, first out basis: the oldest bags go into the fryer first. Put a new delivery behind or below the previous one. More on the points to watch in the cold store is under storing fresh chips, and on the wider hygiene rules in HACCP for fresh chips. We advise against freezing, because raw chips turn watery and limp after thawing.

3. Opening and using

Only open a bag just before you need the chips. It is normal for there to be some moisture in the bag: that is potato juice with a little starch. Let the chips drain and pat them dry if needed, so the oil does not spit and the crust gets crisp. If you do not need a whole bag, keep the rest covered in the fridge and use it first.

Watch for a few signs when opening. If the bag is no longer tight around the chips, if it is puffed up or if the chips smell sour, do not use them. How to fry the chips in two stages after that is explained in blanching chips and frying fresh chips.

4. Vacuum-packed fresh or frozen

Frozen chips are pre-fried and frozen at the factory. Vacuum-packed fresh chips are raw: you fry them yourself in two stages and so you control the result. That takes a little more attention in the kitchen, but in return you get chips with a full potato flavour and a story about origin you can simply tell your guests.

Would you like to try vacuum-packed chips from home-grown potatoes in your business? Call or message Thijs on 06 23972300 or send an enquiry. Our regular drivers deliver fresh chips across the whole of the central Netherlands, and because we cut twice a week you can match your orders closely to your own trade.

Frequently asked questions