Homemade French Fries

One thing I miss about not eating out so much is the french fries. I love french fries. Red Robin has some great ones, and Arby's curly fries are very good. And we can't forget the "world's best" - McDonalds. For some reason the store bought fries never seem to compare to the "real" ones, although Oreida's Fast Food Fries come close. But I don't like spending almost $5 on a bag that will last maybe 2 meals in our house, and only 1 if we have guests. Aldi's usually has their 10lb and 20lb bags of potatoes for .99 so I can make a lot of these very cheaply.
To make really good french fries, all you really need are potatoes, water, and oil. Plus whatever seasonings you like. They are very easy to make and I always get that nice little feeling of accomplishing some great task when I stack all those bags in the freezer.

Scrub and peel the potatoes. Cut to desired thickness longways.Let sit covered with water for at least 24 hours. However, the longer the better. I usually do 2 days. This helps leach the starch from the potatoes, and in the end will make them softer on the inside, crunchier on the outside. When you are ready to fry them, pour off the water and let them come to about room temperature. Get your oil ready. Peanut oil burns hotter and faster but you can use canola or vegetable oil just as well. 

 Get your tongs and grab a few fries. Lower them gently into the hot oil. ( to test oil, either use a thermometer or stick a fry all the way down to the bottom and if it sizzles, its ready) These will be your test fries. You don't want the fries to get too brown too quickly because they probably wont be done in the middle. And you dont want them to take too long to get brown. It's a delicate balance. It should take about about 1- 1 1/2 minutes, maybe 2 to get a nice general golden brown to the bunch. Of course some may be darker or lighter than others, but overall, they should look golden brown.

Grab them up with the tongs and spread them out on a wire rack so the oil drips off.

When they have cooled off, scoop them up into whatever size portions work for your family and freeze. To use, just spread out on a cookie sheet and season. Bake at 425 until hot throughout.