The most common problem when french fries come out is that the oil is not hot enough prior to putting in your first batch. I recommend that you get a thermometer so you can double check the temperature for your recipe. The most common temp is about 350 to 375 degrees. Make sure that your fries are a golden brown before removing and drain them properly on a wire rack with some paper towels or newspaper underneath it to capture dripping oil. I've also found that if you soak your potatoes in really cold water for an hour, drain them and dry them on a lint free cloth that the french fries will be more crispy.

My suggestion is to bake your french fries instead of putting them in oil like everyone else has suggested. Spray a light film of oil on them and sprinkle with what ever seasoning you prefer. Bake at 350. Make sure the fries are spread evenly, and keep an eye on them and flip them over. You can decide when to take them out of the oven when you get the desired crispiness. Plus, this method is a lot more healthy!

Even with Baking fries, which some people prefer due to not using oils and being healthier, you still need to blanch them in water, or as others have said soak them.

What happens with the fries you buy in the stores, frozen, they get blanched and then immediately shoved in a freezer so that they are frozen immediately.

I have found that blanching and immediately going to oil or oven if fine for home cooking.

Be sure the oil is very hot, pat the potatoes dry, and do not overcrowd the fryer. If you have a large batch to cook, be sure to break them up into smaller batches.

I find my fries come out much more crispy if I soak the potato shreds in salted water for about ten minutes, then wring them out in a bit of muslin dish towel.

I think that you should soak the potatoes in salt water before you fry them

If you are baking the French fries make sure you take them straight from the freezer to the oven, and cook them long enough until they are golden brown. Taking them out too soon can leave them soggy. If frying them make sure your grease is extremely hot I always put a test fry in, and when it is cooked that is when the grease is hot enough to cook the rest of the fries.

The secret is that the oil has to be "Very Hot" (just before the point where it starts to burn) before you dump the potatoes.

Try this; take your fresh strips of potato and put them in hard boiling water; just enough to cover the potatoes. You then turn the water off and drop the potatoes into the water. Soak them for about an hour. Then, be sure to dry them off as much as possible with paper towel before frying. Fry them in very hot oil. I think the average temperature people use is around 325 degrees for about 5 minutes or so. Hope this helps!!!

I love making 'home made french fries'. There are a couple keys here, and thanx to unwrapped my fries turn out perfect every time now.

Yes its time consuming

1. cut the potatoes skin on or skin off doesn't matter
2. Blanch the potatoes in water first, just a couple minutes
3. Fry them (I use Canola or EVOO)
4. Refry them a second time

And if I go to long in making them I may drop them back in a 3rd time just to get them hot.

Make sure your oil is hot enough or they stick to the bottom.

I use a little basket that I got with a chinese wok, and let them sit in the oil for a few seconds, so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

DO NOT PUT THE POTATOES IN HOT OIL COMING OUT OF BEING BLANCHED.

I thought I had them drained well enough, and didn't and had hot oil and water going all over the place.

The blanching and double frying are the crucial things to do.

And I owe it all to food network for this.

Because now I can make fries that I can eat. No soy No MSG

I think that you are letting the fries soak too long in the oil. Basically, what I mean by this is that you are not letting your oil get hot enough. The oil needs to be really hot to cook the french fries.

Bottom line is that the oil should be very hot to avoid the potatoes from absorbing much of it and there is always that smell that they produce when they are just about ready. You should watch out for this smell and in most cases they come out when crispy

your not letting them cook long enough. They should cook at least 15 mins top, no time less or over. When they are soft and not crisp its because they aren't cooked the way your supposed to cooked them.

The most important thing in french fries is the heat of the oil. If the oil is not hot the fries will soak up oil. In turn this will make your fries soft and oily. The size of the cut has alot to do with it also. So use hotter oil and smaller cut of fries and i think you will find that will help.

I used to have the same problem. What you can do is cut the potatoes in advance, soak them for 5-10 minutes in water with a little bit of salt. Then take them out from the soaking water and put them in a sealed plastic bag and store in freezer.

After freezing, take them out of freezer and make sure you separate the pieces before putting into very hot frying pan with sufficient cooking oil. The trick here is you let the water sink through the potatoes and basically the oil will try to replace all those water inside the potato and will make your fries crunchy and tastier.

Be careful though, this method will make the cooking oil go wild so remember to cover your frying pan.