You knew it was coming: Fries

[North of Mouse]

Do it at home.

The best frozen ones are the 'Made In Idaho' string cut - I fix them in my Air Fryer!! The seasoned ones are best.

 

[disneychrista]

That's because of the outcry from vegetarians (not sure complete reason) for them using animal fat (lard) to fry them in. They were sooo goood! Then they started using vegetable oils and the flavor is basically non existent now. I do occasionally get them, but I ask for salt free and they fry them up fresh and hot, then I immediately add my salt! Fairly decent that way!

And they are still NOT vegan friendly, as the "beef flavoring" contains dairy.

 

[starvenger]

That's because of the outcry from vegetarians (not sure complete reason) for them using animal fat (lard) to fry them in. They were sooo goood! Then they started using vegetable oils and the flavor is basically non existent now. I do occasionally get them, but I ask for salt free and they fry them up fresh and hot, then I immediately add my salt! Fairly decent that way!

I know there was some outcry about the beef tallow rendering (sorry) the fries as non-vegetarian, but switching to oil meant that there was less fat in the fries.

Took them a while to figure out how to do the fries to the same consistency as before, IIRC. Same thing happened when they switched to non-trans fat oil. And apparently, some of the flavour comes from hydrolyzed milk, so the fries are now vegetarian, but not vegan.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

DD dips her fries in the chocolate Frosty!


I forgot about those. The Parmesan garlic fries are to die for, a guilty pleasure, for sure! I hadn’t gone there in years but my son likes it a lot. Funny story - DS and his gf were in a RR recently and a mouse ran across the floor. They mentioned it to the manager and he comped their food.

Well of course she does. It's the only way to do it!

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

The best frozen ones are the 'Made In Idaho' string cut - I fix them in my Air Fryer!! The seasoned ones are best.

Seconding the Made In Idaho. they are awesome!

 

[bcla]

And they are still NOT vegan friendly, as the "beef flavoring" contains dairy.

I believe beef flavoring contains, well, beef.

 

[disneychrista]

I believe beef flavoring contains, well, beef.

NOPE!
Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [wheat And Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (maintain Color), Salt. *natural Beef Flavor Contains Hydrolyzed Wheat And Hydrolyzed Milk As Starting Ingredients.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Frosty and (original) Wendy's fries sounds so good now No seasoned or skin fries for me, plain. I don't mind shoestring but prefer steak cut fries. Crinkle cut can be good too. I have learned at some places to ask for no salt and then add a little of my own from a packet. Does anyone remember YEARS ago Carl's, Jr. very briefly had these very tasty fries....I also liked Carl's tater tots and way back when Wendy's also had good tots. Now, I prefer fries (usually less greasy)

ETA the very best fries I ever had were ones my Grandma made fresh in a deep fryer. Tasty and good memory

 

[disneychrista]

Does anyone remember YEARS ago Carl's, Jr. very briefly had these very tasty fries....

I remember back in the late 70's (maybe even early 80's) they had Crinkle fires. I think for home made fries (aka frozen Ore-Ida) Crinkle Cut are my favs. Unfortunately I am the only one in the house the feels this way.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Maybe that is what I'm thinking of, thanks Disneychrista. I think for me it'd be more like early 80's that I'd have had them. I did use to like Ore Ida. These days to me they don't taste anywhere near what they once did. Crinkle cuts are harder to find. There's a smaller local chain that has them and also (I think) a little larger chain called Shake Shack that has them.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

That's because of the outcry from vegetarians (not sure complete reason) for them using animal fat (lard) to fry them in. They were sooo goood! Then they started using vegetable oils and the flavor is basically non existent now. I do occasionally get them, but I ask for salt free and they fry them up fresh and hot, then I immediately add my salt! Fairly decent that way!

Vegans had nothing to do with it. It was Phil Sokolof who was probably the one most responsible among many who had a heart attack and started lobbying against cholesterol and fat in fast food. Years later in 1990, the discontinuance of frying in beef tallow meant that the Fries had no cholesterol and cut 45% of the fat. Later, there would be two more changes in the oil the biggest of which came in 2008 when McDonald's phased in a trans fat free oil. By the way they still are not vegan as they still contain animal products.

 

[bcla]

NOPE!
Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [wheat And Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (maintain Color), Salt. *natural Beef Flavor Contains Hydrolyzed Wheat And Hydrolyzed Milk As Starting Ingredients.

I recall the use of natural beef extract as part of the “natural flavoring”. That’s why Hindu groups sued.

​

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB990707731926009629​

But McDonald's issued a statement at the time the suit was filed, acknowledging the presence of a beef flavoring in its fries. "The natural flavoring consists of a minuscule amount of beef extract," the statement said.​

 

[disneychrista]

I recall the use of natural beef extract as part of the “natural flavoring”. That’s why Hindu groups sued.

​

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB990707731926009629​

But McDonald's issued a statement at the time the suit was filed, acknowledging the presence of a beef flavoring in its fries. "The natural flavoring consists of a minuscule amount of beef extract," the statement said.​

Good to know that McDonald's is still LYING about the ingredients in their french fries.

 

[nene0182]

I don’t eat French fries. Although my husband wasn’t in production at a French fry factory, he still came home smelling like them every day for the first 10 years we were together and I still cant stomach them. My favorite used to be Wendy’s and Arby’s though.

 

[bcla]

Good to know that McDonald's is still LYING about the ingredients in their french fries.

It's unclear exactly what it is. They claim that the exact ingredient is a trade secret. People working in labs have figured out what chemicals provide beef flavor, and then try to replicate that with a chemical process using hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk. Hydrolyzed wheat/milk is just another name for glutamates. I believe that's what they call "umami" in Japan.

The quote I had was from 2001, so who knows what might have changed. Certainly back then they were using hydrogenated vegetable oils with trans-fats, which are no longer used. I wasn't sure whether or not the real beef extract is still being used today, but I was making that assumption when I said "beef flavor contains beef".

 

[disneychrista]

The quote I had was from 2001, so who knows what might have changed.

This article, was updated in October and it says the same thing. My understanding was that in the last few years they removed all beef from the beef flavoring but looks like not.

https://www.thoughtco.com/mcdonalds-french-fries-still-not-vegetarian-3970283

 

[North of Mouse]

To those who quoted me about the McD's fries, I stand corrected!
Still miss those good ole' fries fried in lard there though - helped get me through my pregnancies!!!

 

[mrodgers]

McDonalds fries have become inedible. They used to be the best, but the last few years, they have just been tasteless and gross. We don’t even order fries when we go there any more.

I never forgave Wendy’s for changing their fries, so have never eaten the new ones.

Chick-fil-A fries are good. Those are really the only fast food fries I eat. At Sonic I get tater tots and Whataburger I get onion rings.

New ones are still good (Wendy's), still the best of any actual fast food (Five Guys is not fast food), but the definitely aren't as good as they were when I was younger.

Wendy's salt packets were the best back then as well (going to expand on the salt thread I just posted in, LOL.) They changed the salt when they changed the fries. Wendy's salt use to be very fine and stuck to the fries instead of most falling off to the bottom of the container.

 

[disneychrista]

Wendy's salt use to be very fine and stuck to the fries instead of most falling off to the bottom of the container.

This is why I like to use popcorn salt.

 

[mrodgers]

I agree about Five Guys being good but lordy are they not shy about dumping more and more in. Could truly share it amongst several people.

No, there's not enough to share amongst several people, LOL.

There's a little burger/ice cream shop along the Allegheny River Trail that I ride and we always stop at. They give you twice as much as Five Guys does if you can believe that. Fresh cut and cooked properly just like Five Guys.

Do it at home.

Precisely why I wasn't thrilled about Red Robin unlimited french fries. Why would I want unlimited fries when they are just garbage frozen crinkle cut fries?