Homemade Chips (oven-baked or air-fried)
Homemade chips are far better for you, than buying bags of chips (with palm oil or beef fat) or frozen chips (often again made with beef fat or palm oil and in plastic packaging). They are easy to make, and there’s no need to use a dangerous deep-fat fryer (the most common cause of house fires in England).
Your local fire crew will thank you, if you take it to the store (where it must legally recycle it, if you buy another electrical appliance). And in this case, it will be an air-fryer!
You can of course bake your own chips, but to save energy and washing-up, it’s far easier to invest in an air-fryer. It costs around £20 and a new one will be safe, with safety-cut-out. You can then use it to make all kinds of foods, and even use it to cook ready-meals, to save on oven bills.
Don’t feed chips to young children or people with swallowing difficulties, as they are choking hazards.
Also don’t feed leftover chips to pets, garden birds or wildfowl (again due to choking hazards, but also because salt is toxic to all of them, and fat can smear on feathers, affecting waterproofing and insulation.
How to make your own homemade chips
- First of all, choose the right kind of potatoes. The best are those with high starch and flour like Maris Piper. Slice them thinly (or thick-cut) and then just coat with a little oil and bake in the air-fryer (or oven, if you prefer).
- You can also use sweet potatoes, which obviously give a sweeter flavour.
- They will only take around 15 to 20 minutes. They’re a cheap and healthy snack, if you then serve with homemade or good-brand ketchup, or a little sea salt and vinegar.
Want to buy ready-made chips?
If you prefer to buy frozen over homemade chips, then go for Strong Roots. This brand just uses potatoes and a tiny bit of oil, and offers thin or chunky chips, plus sweet potato chips, all with climate information on the pack.
Most councils now recycle soft plastic packaging. If not, then save it up and recycle at supermarket bag bins, next time you visit.
Most councils now recycle soft plastic packaging. If not, then save it up and recycle at supermarket bag bins, next time you visit.
Visiting the chip shop?
Chip shops unfortunately tend to use either beef fat or palm oil (Frymax) so although very traditional, neither are a good option. You are best visiting a local restaurant and having some homemade thick-cut chunky chips, like bistro eateries and pubs often offer.
Brighton’s No Catch Co (which offers ‘vegan fish’ also sells chips, which are free from both beef fat and palm oil. Result! Same with London’s Unity Diner, which uses profits to help its own Surge Sanctuary, giving homes to rescued barnyard friends.
What about deep fat friers?
As mentioned above, these are a major cause of house fires. But some restaurants may use them. If you do, then be sure to recycle the oil, as pouring it down drains causes blocks and fatbergs.
- If you only have a little oil, then wrap it in some kitchen towel and bin. For larger amounts, use Even Greener oil recycling bin (then take it to the oil recycling bank when full).
- If you use a lot of oil, then contact a local oil recycling company, who can collect it, and will usually turn it into biodiesel.
