Why Does Fried Food Float In Oil? - Science ABC

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The increased volume of the food item and the loss of mass due to the water turning into steam makes the food item less dense than the oil. This is why fried food floats in oil.

As heat is applied to fries, they lose part of their mass (as water turns into steam) and their volume increases. This reduces the density of fries, so they start floating in the oil after just a few minutes of heating!

I love fries… I can’t get enough of them whenever I go to any fast food joint. Regardless of what I order, fries are alway sessential.

French fries
Aren’t these the best things ever? (Photo Credit : Flickr)

While salivating at the sight of thinly cut potato strips frying in oil, I can’t help but notice that a few minutes into the frying process, the fries begin to float. This is something you will observe not only with fries, but basically every food item that you fry in oil.

Why does it happen? Why does frying something makes it float?

Deep fat frying is a very popular cooking method that involves submerging a food item in extremely hot oil to the point that the former reaches a safe internal temperature. A properly-cooked deep-fried food is crispy on the surface and is cooked to perfection in the center. Some of the most common food items that require deep fat frying include French fries, potato chips, fried chicken, etc.

oil pot
Deep fat frying is a very popular cooking method to make various delicacies using oil. (Image Credit: Pixabay)

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