Food Science and Technology: An International Journal (FSTJ) Vol.1, No.1 9 IMPACTS OF VARIETIES AND FREEZING STORAGE CONDITION ON THE QUALITY OF FRENCH FRIED POTATOES (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.) Sadia Sattar, Kazi Sarower, M. Burhan Uddin and M. Fahad Jubayer Department of Food Technology and Rural Industries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh- 2202, Bangladesh. ABSTRACT The study reports on processing of potato strips from raw potato which were used for manufacturing of potato French fry. Moisture, vitamin C, reducing sugar, and ash contents of fresh potato of different varieties were determined. Shelf life of potato strips packaged in air tight polyethylene bags was assessed at freezing temperature. The effect of blanching on the shelf life of potato strips was investigated. Colour, and flavour of blanched potato strips were found acceptable up to 70 days and no microbial growth was found during the entire storage period. The potato French fry was tasted organoleptically by a panel of 10 judges, using 1-9 point of Hedonic scale. On the basis of sensory evaluations the potato strips which were blanched, salted, partially fried before storage got the highest score on the Hedonic scale among the other processed samples of the same variety. Among the varieties, Asterix was evaluated as the most preferred sample. KEYWORDS KMS, French fry, Potato, Freezing, & Blanching. 1. INTRODUCTION Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are the third most important source of starch as it may be successfully grown in a variety of climatic conditions and soil (McComber et al., 1994). In Bangladesh, potato is mainly a vegetable. Potato can either be cooked and consumed directly or processed to a variety of commercial products (Leszczynski, 1989). The most popular form of commercial potato products are potato chips, frozen French fries, canned potatoes, dehydrated potato powders, potato alcohols etc. (Burton, 1989). The potato is a semi-perishable commodity. The processing suitability of product depends on the prevailing environmental factors during physiological development and post-harvest storage of the tuber (Sadie, 2005). There are about 393 cold storages in Bangladesh with a capacity of 4.0 million tons according to Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA, 2014). In the year 2010- 2011, about 8.3 million tons of potato was produced (BBS, 2011). Only 25-30% of these potatoes were stored in the cold storages including seeds (Islam, 2011). Due to inadequate cold storage facilities to hold the produce for longer periods, large quantities are spoiled before they could be consumed (Hossain, 2009). Cultivation of potatoes in areas of different soil-water qualities results in distinct difference in chemical composition, thereby continually challenging the processor to maintain a uniform product quality (Iritani, 1981; Sadie, 2005).