Making Potato Chips All-Natural
Walking into a deli these days means all kinds of options when it comes to potato chips. It's not just about a shelf of brands to choose from, anymore, now it's now choosing that brand, and then picking from tons of flavors. You'll see a jalapeño flavor, a freshly cracked pepper and sea salt flavor, and a sour cream and onion flavor, and you might like one brand's version much more than another.
What you might not consider about the potato chips you're buying, though, is what goes into them, and what kinds of ingredients are used to make them. Charlotte Cooke, of Mamaroneck, N.Y., does, and she's taking a different angle on the potato business with her new company Crazy Spuds. Crazy Spuds makes all-natural, herb-infused potato chips made from locally sourced and organic ingredients. While it's still in its growing stages, Crazy Spuds has already developed a line of four different flavors, including a classic cracked black pepper and sea salt; a margarita flavor with lime zest and sea salt; a pesto flavor made with basil, Parmesan, and toasted garlic; and what she calls "heavenly," made with Italian truffle oil with infused garlic.
Cooke is taking the potato chip business to a different level, because, as she told us, just because a bag says it's all-natural, doesn't mean it actually is. Most potato chips are made with processed ingredients and chemicals, and she is determined to stay all-natural with Crazy Spuds. She slices each potato by hand, soaks them overnight in water to remove extra starch, and fries them in small batches in organic canola oil. Cooke is even growing some of the herbs used to make her potato chips in her backyard garden, and she's innovating new types and ways to season her chips.
Like all good things in life, Crazy Spuds is starting small. Currently the company is making each batch to order, and until the website is finished, you can email Cooke at charlotte@crazyspuds.com and follow her progress on Instagram.
Anne Dolce is the Cook editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @anniecdolce