When it comes to making latkes, most of us focus on getting the right potato-to-onion ratio, achieving that coveted lacy crispy edge, and, most importantly, making sure they’re seasoned to absolute perfection. But what if a humble carrot could revolutionize your frying game? Yup, you heard that right, a lone carrot.
Cookbook author Adeena Sussman recently revealed a clever trick on her Instagram account that involves dropping a carrot into your frying oil to save your sanity as you head into prime latke frying season. At first glance, it sounds like a quirky (and sort of strange) addition, but it’s rooted in both tradition and science. Let us explain.
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Why You Should Add a Carrot to Your Latke-Frying Oil
According to Sussman, who was introduced to the old North African cooking technique trick by fellow cookbook author Kim Kushner, the whole carrot addition serves multiple purposes when frying. First, it attracts tiny particles released by the frying food, preventing them from burning. This keeps the oil clean and usable for longer, ensuring your latkes maintain their golden perfection batch after batch. Additionally, the carrot helps regulate the oil temperature. No need to peel the carrot—just make sure to slice the top off to avoid burning, and toss it into the pan as you fry.
Sussman also mentions that the carrot isn’t good for eating after its done its duty in the hot oil, so just toss it when you’re done cooking. In her Instagram post, she also includes videos of her using the trick for frying things other than latkes, so keep this is mind for your frying life in general.
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Why Does Adding a Carrot to Frying Oil Work?
But how exactly does this work? We reached out to the experts at America’s Test Kitchen to get the answer. Paul Adams, senior science research editor at Cook’s Illustrated, explains that the carrot acts as a sort of edible broom, sweeping up those sailing crumbs so they don’t just drift around and scorch. (He notes that there’s nothing magically magnetic about carrots in particular—”the same effect will happen with a hunk of rutabaga, banana, or anything else that floats.”) It’s called the “Cheerios effect.” Adams explains: “You know how, when you have a few hoops of cereal left afloat in a bowl of milk, they spontaneously group themselves together into a little raft? They’re actually brought together on the surface of the liquid by a physical phenomenon and it happens during deep-frying too,” he says. “When bits of potato float free from a frying latke, surface tension on top of the oil causes them to naturally move towards anything else that’s floating in the oil.” Cool!
Keep in mind that the carrot trick only tackles particles on the oil’s surface. For the starchy sediment that sinks to the bottom and inevitably burns, Adams suggests cleaning your frying oil between uses with cornstarch, a method that can extend the oil’s lifespan even further. So the next time you’re frying up a batch of latkes, channel a bit of North African culinary wisdom. Your oil—and your latkes—will thank you.
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