How long should potatoes be soaked before watching for the acid effect?

Soaking potatoes before frying is a common practice in the kitchen, especially at Five Guys, to enhance their texture and cooking properties. Specifically, soaking them helps remove excess starch, leading to crisper fries. The correct duration for soaking potatoes to observe the acid effect—which refers to the chemical changes that occur when potatoes are soaked in water, particularly when they are soaked for prolonged periods—typically aligns with a longer soaking time.

The duration of 20 hours strikes a balance between removing enough starch and avoiding undue water absorption that might negatively affect the fries' final texture. Soaking for this length allows for a sufficient interaction between the water and the potatoes, thereby amplifying the acid effect that leads to the desired frying outcome.

Opting for shorter durations could potentially result in fries that are not as crisp or flavorful, as the full benefits of the soaking time wouldn't be realized, while longer durations, such as 25 hours, may risk compromising the quality of the potatoes through over-soaking. Hence, 20 hours represents an ideal soaking period when preparing potatoes for frying.