TECHNOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF NEW CULTIVARS FOR POTATO-CHIPS MANUFACTURING

Potato tubers of cvs. Condor, Diamont, Baraka, Mondial and Draga were used to produce chips of 1.0 mm slice thickness using an industrial slicer. Half of the slices quantity was immediately blanched in water at 100-degrees-C for approximately 5 min. Frying was carried out at 165 - 170-degrees-C in cotton seed oil. Both cvs. Diamont and Condor were the best varieties in the nutritional composition, since they contained the highest content of total solids (24.2 and 22.8%), crude protein (10.9 and 10.2%). total free amino acids (270 and 246-mu-mol/g DM), ascorbic acid (1.5 and 1.4 mg/100 g DM) and digested protein (49.8 and 49.6% for pepsin enzyme as well as 76.0 and 78.3% for trypsin enzyme). In contrast, they contained the lowest level of reducing sugars i.e. 0.8 and 0.9%. respectively. The same both varieties produced the maximum final yield of chips from both unblanched and blanched slices (50.0 and 47.4% as well as 48.9 and 45.8%, respectively) with the lowest final oil content i.e. < 42%. Slightly differences in the final moisture content of chips were noticed. Blanching before frying led to a decrease in the final oil content of chips produced from all potato varieties. Sensory evaluation of the produced chips revealed that the favourable chips with the best quality attributes i.e. lighter and uniform in colour, lower final oil content, natural odour, more crisp and better in taste can be produced by using slices from cvs. Condor and Diamont. Furthermore, blanching before frying reduced significantly the oil content of chips and improved both colour and texture (more crispness) of the produced chips.