Kitchen Dictionary: High Altitude Adjustment for Deep Fat Frying

The lower boiling point of water found at high altitudes not only affects foods cooked in water but also foods cooked in deep fat. To prevent deep fat-fried foods from over-browning on the outside while being under-cooked in the inside, the temperature of the fat must be lowered at high altitudes. Temperature decrease varies according to the food you are frying. A rough guide to follow is lowering the frying temperature about 3oF, for each 1,000 feet increase in elevation. For example, at 5,000 feet, a sea-level recipe calling for frying doughnuts at 370F, would be lowered to 355F.

Technique

Season: available year-round