Sweet potato chips

Sweet potato chips

　　Cooked sweet potato chips have a light yellow color, are chewy and resilient, with a rich natural flavor, sweet and fragrant taste, and are easy to store and process.

(1) Processing equipment

Cutting board, stainless steel knife, vat or large basin, pot (iron or aluminum), drying materials (sorghum stalk mats, reed mats, or bamboo mats), covering materials (gunny bags, quilts, straw mats).

(2) Production process: ingredient selection → rinsing → boiling → soaking and peeling → slicing and drying → sugar frosting → quality inspection → packaging

(3) Production method

1. Ingredient selection. Choose sweet potatoes with white skin and flesh, large in size, well-shaped, free from insect damage, bruises, or black spots, with high sugar content and low starch. Small red-fleshed varieties are not suitable.

2. Rinsing. Place the selected sweet potatoes in a large vat or basin and wash them 2–3 times with clean water to remove dirt and root hairs.

3. Boiling. Put the cleaned sweet potatoes into a pot, add water, and boil until they are about 80–90% cooked. Then reduce the heat and continue cooking until fully done but not mushy. Overcooking or mushiness will make processing difficult.

4. Soaking and peeling. Place the boiled sweet potatoes in a cold water vat or basin to cool, then peel them by hand, ensuring the flesh remains undamaged.

5. Slicing and drying. First, cut the boiled and peeled sweet potatoes into 1 cm thick slices on the cutting board (thickness should be even, not uneven). Arrange the slices on sorghum stalk mats, reed mats, or bamboo mats to dry. Turn them 2–3 times daily. Protect them from rain to prevent mold, and guard against windblown sand. Dry until the moisture content reaches 16%–18% and the chips feel chewy.

6. Sugar frosting. Place the dried slices in a clean room or warm storage cellar, cover them with clean quilts or straw mats to induce frosting. When a white sugar powder forms on the surface, the chips are ready.

7. Quality inspection. ① Quality standards: well-shaped, flat surface, clean peeled surface, light yellow flesh, no white core, moderate hardness and chewiness, clean and hygienic, no mold, no off-odors, no impurities. ② Size standards: uniform shape, no broken or fragmented pieces, length no less than 7 cm, width no less than 4 cm, thickness 0.6–0.7 cm, moderate moisture (chewy to the touch).

8. Packaging. Pack into non-toxic plastic bags of various sizes as needed, then place in cartons and seal tightly. Store in a moisture-proof and dry environment.