Thanks, TikTok — Back to the Deep Fryer After 20 Years!

My husband saw a TikTok video that set him on fire to try fried squash in a deep fryer. Now, we’ve had fried squash from time to time — and we love the way I prepare it, whether it’s cut into chunks or rounds. But this video showed squash cut into french-fry-style pieces, battered and deep-fried outdoors in a big deep fryer. I had to admit… the squash did look pretty good. So, I decided to humor him and thought I’d give french fried squash a try — at least once.

Here’s the TikTok That Started It All

@southernboyzoutdoors

FRENCH FRY SQUASH … #recipe #recipes #squash #friedsquash #dinner #dinnerrecipe #fyu #lococookers #food #louisiana #frenchfried

♬ original sound – SouthernBoyzOutdoor

French Fry Cutter? Easier Said Than Found

Of course, once I decided to try these deep fried squash fries, I realized I needed a french fry cutter. I’ve had one. My mother had one. Most of my friends had one. But mine disappeared years ago, and I figured surely one of my friends — the ones who never throw anything away — would still have one I could borrow. I called three people. The answers? Sold at a garage sale. Lost in a move. Don’t have a clue. Excuses that sounded a lot like mine. So off to Walmart I went. They had one option left on the shelf — not fancy, but it worked just fine.

I Was Just Looking… Really!

Now, my husband immediately set his sights on a big deep fryer — you know, the kind you use to cook fish for a backyard full of people. I told him we didn’t need something like that. It would just take up space and only be used a handful of times. I managed to talk him out of it (or so I thought). My plan was simple: I’d just use a Dutch oven with oil. Well… while I was out shopping for the french fry cutter, I figured I might as well “look” at deep fryers. Now, I’m all about keeping my countertops neat and free of excess appliances. In my mind, a deep fryer would absolutely have to be stored out of the way. But then it hit me — it could go on the back porch with the outdoor kitchen and sit right next to the air fryer. And just like that, I got sucked in. I came home with a cute little 2-quart automatic deep fryer with its own little basket. 🤪 I’ve included my Walmart affiliate links, the Mainstay Deep Fryer was only $27.47)))

Deep Fryer Test Run: Squash Fries Success

Well, the french fried squash turned out great! 😊 It was simple to prepare and didn’t take long at all. While I’m not giving a full recipe here, it’s easy: just cut yellow squash into fries, batter them, and cook in the deep fryer at about 350°F until golden brown. I’ve shared before how I fry yellow squash cut into chunks — and the same batter process works perfectly for squash fries. If you’d like to check that out, here’s the link to that post. Sorry, I didn’t get any pics! Next time for sure)))

Eggs Got a Pass… But Not Fried Foods

As I said earlier, we’ve avoided fried foods as much as we could for health reasons. But it’s been a long time since the original warnings about how unhealthy deep fried foods are first came to light. I started wondering… maybe it’s like the egg myth. For years, we were told to limit our egg intake because of high cholesterol. Now they say, go ahead — eat eggs! They’re good for you. So I thought, maybe the same thing applies to deep fried foods. Well… no, it doesn’t. 😬

Trying Not to Fry Everything… But No Promises

So we’re left with this: we’ll use the deep fryer occasionally — and try not to go overboard. (At least, that’s the plan!) That said, I tried dill pickles and mushrooms yesterday with a little remoulade dip, and they turned out great. Now I’ve got eggplant, cauliflower, and broccoli in the fridge waiting for a test run. Well… they are vegetables, right? 😉

Oh, and I should mention — it’s not just veggies going into the deep fryer. One day, Matt and I made chicken strips in it. The next day, I showed him how to make donuts out of canned biscuits — something my mom taught me years ago. Let’s just say… the glazed donut holes were pretty tasty too. 😋 So no, the deep fryer isn’t reserved for vegetables after all! Moderation will be the key)))