According to the results of some potato frying experiments conducted in the Parabolic Flight Campaign, vapor bubbles still detach and depart from the surface of the potato even in the absence of buoyancy, i.e., during parabolas, allowing hot oil to maintain contact with the potato surface and eventually leading to a fried product.

“The present work examines potato frying in hot oil during the short duration low gravity conditions achieved in a Parabolic Flight Campaign organized by the European Space Agency. An innovative device has been constructed, allowing the simultaneous observation of bubbles dynamics above the potato surface and the thermal behavior inside the potato flesh,” the “Cooking in space: current situation, needs, and perspectives” authors wrote.

It has been proposed that the process generating the force for bubble separation and departure occurs when there is an instantaneous over-pressure inside potato pores as a result of vapor creation during potato water boiling.

Additionally, the amount of created vapor is consistent for all tested gravitational acceleration values, even the low gravity conditions that exist during parabolas. Overall, the findings of this study offer the first experimental proof that frying can take place in space.

Dietary nutrition and consumption of foods from the Earth are crucial for astronauts’ health and performance, particularly during upcoming, long-duration space missions. Despite significant advancements in recent years in research and system design for crop production in micro-gravity environments, interest in food preparation methods and cooking has not kept pace. There are several causes for this, but the main one is that astronauts only currently spend a few months in space, thus there is no real physiological or psychological requirement for earthly eating habits. Long-term missions, like those to the Moon and Mars, will, however, significantly alter this.

French fries are a highly common culinary item in many different cultures on Earth, and as a result, long-term space travelers from many backgrounds may like them. When food is fried in hot oil, complex heat, and mass transmission as well as the development and separation of water vapor bubbles all take place. The study of frying under space conditions is a difficult task because buoyancy and gravity acceleration have a significant impact on these processes.