556259 Wed Sep 10 11:01:23 -0700 2008 11 29 Not About Food 0 4023703 Hi all, I've been asked to provide fried pickles for a meeting at my fiance's hospital. I have NO idea how to transport them without them getting soggy or cold. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Apparently I can't transport and set up my deep fryer in the hospital due to fire code. Silly fire codes! Anyway, if you could email me a solution to Kristiecia@gmail.com I'd be uber-grateful Wed Sep 10 11:01:23 -0700 2008 204260 Spiteful Chef 1 4023733 That's a toughie, If someone sends a good idea please share! There is a take-out place about ten minutes from my house that has good buffalo wings and I always open the container on the way home so that the wings don't steam and lose their yummy crispiness. Wed Sep 10 11:08:00 -0700 2008 4023703 184593 givemecarbs 1 4023779 You might check out this thread http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/534854 some ideas, don't know how helpful Wed Sep 10 11:19:29 -0700 2008 4023703 165021 Firegoat 1 4023796 Whenever I buy "to go" tempura at a Japanese place near work, they cut off a corner of the styrofoam box and the batter stays crispy until I get home (about 20 minutes). Wed Sep 10 11:24:15 -0700 2008 4023703 12123 Cathy 2 4036117 Condensation inside the container is a major factor in soggy fried food...hence the venting. I don't anything about fried pickles but it's best to let the food cool down before packing, avoiding the condensation issue. Mon Sep 15 09:32:06 -0700 2008 4023796 27275 ML8000 1 4023920 There is no way a fried pickle will stay crisp for very long. Even if you leave them uncovered after frying the fact they are so moist to begin with will get the batter soggy in no time. Trying to transport fried food has been the end of many of the cheftestants on Top Chef. Wed Sep 10 11:57:15 -0700 2008 4023703 10195 KTinNYC 2 4036111 Trying to transport fried food has been the end of many of the cheftestants on Top Chef. ~~~~~~~~~ Exactly what I was going to reply! LOL Top Cheftestants have run up against this two or three times. I don't know if it can be done, as they just seem like they're going to steam in transport and get mushy-soft and non-crispy. Mon Sep 15 09:30:07 -0700 2008 4023920 10532 LindaWhit 1 4035411 Those fire codes in hospitals are real kill-joys. The Party "Fried Food" Rules: 1. Never make fried food for party, and then drive to the hospital, er, I mean, party. 2. Never go to a party thinking you'll fry the food AT the hospital, er, party. The kitchen will be busy and you will be a nuisance. 3. Never make any food for a party that must be fried DURING the party IN BATCHES. 4. Never make fried food that you cannot serve within 1 minute of removing from the fryer. 5. Never made fried food for a party and have it sit on the table. Soggy and limp isn’t crispy and hot. 6. Never make fried food for a party, period. The amount of time it will take to tend to it and fry it in batches isn’t worth the time away from the guests. 7. Never serve your famous fried food, about which someone has bragged, under conditions in which it will not garner the full adulation and fawning it deserves. 8. Never serve your famous fried food at a party where you won’t personally be there to accept compliments and answer questions about technique and recipe history. 9. Know how to decline special requests to make fried food at parties. 10. Know how to decline special requests from spouses to make fried food for parties. 11. Know how to handle special requests from spouses-to-be to provide any food fried food included -- for HIS work parties. 12. Know how to use silly hospital rule about frying to one's favor. 13. Obey all rules. Mon Sep 15 03:34:03 -0700 2008 4023703 18222 maria lorraine 2 4036336 Love this - it's so true. For the OP - invoke Rule Number 10! Mon Sep 15 10:42:56 -0700 2008 4035411 143696 Catskillgirl 1 4036122 Go to your local hardware store and get a disposable cardboard/paper paint bucket. There's a reason KFC uses buckets for chicken. Mon Sep 15 09:33:19 -0700 2008 4023703 120180 tzurriz 1 4046047 Cardboard, paper sack, but no to styrofoam. I bought a whole bunch of fried chicken and gizzards only to have soft skin..nothing worse than a not crisp gizzard...it kind of reminds you what you're eating...styrofoam.boo! Thu Sep 18 20:01:11 -0700 2008 4023703 88683 stellamystar 2 4047654 A Paper Supermarket bag with some holes poked into it and tin foil on the bottom...may save those pickles for maybe 5-10 mins..the best thing to do is to not bring the Fried Pickles and offer to bring something else. Not only has fried items been the downfall of many Top Chef's its been the downfall of almost any (99.9%) caterer who cant fry items on-site.... Fri Sep 19 11:46:08 -0700 2008 4046047 115271 jvish