The Commercial Potato Peeling Industry: A Survey

Excerpts from the report Summary: The commercial potato peeling industry began as a service to restaurants. In 1931 a plant located in the metropolitan area of Boston, Mass., peeled potatoes and delivered them to restaurants for 4 cents a pound. The potatoes were delivered in milk cans containing water or a special solution to keep them from turning dark. It was not until 1936 that the industry was able to deliver its product in dry-pack form. By the time the survey was carried out (August-September 1954), more than 100 plants were operating in the United States. Approximately 3.2 million bushels of potatoes were utilized by these plants during 1953, producing nearly 145 million pounds of finished product. Nearly 85 percent of the production consisted of french-fry sticks ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch in size and of crinkle-cut slices. Other styles consisted of whole potatoes for boiling or mashing, slices for hash browning, and small quantities of diced potatoes for salads and canning. Peeled potatoes were being sold not only to restaurants, but also to hotels, hospitals, amusement park concessions, other institutional eating places, and in small quantities to retail stores.