Potato Chip -- Invented in New York

[Matt]

Great work on the research and pics, Kelly. One of my favorites (second to the Santa Claus one)
http://nyhistoric.com/2012/12/crums-place/

I had no idea the chip was first made in NY... but where were the first ridges produced?

[Kelly]

Oh! The whereabouts will take a little more sleuthing to be certain. But 1958 is the year Frito Lay acquired the Ruffles branded line, which had operated on its own until this point. Corrugated chips came about most likely once some genius decided that chips weren't fattening enough on their own, but required dip to make them perfect. The ridged chip stood up much better to dipping and were a bit less susceptible to breakage in shipping......

Let's go with Indiana until further notice

Vintage Chesty Foods Ruffles Potato Chips Shipping Box by gregg_koenig, on Flickr

[Kelly]

I didn't include this video on the NYHistoric post because it contains no actual historical photos, which goes against what we try to do there - but it does get the story right and is pretty darn cute. Take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8a-yueUuDU

[Kelly]

New discovery as I continue to research this entry.....

Because chips were not originally a snack food, but a side dish to accompany fancy meals, or perhaps even a course unto themselves - beginning in 1873, they were served with sterling silver "Saratoga Chip Servers" - complete with grease draining holes. I kid you not. All the silversmiths were making them! Pick one up on Ebay for around $500.

[Brenda]

Those are so cool, Kelly!

[Matt]

those are pretty cool. They remind me of the utensils used today with home deep fryers.

Has anyone made their own chips before. I used to make tortilla chips all the time. I had a butterfly fries maker and that proved to be detrimental to my health.

[Kelly]

Has anyone made their own chips before.

Yes, yes, yes! (Just stop reading when you've had too much information....)

When I was growing up, my dad didn't like to travel. So....my mom would go on short vacations with her friends. This was our cue to get out our deep fryer and potatoes. It was always my job to slice the spuds on a slicer that my dad made, and to salt the finished chips. Mom couldn't stand the smell of the oil in the house, so even though she was gone, we had to make the chips out in the garage. We did this once or twice a year for all of my childhood and into high school. Then, when the chips were ready - my sister and I could each invite one friend - we ordered a pizza at Pontillos in Geneseo, packed up the chips and headed to Letchworth Park for a "potato chip picnic". One of my fondest childhood memories.

I never questioned "why chips and why did we make them ourselves?" Well......

After my NYHistoric entry on the potoato chip, it trickled down to me that my dad's grandmother spent a great deal of time in Saratoga around the time the Saratoga Chip was in its infancy. In her later years, she came to live with my dad and his parents, due to her old age. She often referred to Saratoga Chips and they were served in my dad's home with meals frequently. Homemade. Guess this was the inspiration for my childhood chip making - though I never heard my dad refer to them by their proper name!

Now, I need to see if I can dig into family heirlooms and find me a Saratoga Chip server.......

I have not made them as an adult, because, well.....I don't like the smell of oil in the house.

[Brenda]

Great story, Kelly! Being the self-appointed queen of kitchen gadgets, I would love to have one of those.