Frying Potato Chips - Anyone got hints??

Hey Everybody!
 
I'm doing a 4th of July Festival in my hometown on the 3rd and 4th.
 
I'll be using my fryers for corn dogs and funnel cakes and have learned from experience that this does not leave much room for made to order french fries so I'm thinking of frying my own chips up each morning, sliced thin on mandolin.
 
My google searches have turned up frying temps from 320 to 375 and one recipe calling for frying at a low temp then a high temp for the second batch.
 
My main concern is that I need these chips to last from when I fry them in the morning until around 10 at night and to stay nice and crisp.
 
I'm thinking a plain with sea salt and sweet cajun with a blend of sugar and cajun seasoning that goes great on the fries I normally do.
 
Has anyone ever tried making their own chips and have any advice for me??
 
Thanks,
 
Dom

John Q Hammonds( the Holiday-Inn Holidome Magnate) developed a concept back in the mid 70's  One of the early sports bars with mega TVS and the newer large screen projections units.  The servers dressed in Denver brocos "Orang Crush" shirts and team numbers."The Good Company"  The "draw" was fresh home-made chips.  They had a fry guy on duty 24/7.  The chips never cooled.  Straight fom fryer to basket to table.  it was slightly thicker than a basic chip, kind of what they call a kettle chip now.
He would have a fresh lexan bin of ice under hoper type slice.  They only prepped as they went so the chips never turned brown or waterlogged.  Justslice about an 1/8th" thick skin on.  Served with a simple curry mayo.  the crowds went wild!!!

Dtortor -
 
I've done them.  I found out a few key things:

1.  Don't get the oil too hot...They will burn the chips too fast!  Get a Chinese spider strainer..Very important
2.  Rinse the raw sliced potatoes good and use a salad spinner to get them very dry 
3.  Patience....Patience...Patience...Do not over load the fryer because you want to get the job done fast...Small batches unfortunately work best 
4.  Make sure you have a deep frying thermometer because you need to kjeep adjusting the temperature or you will have all different color chips
4.  I used canola oil
5.  Salt as soon as you drain them.  Very fine salt...not coarse salt... 
 Mine stayed fine all day.  Were they as good as when they first came out of the fryer?  They were different.  Good both ways.  They are time consuming, but good. I'd think twice about doing them for the 4th if you have all this other stuff to fry.
 
Hey - I know where Cape Girardeau is!  Went through that area on our way to Colorado.  We came up from Mississippi.  Had lunch at Boochies in Columbia..Big mistake.  Should have tried some place else.  Beautiful campus!!  Columiba is a very nice town.
 
Happy 4th..Good luck!

Make life easy for yourself - just sell some Cape Cod or Poore's chips off the grocer's shelf - much less hair-raising an experience.

And some of the best chips in the world.

That may be my best bet NY- I just have lots of potatos left from my last event and thought I could do it easily and ahead of time.

I fry my own nachos from corn tortillas but those fry quick and hold a long time.

Still open for input though... some of the recipes I saw online looked to make some pretty good chips...

Dom

Cape Girardeau, eh? That's Rush Limbaugh's hometown. Nice place.

My two favorite places here do sweet potato
chips.
Sliced lenght wise on the mandolin,
Forgot one uses a chili powder concoction and the other uses like emerill's seasoning blend.
 
 
 
 

Just talked with lady next door she does a kettle type chip,canola oil, 350
She does an Old Bay seasoning which I find interesting.

I make them for my kids in a cast iron dutch oven.
 
Just one thing I'd add to Baah Ben's notes - from personal experience, fresh homemade chips don't take humidity well over even just a few hours.  I saw your location and thought I might add that in there.
And I use peanut oil.  The high smoke point helps.

The 4th hell with chips, serve me one of your Corndogs.
And a fried MoonPie.

You'll have to drive a bit further this time Curbside...

I'll make sure I sling some moonpies in your honor!

Dom