We survived the Summer !!!!!!

It's been about six months since I've been on here but what a summer.  For those of you that don't remember, we run an 8x14' concession trailer at local county fairs and small town 2 and 3 day events.  We specialize in Buffalo Burgers and Sirloin Burgers grilled outside on a 6' gas grill under a 10x10' EZ Up.  Last summer, from May thru October, we did 53 days of shows with an average gross of a little over $1,500 a day.  By the time November 1st got here, both my wife and I felt like 'dead man walking' and were glad to get the break.  We've been at it 5 years now but since we are both 65, we're wondering if this isn't a young persons game.  However, I can't print what my wife said when I told her I was going to shoot for 60 days next year.
 
Last year we added 'Frozen Lemonade' to our menu and almost doubled the gross over the year before.   I put in 2 Ugolini 3 head Frozen Drink machines and we sold that stuff as fast as the machines could make it.  It wasn't unusual to sell 200 or 300 glasses a day at 3 bucks for a 20oz drink.  Had nighmares with the power consumption until I finally got it worked out then everything went great.  Those machines put off so much heat that in August it would be 100* outside and 119* inside (with the AC going full blast).  When it got that hot the machines wouldn't freeze and I would have to open up the double doors and put a BIG fan outside blowing in.  At one fair, the HD inspector came by but didn't complain about the doors being open.  In fact she said, I don't blame you, I'ld do the same thing.
 
The frozen drink worked so well, this year I'm going to add a fryer and put funnel cakes on the menu next year.  We are finishing a new 20' trailer this winter and it has a covered front porch where I have my grill.  No more fooling with an EZ Up.  It has a metal floor and I bought a Bayou Classic Outdoor LP Fryer that I bolted down besides the grill.  It is a 30 lb fryer and in addition to funnel cakes I may also do chicken wings. and fries  A lot of the shows we do there will only be 2 or 3 other vendors and a lot of time no one has funnel cakes so I think they will do good.  If we do a show that has a funnel cake vendor or 2, I probably won't put my sign out.
 
My question is for those of you who use fryers.  I have never had one and want to know the best oil to use, especially for funnel cakes.  Should I use, peanut, sunflower, corn, granola or the cheapest I can find?   Of course I will have to drain and filter it every time I move the trailer and change it whenever it needs it.  I talked to one vendor last year selling funnel cakes and he said he uses the same oil all summer, just filters it and adds as needed.  Sure would like to hear from those out there who use fryers and any funnel cake tips you can give me  Thanks a lot.
 
Mike S.

I bet your wife's version would start with " How my husband tried to kill me this summer"  It looks like you guys did well, have a good restful winter...........

Glad you had a good year. Our sales are compatible with yours, only I worked 36 days this past year. BTW, my wife and yours must be sisters.
Take care.
 
Gary

If you want problems with people allergic to it, Peanut oil is a huge no no. The oil they sall as Costco, in 35 lb. containers holds up well and you cant beat the price.

We just started this fall season with our new trailer. We didn't experience the sales volumes as you guys did but some of the events we did very well at. We are still in the process of culling the bad events and will  take until the end of next year to figure it out. We had a lot of fun and are planning next spring.

Hey Mike thanks for the pm on the drinks. If all your doing is funnel cakes you won't have to filter the grease and it will go for a long time. Use the clear fry oil or the creamy which is normally a couple dollars higher than the clear fry oil. I cook ribbon fries in the same fryer we cook our funnel cakes in. It doesn't effect the taste at all.   

PorkChop, I do as you, do both ribbon fries and funnel cakes. I would be relunctant to keep the oil for a long time. I find after about 25 - 30 hours use, I change my oil doing fries. Funnel cakes, I go no longer than 16 to 20 hours. I have found that using oil longer, the funnel cakes darken up much sooner, and your thinking their done, yet they may still be undercooked inside. Down in the badlands of New Mexico, there is a lot of competition with these 2 food items, and I do not want to underscore the quality of my products. Also, I use 2 different fryers to do my products, I do not do both in the same fryer. The potatoes have a large amount of moisture in them and I see the difference in the cake product. I did the same thing years and years ago, and have decided to get both products away from each other.

I use new oil after every event because of the water the potatoes put in the oil. Just not worth the hassle and time to try and reuse. I have a good friend that all he does is funnel cakes and he gets a ton of life out of the cheap oil.  

I filter my oil every night, change once a week i only do about 50 lbs. of fry's a week, but doing that less of fry's allows me to use the fryer to also do onion rings, breaded chicken wings,sometimes even mozzarella sticks. when we do events and we go thru allot of fry's i adjust the wings, and other fry stuff stuff accordingly.