Yes, we can fry potatoes in space!

Thanks to the European Space Agency (ESA) and a team of enthusiastic researchers from the University of Thessaloniki we now know for certain: we can fry potatoes in space. 

Frying food in space can be challenging. Since gravity is absent, bubbles created during frying might stick to the potato’s surface. This could form a layer of steam and leave the food undercooked. Not very tasty indeed. But the outcome of the ESA’s research was a positive one: the researchers identified that under low gravity conditions, vapor bubbles easily detached from the surface of the potato once it was placed in the oil, similar to the process on Earth. The experiments took place while flying up and down mimicking the weightless conditions we experience in space. High-speed cameras captured the frying process, while temperature measurements were recorded for both the oil and the potato.

This exciting breakthrough means that in the future, astronauts might be able to finally ditch the rehydrated meals and enjoy a more diverse selection of food during their space voyages.