Birds Eye settles debate of what 'turn halfway through cooking' actually means

28 February 2024 , 19:30

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The debate has been settled as to what it means (Image: Getty Images)

We've all been there, trying to cook oven chips and wondering why they are taking so long to turn golden brown.

The mystery around vauge cooking instructions has finally been solved as BirdsEye has weighed in on what they actually mean when they say "turn halfway through cooking".

These instructions cause confusion even with the savviest of cooks as everyone interprets them differently. Some people think it means turning the tray around, whereas others assume it means flipping every single chip.

Now, pros at BirdsEye and McCain have weighed in the settle the debate on the right way to cook their food.

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"When we advise to 'turn halfway through cooking' it means turning the food over," BirdsEye told LADbible, and McCain echoed this advice too. They further detailed that doing this helps ensure both sides of the food are "cooked evenly". As both companies said the same thing - it must be the right way to do it.

It makes sense, as the chips placed in the middle of the tray won't get any more or less heat in the oven and will stay at the same temperature, so it's time to pick up your trusty spatula and give your chips a toss in the oven to make sure they're evenly golden and crisp all over. We're sorry if you thought you had found a "hack" to cooking oven chips, as TikToker @beahaving thought she'd found in a recent video.

She captioned her video: "This is the first time I've considered that this isn't what the bag means by turn halfway through cooking." The creator suggested it could mean just simply turning the tray around. The logic behind this may be because there are different temperatures in the oven.

However other TikTokers weren't sure about her theory and shared that they flip the food rather than the tray. One user said: "I am not flipping fries one by one. I am flipping with the spatula (turner???) and whoever gets left out gets left out," while a second penned: "Do both cause flipping it makes it crispy on both sides."

Niamh Kirk