Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-05-18
FRIED POTATOES.
Those Of the French Variety Form an
Extensive Medium Of Trade.
Consular and Trade Report.

Consular and Trade Rcports)
| The street vending OF pommes frites,
or French fried potatoes. Is peculiar to
the northern part of France. Pommes
frites take the place of peanuts ana
popcorn and are sold in much the same
| fashion. Not only is this trade carried
| on In some instances as n regularly es-
tabl3hed business, but workmen wish
\ ing to increase their earnings come out
, on the streets in the evening and sell
these fried potatoes from pushcarts'
Their profits often exceed their days
wages.
| The pushcarts are Of the ordinary type,
but covered A coke brazier is in
serted through the flooring, over which
is placed tho largo iron caldron holding
the fat obtained from beef suet Raw
potatoes, after being pared. are pressed
through special cutting machine, COM
| ing out In long. narrow four-sided pieces.
These are Immediately put into the boil
ing fat and in several minutes are thor
ougly cooked. They are then sailed and
sold in small paper cornucopias hold
| Ing one or two cents worth.
Pommes frltes have the advantage that
they supply a satisfying and nutritive
| meal for n few cents. This Is especially
appreciated by the mill employees dur
ing the noon hour. as they are thus en-
abled to have something hot with their
otherwise cold lunches. Rather than go
to the trouble of preparing the dish. TO
say nothing of filling the house with the
odor Of boiling fat, many families prefer
to purchase the freshly cooked tubers
from the nearest vcnder. These fried
potatoes are not sold merely at meal
time, but during the day and are eaten
| like popcorn.
The trade Is decidedly profitable even
If conducted on "A small scale. The usual
price of potatoes ranges between 81 &C
and s. for go pounds The beef sue,
costs nineteen cents for % pounds. one
kilo and with that amount of fat 1t Is
estimated that fourteen pounds of POI
tatoes can be cooked. the fuel cost for
the same amount not exceeding SIX
cents. The quantity Of pommes frtes
sold for two cents. while enough to sat
| isfy an appetite, does not equal two or
| binary sized potatoes in amount, and II
| WILL therefore, be seen that one ldo OF
| cooked potatoes. costing six to sever
cents to prepare, and sold at eighteen &c
twenty eight cents, leaves the vender q
handsome profit.
| license must first be obtained from
the municipal authorities by those who
wish to engage in the trade. PERMITS
| sion Is then secured from some cafe OIL
estaminet proprietor to allow a cart &c
be drawn UP In front OF his establish.
ment. IF this is a good center the profits
will he considerable as fifty to a hun.
dred kilos Of potatoes will be sold in al
| evening.
As each city and village in the sur
rounding region holds an annual fair n
some period of the year, it Is a regular
business of certain vendors to 20 from
town to town where the fairs are beins
held, erect their portable houses OF
booths, and sell pommes frites will
other light refreshments. There booth.
are often deliberately constructed. Will
tables, chairs, mirrors electric lights
etc, and present quite an attractive an
pearance and sell as much as 500 to loo
kilos of potatoes n day special parln.
machines being used