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Posted: November 21, 2006
From television’s down home cooking queen Paula Dean to New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse deep-fried turkey is quickly becoming a staple on many celebrity and “just plain-o folks” Thanksgiving tables, with recipes for the tasty Cajun creation flooding the airwaves and Internet.
For many, the great-tasting birds aren’t worth the risk, including the long-standing Underwriters Laboratories Inc., whose test findings determine the mixture of fryers and hot grease are not stable enough for them to certify any turkey fryers at present with the trusted “UL” mark.
A flammable mixture of hot grease, flames, a heavy unwieldy bird mixed with an abundance of people can make for a cocktail of holiday disaster if every precaution is not used. The Plano Fire Department has responded to at least two calls last year and the prior year in response to turkey-fryer fire incidents and urges caution for anyone using the fryers.
Many units easily tip over, spilling the hot oil within the cooking pot. If the cooking pot is overfilled with oil, it will spew out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot easily enabling the burner/flames to ignite the oil and engulf the entire unit. This is also true if a partially frozen turkey is placed into the grease, with the resulting de-frost causing the oil to explode over the sides.
With no thermostat controls, units easily have the potential to overheat oil to the point of combustion with the sides, lid and handles getting dangerously hot, posing severe burn hazards.
If you must use a fryer, always use it on a flat and stable outdoor surface, a safe distance from buildings and other material that can burn – never on a wooden deck or in a garage. Not all fryers are the same – read the operator manual carefully and follow the instructions to the letter.
Never leave the fryer unattended. As most units come without thermostat controls you must watch it carefully to ensure the oil will not heat until it catches fire. Any smoke coming from the oil means it is at the point of overheating. To avoid a spillover do not overfill the fryer.
Ensure your turkey is completely thawed before slowly and carefully immersing it and be careful with marinades. Oil and water don’t mix, with water causing oil to immediately pop and spill over. Always use heavy protective mitts; metal surfaces are dangerously heated.
Keep a fire extinguisher close by. If a fire begins to exceed extinguisher capabilities immediately call 9-1-1. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.
Children, pets, crowds and fryers don’t mix. Even after use, keep everyone away as the pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.
Treat any minor burn injury immediately with cool running water for 3-5 minutes. Do not apply ice, which can harm the skin. Butter or lotions should also not be applied as they can maintain the heated skin temperature, increasing the injury. Apply a sterile bandage to the area. If the burn is serious, seek immediate professional medical treatment.
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