Be careful if you fry your turkey this Thanksgiving!
Many people are now skipping the traditional, over-roasted turkey for Thanksgiving and opting for the juicy, moist taste of a deep fried bird! I must agree, they are yummy. However, the combination of hot oil and an open flame can be dangerous!
If you plan on deep-frying “Tom the Turkey” this Thanksgiving, take note of a few safety tips:
- DO NOT fry a turkey indoors. For many reasons, this is a bad idea. For one, there is a lot of hot oil in that pot. Two, there is an open flame and the inside of your home has a lot of flammable materials. Three, the fumes from combustion of the flame and the vapors released from cooking is not great for indoor air quality!
- DO NOT fry a turkey in a garage. Again, for many reasons, this is not a great idea. If the pot should spill out hot oil, who knows what it may come in contact with. Also, the open flame may ignite either the spilled hot oil, or another combustible product in your garage….such as that un-capped lawn mower gas container you “forgot” to put away from the end of summer.
- DO NOT allow children anywhere near the fryer. I know how my kids are, and you know how yours are. All it takes is one cousin to push the other, lose their balance and go crashing into the fryer. Burnt kid, possible burnt house. Enough said.
Those are three basic no-no’s when it comes to frying a turkey. Honestly, the best thing you can do is place the fryer on a hard, level surface, like your concrete or ashalt driveway. Make sure it is well away from the house or any other structure and vehicles. Also, be very careful when dropping the bird into the fryer. That hot oil can splash up and cause burns and possibly ignite something flammable if you did not heed all the warnings above. Best advice is to turn off the gas and extinguish the flame, then drop the turkey in. You can always re-ignite the burner and you avoid the danger of a fire.
Thanksgiving is a great time filled with family and great food. Enjoy it. But remember, if your going to fry a turkey, be safe!
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