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Why do frozen turkeys explode when deep-fried?
phys.org ^

Posted on 11/23/2021 12:09:33 PM PST by mylife

Deep-frying a turkey is a great way to get a delicious, moist meal for Thanksgiving. But this method of cooking can be a very dangerous undertaking.

Every fall, millions of dollars of damage, trips to the ER and even deaths result from attempts to deep-fry turkeys. The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil. If you are considering deep-frying this year, do not forget to thaw and dry your turkey before placing it in the pot. Failure to do so may lead to an explosive disaster.

What is so dangerous about putting even a partially frozen turkey in a deep-fryer?

I am a chemist who studies plant, fungal and animal compounds and have a love of food chemistry. The reason frozen turkeys explode, at its core, has to do with differences in density. There is a difference in density between oil and water and differences in the density of water between its solid, liquid and gas states. When these density differences interact in just the right way, you get an explosion.

Understanding density

Density is how much an object weighs given a specific volume. For example, imagine you held an ice cube in one hand and a marshmallow in the other. While they are roughly the same size, the ice cube is heavier: It is more dense.

The first important density difference when it comes to frying is that water is more dense than oil. This has to do with how tightly the molecules of each substance pack together and how heavy the atoms are that make up each liquid.

Water molecules are small and pack tightly together. Oil molecules are much larger and don't pack together as well by comparison.

(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food; Miscellaneous; UFO's
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Short answer, the cook is a drunken moron.
1 posted on 11/23/2021 12:09:33 PM PST by mylife
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2 posted on 11/23/2021 12:10:35 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: mylife
Why do frozen turkeys explode when deep-fried?

Last thing I heard doc was "hold muh beer Verne."

3 posted on 11/23/2021 12:11:13 PM PST by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
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My tater sploded Ma!!


4 posted on 11/23/2021 12:12:21 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: mylife

I use a thermite rub.


5 posted on 11/23/2021 12:13:18 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (Alec Baldwin has killed more people than the Jan 6 protesters. And he will serve less jail time.)
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To: mylife

Same website has add for how to properly wipe your butt.

That’s funny.


6 posted on 11/23/2021 12:13:54 PM PST by right way right (May we remain sober over mere men, for God really is our only true hope. )
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To: nobody in particular

Thank You for posting. I always thought it was because the stuffing was still in the turkey.


7 posted on 11/23/2021 12:14:18 PM PST by SGCOS
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To: ClearCase_guy

The Navy Way!!


8 posted on 11/23/2021 12:14:36 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: right way right

ad


9 posted on 11/23/2021 12:14:39 PM PST by right way right (May we remain sober over mere men, for God really is our only true hope. )
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To: ClearCase_guy

with a black powder second rub.................


10 posted on 11/23/2021 12:15:55 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: mylife

They also explode when dropped from a helicopter.


11 posted on 11/23/2021 12:16:09 PM PST by HombreSecreto (The life of a repo man is always intense)
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To: HombreSecreto

Everything does.


12 posted on 11/23/2021 12:17:34 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: mylife

13 posted on 11/23/2021 12:17:51 PM PST by NohSpinZone (First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers)
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To: HombreSecreto

Really? I always thought turkeys could fly


14 posted on 11/23/2021 12:18:44 PM PST by cyclotic (I won't give up my FREEDOM for your FEAR)
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To: mylife

I have seen readerboards on the outside of at least 3 or 4 fire stations around here that asks the question “Is deep frying a turkey worth the risk?”


15 posted on 11/23/2021 12:22:33 PM PST by hoagy62 (DTCM&OTTH)
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To: hoagy62

I don’t think its that great, had it many times.

I brine and smoke mine


16 posted on 11/23/2021 12:24:26 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: hoagy62
“Is deep frying a turkey worth the risk?”

It's more costly but the upside is it takes about an hour for a great tasting Turkey.

17 posted on 11/23/2021 12:25:40 PM PST by 1Old Pro (Let's make crime illegal again!)
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To: mylife

It’s not the turkey...it’s the package of gibblets!


18 posted on 11/23/2021 12:26:20 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: mylife

What would YOU do if you were dropped into a vat of hot oil?? Explode seems reasonable. :-)


19 posted on 11/23/2021 12:26:43 PM PST by RetiredArmy (Free Will. GOD gives you the choice I accept or reject Him! Choose Him. It depends on you.)
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To: 1Old Pro

peanut oil aint cheap!!


20 posted on 11/23/2021 12:26:47 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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