Posted on 11/25/2021 9:01:05 PM PST by nickcarraway
Every year around Thanksgiving, you hear of a turkey exploding in a deep fryer in someone’s backyard. Why does this happen and why are deep fryers still being sold, if it is such a dangerous practice?
The biggest appeal of a deep frying a turkey is time — a turkey cooks faster if it’s deep fried, so the wait time from fryer to table isn’t as long as roasting it. Plus, deep frying seals in moisture, allowing the turkey to be incredibly juicy on the inside, while having the perfect crispiness on the outside. Clean up is a breeze.
Thus, many folks think deep-fried turkey are the juiciest, most delicious turkeys, a vastly superior option, since the white meat is juicier, the dark meat is even more flavorful, and the skin, while not always totally crispy, is never slimy and gross. But if fried carelessly, a deep-fried frozen turkey can explode and cause serious bodily harm and destruction of property.
Exploding turkeys have 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. See video below.
To decrease your chances of a Thanksgiving disaster, follow these tips, recommended by the fire department, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Underwriters Laboratory (U.L.):
Always use a turkey fryer outdoors, away from anything combustible or flammable.
Never use a turkey fryer in a garage, under a shed or on a wooden deck.
Always place turkey fryers on a flat surface to reduce the possibility of tipping over.
Never leave your fryer unattended.
Never let children or pets near the frying unit.
Do not overfill the pot. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines.
Be sure your turkey is thoroughly thawed before placing it into the hot oil.
Use oven mitts to prevent burning your hands.
Have a portable fire extinguisher handy or ready to use if needed. Dial 911 if there is a fire.
If the weather is forecasting rain or snow, consider scrapping the entire frying option, as water and hot oil do not mix.
Finally, the hot oil inside the pot will remain hot for several hours after your turkey has been removed. Continue to follow the tips and recommendations for safe use until the oil has completely cooled.
I hate when that happens!
It was snowing today when my neighbor was cooking up his turkey in his Big Easy.
Propane-fired, about $150-175 bucks.
Worth every penny. Turn it on and walk away for a couple of hours.
So it’s a giant air fryer?
Additional tips for your safety:
- Don’t smoke a joint while pouring gas into your Harley.
- Don’t poke around your eye with sharp objects
- Don’t make toast in the bathtub
- Don’t defund the Police in your town
It's like a stainless steel beer keg with hollow walls and an open top.
A ring around the base has holes for the lit propane gas to heat the walls.
Similar to the air fryer principle - but achieved with propane instead of an electrical burner coil, and surrounding the burn chamber with even heat.
Better than turkeys fried in peanut oil, less mess, less danger - plus I hate dealing with storing peanut oil, and its cost.
My neighbor tried it because his wife loves turkey, and the peanut oil turkeys sometimes gave her indigestion.
These turkeys are the shizz.
Thanks. I did watch the video at your link & the meat did look amazing. I always thought deep fried turkey sounded disgusting until a friend of ours did one. It was so juicy. Delicious!
I love oven roasted turkeys.
Lots of butter, some salt, tarragon, cover and occasionally baste with chicken stock; comes out juicy and flavorful every time.
My husband fried the turkey twice. It was delicious, but a lot to clean up.
The two best features of a T-Day feast-—great gravy and stuffing—are missing with fried turkeys, correct ?
I fried one yesterday. It turned out perfectly. It ain’t rocket science unless some moron doesn’t thaw it properly.
My wife bought our gravy from a local restaurant that specializes in take-out turkey dinner.
I fried one yesterday. It turned out perfectly. It ain’t rocket science unless some moron doesn’t thaw it properly.
Yep, same here.
I love fried turkey but I really love trash can turkey.
http://www.thetrashcanturkey.com/index.html
I’ve done about 25 of these and never had a bad one.
I’ve simply used the neck & giblets to make a strong broth, debone & fine dice the meat, which is used to make the giblet gravy.
With fried turkey, I prefer Cajun rice dressing. I use 1 Lbs each browned ground pork, browned ground beef, boiled & chopped chicken, boiled & diced chicken livers (retain broth).
Combine meat in a large brazier with 1 to 1½ cup each trinity (bell pepper, onion, celery; all chopped), minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, some retained broth, Cajun seasoning, 4 to 6 bay leaves and simmer for a couple hours.
Add +/-one cup roux and additional broth to an almost school paste consistency. Simmer a while longer, adjust spice, remove bay leaves, then add chopped fresh parsley and chopped green onions. Simmer about another 15 minuets and mix 1/3rd meat gravy with 2/3rds cooked white rice by volume.
I’ve feed +/-30 people with one batch. It’s a LOT.
If you want it spicier, add cyanine pepper or Louisiana hot sauce to taste.
I mix and store it in a 24-quart deep roaster to keep it warm.
You can freeze the meat gravy and not use all of it at one time.
We add neck & giblets to the broth, too.....love it....and the aromas all afternoon....and the stuffing (versus dressing). Dryness of the turkey has never been an issue.
I’m too set in my ways to try to fry one and burn the back porch or lawn.
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