Turkey fryers can burn, explode (Darwin nominee)

Biloxi Sun-Herald ^ | 11.20.03 | SUSAN CHRISTENSEN

[mhking]

JACKSON - Mississippian George Glenn set out to fry a turkey last holiday season and almost cooked his goose.

After flambéing his bare hand on the turkey fryer's hot lid, Glenn flung the bird into the bubbling grease with a bit too much gusto. "It exploded like a cannon," said the Rankin County resident. "Grease shot up and I got second-degree burns on my forearms and hands."

Glenn doesn't blame the fryer for his misfortune. "You can't idiot-proof the world," he said.

But you can take steps to ensure your holiday menu doesn't land you in the emergency room, says Lauren Fairburn, coordinator for Think First, Methodist Rehabilitation Center's statewide safety and injury prevention program.

Her advice: Use extreme caution around turkey fryers.

"These fryers are very popular, but they also can be quite dangerous," Fairburn said. "Underwriters Laboratories Inc. won't even give any of these cookers its safety seal. The labs' testing revealed too many risks."

Among the labs' concerns: units can easily tip over, spilling hot oil; spillovers can hit the burner/flames, setting the whole unit on fire; lack of thermostat controls means the units can overheat oil to the point of combustion; the sides, lid and handles get dangerously hot.

Given the risks, Fairburn says families might want to go back to cooking their turkey the old-fashioned way. But if you can't forgo the taste of deep-fried turkey, she recommends heeding Underwriters Laboratories' tips for safe turkey fryer use:

Always use turkey fryers outdoors, keeping them a safe distance from buildings and other materials that can burn.

Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages.

Use fryers on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.

Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostats and oil can continue to heat until it catches fire.

Keep children and pets away from fryer during and after use. Oil can stay dangerously hot for hours after use.

Do not overfill cooking pot.

Use well-insulated potholders and oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. Safety goggles can protect your eyes from oil splatters.

Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Water or ice crystals (from partially thawed birds) introduced into boiling hot fat can cause oil to bubble over, leading to fires or even explosions.

If any part of the turkey fryer catches fire, do not attempt to extinguish. Get everyone away from the fryer and any areas that are endangered and call 911 for help.

For more information about safe cooking or the injury prevention programs offered by Methodist Rehabilitation Center, go to methodistonline.org.

[Servant of the 9]

After flambéing his bare hand on the turkey fryer's hot lid, Glenn flung the bird into the bubbling grease with a bit too much gusto. "It exploded like a cannon," said the Rankin County resident. "Grease shot up and I got second-degree burns on my forearms and hands."

ROFLOL. It's a shame there's no VideoTape of this.

SO9

[Dog Gone]

I'm sure it's much higher in fat and cholesterol than a roast turkey!

It should be less, and certainly not more than the traditional method. It's not as if you batter them like a huge Kentucky Fried Chicken.

All the fat on the outside of the turkey disappears, and all you are left with is a browned crust encasing a juicier turkey than you get can get with hours of roasting.

The only drawback is that you're unlikely to kill yourself roasting a turkey. Deep frying a turkey is more of a skill.

[Rebelbase]

The article needed to be translated into Redneck:

Possum fryers kin burn, splode (Darwin nominee)
Biloxi Sun-Herald ^ | 11.20.03 | SUSAN CHRISTENSEN Posted on 11/21/2003 6:38 PM EST by mhkin'

JACKSON - Mississippian Jedidiah Glenn set out t'fry a possum last holiday season an' almost cooked his goose.

Af'er flambéin' his bare han' on th' possum fryer's hot lid, Glenn flung th' bird into th' bubblin' grease wif a bit too much gesto.

"It sploded like a kinnon," said th' Rankin County resident. "Grease shot up an' ah got second-degree burns on mah fo'earms an' han's."

Glenn don't blame th' fryer fo' his misfo'tune. "Yo' kin't idiot-proof th' wo'ld," he said, cuss it all t' tarnation.

But yo' kin take steps t'ensure yer holiday menu don't lan' yo' in th' emerjuncy room, says Lauren Fairburn, coredinato' fo' Figger Fust, Methodist Rehabilitashun Center's statewide safety an' injury prevenshun program, dawgone it. Her advice: Use extreme caushun aroun' possum fryers. "These fryers is mighty popular, but they also kin be quite dangerous," Fairburn said, cuss it all t' tarnation.

"Unnerwriters Labo'ato'ies Inc. won't even give enny of these cookers its safety seal, ah reckon. Th' labs' testin' revealed too menny risks.

" Among th' labs' corncerns: units kin easily tip on over, spillin' hot oil; spillovahs kin hit th' burner/flames, settin' th' whole unit on fire; lack of thermostat corntrols means th' units kin on overheat oil t'th' point of combestion; th' sides, lid an' han'les git dangerously hot.

Given th' risks, Fairburn says families might be hankerin' t'go back t'cookin' their possum th' old-fashioned way. But eff'n yo' kin't fo'go th' taste of deep-fried possum, she recommends heedin' Unnerwriters Labo'ato'ies' tips fo' safe possum fryer use: Allus use possum fryers outdores, keepin' them a safe distance fum buildin's an' other materials thet kin burn, as enny fool kin plainly see.

Nevah use possum fryers on wooden decks o' in gareeges. Use fryers on a flat surface t'redooce accidental tippin'. Nevah leave th' fryer unattended, cuss it all t' tarnation.

Most units does not haf thermostats an' oil kin corntinue t'heat until it ketches fire. Keep chillun an' pets away fum fryer durin' an' af'er use. Oil kin stay dangerously hot fo' hours af'er use.

Do not on overfill cookin' pot. Use fine-insulated potholders an' oven mitts when touchin' pot o' lid han'les.

Safety goggles kin proteck yer eyes fum oil splatters. Make sho'nuff th' possum is completely thawed an' be careful wif marinades.

Water o' ice crystals (fum partially thawed birds) intrydooced into boilin' hot fat kin cuz oil t'bubble on over, leadin' t'fires o' even sploshuns. Eff'n enny part of th' possum fryer ketches fire, does not attempp t'extin'uish.

Git ev'ryone away fum th' fryer an' enny areas thet is endangered an' call 911 fo' he'p.

Fo' mo'e info'mashun about safe cookin' o' th' injury prevenshun programs offered by Methodist Rehabilitashun Center, hoof it to methodistonline.o'g, acco'din' t' th' code o' th' heells!

[Geritol]

The fried turkey does not pick up any cholesterol from the peanut or other vegetable oil. There is not cholesterol in vegetable oil.

The only way to reduce the cholesterol in the turkey is to remove the turkey's natural juices which leads to a dry carcass, not tastey juiciness. Broiling and roasting without basting in the natural juices will reduce cholesterol somewhat.

So, if you want it juicy, it will have more cholesterol, because that is how meat is.

[CholeraJoe]

I must have fried 50 turkeys. Fortunately, I've never had any serious accidents. I always wear eye and skin protection, heavy gloves and boots. I have a two burner fryer so that I can fry two at once. I'll be frying seven for my coworkers and myself on Thursday morning.

Won't be frying them for Christmas though this year. Going to Hawaii and drink fruity drinks with umbrellas while I wonder what the poor people are doing in frozen Montana. BWAHAHAHA.

[Pedantic_Lady]

Hmmmmmmm....I'll give them a go next time I celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA; should be a year from now.

For now I'll stick to roasting. :-)

[Semper911]

If any part of the turkey fryer catches fire, do not attempt to extinguish. Get everyone away from the fryer and any areas that are endangered and call 911 for help.

What the hell kind of advice is that? Start your neighborhood on fire, call 911, and sit back and wait.

Don't people have a class Bravo fire extinguisher at the ready for worst case scenarios?

Call 911...right. If you're going to apply heat to 5 gallons of oil in your backyard, be ready to put the damn fire out.

[flying Elvis]

My dog while snooping around the stove got popped once while waiting on the bacon. From that moment on, whenever we got out the frying pan, he'd go stand in the living room until it was done. Once was all he needed to learn his lesson. Too bad many humans don't have as much sense. lol

[cajun-jack]

new fangled????? hell you ain't never been to looziana have you???

been going on here for years and years...eat a moist juicy fried turkey once and you will not ever care to dine on the died out roasted bird ever again.

1st thing to do is fill the pot with "x" amount of water...put the bird in...note the water level...take bird out and add or subtract water and put the bird in agin....when water level is right....dip out all the water, noting each amount and put that amount of oil in the pot...(avoids overflow) heat the oil to proper temp..ease the bird into the oil with the "hook" provided with the turkey fry kit

cook the bird for 3 mins per lb at 350 degrees...slowly remove the bird from the hot oil allowing for it to drain....slap the s**t out of you bro in law (or anyone else) that tries to tear a piece off the hot bird while you are still holding it over the hot oil.

this is a glitch in the coonass phyche....everyone feels they have to have the first bite so they can give commentary as to the taste and perfection or imperpection of said (any damn thing that's just been cooked)

[LibKill]

Glenn doesn't blame the fryer for his misfortune. "You can't idiot-proof the world," he said.

A tip of my hat to a good man.

True, he's at least as clumsy as I am, and his cooking skills are disastrous.

But he doesn't blame his mistakes on others and then try to point attack lawyers at them.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Forget a deep fried turkey, taste a piece of white meat of one of my smoked over an oak-hickory fire for 12 or so hours, after it has marinated for 48 hours in the fridge, and did I mention I bought it from a local farm?

Recepie for smoked turkey marinade.

We have a phrase for really good food down here in the south. It goes,"That's so good, it'll make ya slap yo momma."

[elli1]

Weirdest deep-fried food I ever ate was in Natchez--lightly battered & fried dill pickle slices. Surprisingly, they were pretty tasty.

[Norman Conquest]

Nothing I read here makes him eligible for a Darwin. Stupid, yeah, but you have to take yourself out of the gene pool to compete for the Darwin.

[mhking]

That was the grossest thing I've seen!

You don't know what you're missing. We had turducken last Christmas. It's fantastic! A little pricy if you get it mail order, but the flavor is definitely worth it!

[Pedantic_Lady]

I don't have anything to smoke a turkey in, though! My yard is itty bitty tiny, and the neighbor bitched when I smoked jalapenos for chilpotle. "It's makin' me eyes smart," he said. Watch me care. He'd probably call the fuzz if I smoked a turkey. He's such a jacka$$.

[Pedantic_Lady]

new fangled????? hell you ain't never been to looziana have you???

I have actually...I went all over the deep South with my college roommate in late 1996/early 1997. We drove through Louisiana and stopped at a Popeye's in Lafayette. We practically needed subtitles. The girl kept asking me if I wanted my chicken "spasoomal." (Spicy or mild.)

I first heard of fried turkey right before I left the US in spring 2001. Maybe I'm just slow with food trends. :-)

[mhking]

taste a piece of white meat of one of my smoked over an oak-hickory fire for 12 or so hours

My dad uses apple and mesquite wood [g]. He mariniates it somewhere just on this side of a week in a huge pickle crock he acquired just for the purpose.

He hasn't made with the local farm yet though...[g]

Once I get a decent sized smoker, I'll get the secret marinade recipe from him...

[mhking]

Nothing I read here makes him eligible for a Darwin.

If he hadn't thawed the bird before "flinging" it in the hot oil, he'd have been an Award winner for sure...

[Serb5150]

Count me in. I'll be over at 8:00=)

[Vigilantcitizen]

"I don't have anything to smoke a turkey in, though! My yard is itty bitty tiny, and the neighbor bitched when I smoked jalapenos for chilpotle. "It's makin' me eyes smart," he said. Watch me care. He'd probably call the fuzz if I smoked a turkey. He's such a jacka$$."

Living here in Georgia, smoking meat outside has the opposite effect on my neighbors; They come over to horn in on the food.