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.

[stands2reason]

It's good, and it takes under 30 min. to cook, and you get your oven back.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Don't think so.

My Dad used a technique that I do today. baste with good quality margarine, cheap red wine....cover with cheesecloth. Thread bare pieces of sheet or towels work too. Cook at recommended temp per lb, and keep basting. May take a few hours, but you can smell it all over the street : ) Keep underage son, and son in law from swigging the rest of the cheap wine. Serve.

[Pedantic_Lady]

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

Lucky you! I had a BBQ for the 4th of July; we cooked a ton of meat on the grill and it made a lot of smoke. The neighbor came over to complain that she had to do all her laundry over again because the smoke from our BBQ "stank up her clothes." People still hang laundry on outdoor lines here. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh. I was like...lady, get a DRYER.

[cajun-jack]

well hell !!!!!!!! you went to popeye's fried chicken in Lafayette.....damn!! that is really trying out cajun cuisine!!!!!!!!!!!!


ROFLMAO

[Pedantic_Lady]

Hey, be nice! We ate plenty of nice cajun food in New Orleans, but when we went to Popeye's we were on the road to Houston and in a hurry! :-)

[Pedantic_Lady]

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

Mom said that they served deep-fried carrots at her university's cafeteria.

YUCK!

[EUPHORIC]

Wow! Rather then calling these things "dangerous" I'd call 'em a new EXTREME SPORT just ready for the taking!!! They already launch bowling balls pies and watermelons why not Turkey Launching!!! Get that oil good and hot then drop a nice fat frozen turkey canity down into the thing and RUN LIKE HELL!!! Set a few candles around the thing to be sure the oil ignites even!

[cajun-jack]

ok ain't critisizing...i love that chicken from popeyes!!!!

true cajun food...if you didn't catch it, kill or skin it or at least particpate in one of the above activities, then you ain't home yet!!! lol

seriously, for some really good cajun receipes go to www.jfolse.com famous cajun chef and you can get free receipes there.......damn good un's too

[Pedantic_Lady]

ok ain't critisizing...i love that chicken from popeyes!!!!

I miss it! It's criminal what passes for fried chicken around here. All we have is KFC and it is NEVER crispy. It's disgusting. Blech. Oh...and forget about having biscuits with your chicken. They don't have biscuits here.

[StatesEnemy]

Not only will it burn faster, the petroleum distillates add an extra kick. BAM!

Have you tried first injecting your bird with sterno?
It's an acquired taste...

[cajun-jack]

popeye's biscuits are so good they will make you slap yo'self!!!!!!!!!!!! always ask for honey when you get popeyes biscuits...dadgum...now that's a treat

[baltodog]

I think this year we're gonna try pupkitrat...

[Hilltop]

LOL...I worked with coonasses in the oil patch. They cook, they fight, they drink, they make great lifetime friends, or damn bad enemies. If you ever wrong a coonass, they don't forget.

[GladesGuru]

Take thyself post haste to the nearest Japanese restaurant and check out their tempura dishes. Tempura carrot slices are good, as most everything they dip in a batter made of basically ice water and flour.

PS The use of ice water is essential for the best batter.

[Pedantic_Lady]

Hehehe, I like 'em plain.

[Pedantic_Lady]

I've had tempura...it's scrumptious.

[Libloather]

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

You've just ruined Thanksgiving for thousands by posting this. Thanks. Thanks a lot...

[cajun-jack]

plain??? and you call yourself a texan??? honey chile you done been over yonder waaaaaaaaay too long...ain't nuthin plain about texas or looziana....

all that edukayshun you done went and got and you ain't larnt nuthin!!!!!

live a little...put some tobasco on your oatmeal or rice krispies!!!!!!! now that really puts some spark in your morning!!! lol

[Pedantic_Lady]

live a little...put some tobasco on your oatmeal or rice krispies!!!!!!! now that really puts some spark in your morning!!! lol

Ew!

[kenth]

Wow... deep fried pizza.

I moved to NC from OK a few years ago. I stopped in a small local cafe to get lunch. I was shocked as I watched the cook prepare some guys hotdog order. She threw the dogs in the deep fry basket and let 'em cook for a couple of minutes, then took them out and threw them on the grill for another couple. I think deep fried bologna sandwiches is on their menu too.