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The Washington Examiner points us to a tweet from the Department of Homeland Security linking to an Underwriters Laboratories video on the hazards of deep-fat frying. Among UL's listed concerns: UL refuses to certify any turkey fryers with their trusted UL Mark. They do grudgingly concede that there are cases in which people feel they "absolutely must" boil the oil, and share a list of cautionary tips, emphasizing the importance of sufficient defrosting, distance from flammable surfaces, attention to filling depths and the use of appropriate protective gear. We're happy to note that all of these are tenets to which we keenly adhered to when we deep-fried the living daylights out of a turkey and unleashed the "Stuffpuppy" upon the universe. Safety first - then deliciousness. We're sharing our time-tested Thanksgiving hosting tips and recipes, as well as plenty from chefs, hospitality experts, celebrities, hosts and home cooks we love. Our goal – sending you into Thanksgiving with a confident smile on your face, and seeing you emerge on the other side with your sanity intact. Leave your Thanksgiving questions in the comments below and we'll do out best to address them. |
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I did not know people deep fryed turkeys to keep them from drying out. Season and stuff a raw turkey and put it in a plastic roaster bag. Put it it in the oven at midnight at 200 degrees. Take it out at noon. Cut the bag off and remove the liquid. Cover the bird in melted butter. Put it under the boiler for about 10 minutes. The bird will be ready at about 12:30 and will be moist. (like cutting through soft butter) No deep frying needed.
another govt regulation in place of common sense.
Well this is exactly the kind of helpful thing I had in mind when I supported the creation of the Dept Homeland Security.....
More of that feel good chit coming from progressives. Quick hide under the covers, Christmas is coming.
I'll be frying my turkey tomorrow. Just be sure it is COMPLETELY thawed out and drained. Watch the oil temperature. Every activity has some risks But it is impossible to make things fool proof. Fools are so darn ingenious!
Really appalled by all of the comments on here about how stupid this is, and how it's nothing to do with Homeland Security. Has it occurred to any of you folks that HS is in charge of protecting the homeland, and that people who like to attack the homeland like to do it on major holidays, and that if something truly awful were to happen, having emergency first-responders all over the country too busy putting out preventable house fires might slow down the response and cost lives? When you're trying to protect 325 million people, you just try to manage statistics. You try to imagine every issue that you can engage on and improve a potential response and use national resources wisely, and you do the best you can. Not having a bunch of houses catch fire in a completely preventable fashion is a security issue. Not the most important one, but you try to hit everything you can think of. Every American life saved is a success, and a good thing.
Are you suggesting al-qaeda has launched a plot to attack America with ... turkey fryers?? Sorry not buying that DHS has anything to do with cooking safety. And the govt is just doing all this so they can absolve themselves of blame later anyway. People are gonna fry their t-day turkey ... including me.
If you are thinking about deep frying a turkey ignore the DHS video. My food blog , http://www.tomsfoodieblog.com, has a safety focused instructions for deep frying a turkey http://wp.me/p1tg9j-uM
Napolitano should be fried sooner than later.
The DHS is worried? LOL The DHS is a joke and a drain on the US finances. WHo in the world would want to come to America? This country more screwed up then any nation on this planet.
Spoken like a true patriot. We appreciate you getting out here and apologizing for America. We should all be so ashamed of this country, and you're a hero for pointing it out. Get yourself down to a Tea Party rally, we'll pray the sorry away.
good for heart problems.The southerners deep fry cookies/ice cream and on and on.Hence Mississippi/Bamma are overweight
leaders of USA and the world...Tea party for sure
Check out the funny video William Shatner did on turkey fryers on Youtube...
Well I'm sure happy they are finding a way to spend more money on this governmentally important issue – "The National Security risks of fried turkey on Thanksgiving."
This is a DHS issue? Maybe FEMA, which is under HDS.....I've tasted some turkeys that were disasters...
Yes, yes, really expensive to post a Youtube link on a website. You're so correct, what a horrific, profligate waste of precious tax dollars to put a weblink on a site and try to keep Americans from burning their houses down and killing their families. Almost sounds like we don't have enough money to invade Iran. Good thing we have people like you watching out for us. One more thing to be thankful for.
DHS is worried about fried turkey? Really?! Come on Man!! Really?! The DHS should be focused on more pressing issues because I seriously doubt terrorists are going to attack the US with fried turkeys!
The Department of Homeland Security does not want you to die in a fryer accident
When I read the headline, I really thought that terrorist where trying to kill us by frying us in a turkey fryer!
Anyone who sets fire to their residence by deep-frying a turkey needs to be put in front of the firing squad. They are too stupid to be redeemed and cannot be saved. It is more humane to put the idiots out of their misery.
Dude that's harsh. But it's true that anyone with an ounce of common sense would see the danger and the need for extreme caution. This article from DHS is downright sad because it means that there must be a significant problem in this country with multitudes of idiots allowing gallons of oil to boil in their homes, and then carelessly just plopping the turkey in it or sitting it on an unsafe and wobbly surface to tip over.
Fry those suckers outside!!!
Best way to eat a fried turkey, is to buy an already fried turkey, find a restaurant that does it.
No mess, No danger and no equipment to buy..
FATTY, YES....
LOL I am frying turkeys at this moment! I am on #5 for today and will do one chicken and one more turkey before the day is done. I will 2 more in the morning!
The only part of this article that is important is not buying cheap turkey fryers........
I have been frying about 10 turkeys a year now for 7 years, never had a problem yet not even a burn!
You have to use caution and normal cooking procedures is all you need to keep in mind.
Level your burner, stand and pot
always do it on a driveway or concrete and do the cooking outside not under a porch or in your garage
Never cook on or close to wood or combustible materials
pre measure your oil level using water and the turkey you are going to fry
Make sure the turkey is thawed and fairly dry, not dripping wet!!! These are very important don't ignore warnings.....
use welding gloves or leather gloves that cover your arms
I wear an old leather jacket while dropping the turkey in and out
drop the turkey in slowly if the oil gets violent or roars too much then pull the turkey out and let the oil calm down then slowly drop it in when calm.
Stay by the deep fryer and keep tabs on the temperature 350 to 375, I get my oil to 375 then drop it in the oil will drop about 20 degrees after putting it in. Cook time is 3 to 4 minutes per pound. Turkey will feel light when done, also check it with a thermometer it should be 180.
DW post is 100% spot on...except for the fact that he's writing a post on CNN when he should be tending to his bird frying :)
For real though, all of your points are good and that's exactly how I've been doing it for the past 5 years. Best turkey ever and it frees up room in the kitchen and let's my wife concentrate on the rest of the feast!
*sigh* If you warn them about this, they'll just keep propagating! Hello!
Put the turkey in the empty cold pot, pour in water to just cover the turkey, remove the turkey, mark the level of the water, dump the water out, dry the pot completely, pour in oil (peanut oil works best) to the marked level, heat the oil to desired temperature (you can get a thermometer for this), carefully (don't drop it in) ease the turkey in oil (make sure it is completely thawed), remove turkey after 30 minutes, turn off heat, eat. Simple.
Careful with those directions. Homeland security may come arrest you!
If you plan to use peanut oil, you'd best check first with your guests to see if any of them have severe peanut allergies. You think you're friends but then they sue you for almost killing them and their hospital bills.
so its ok for 16 year old kids to use the same oil in similar quanties at McDonalds and UL will certify these. But if i want one at home I cant possibly read the warnings on the package or know what I'm doing so you wont sign off on these fryers?
The fryers at McDonalds have built in fire suppression systems that deal with the "can't fix stupid" scenerio pretty well.
Also, the fryers at McDonalds aren't sitting on tripods nor are the unit's top heavy when filled with oil. Then there's the possibility of a child, dog, or drunk brother-in-law running by the fryer at home and tipping it over.
So glad DHS is focusing on the really big problems. F'ing idiots.
It's obviously a YANKEE CONSPIRACY to prevent fat, gluttonous southerners from enjoying their nasty greasy deep fried bird
Homeland Security is welcome to stay out of my backyard, and my kitchen, just like the religious right is welcome to stay away from my bedroom.
AMEN! to that
LET those MORONS burn
what idiot does this?
dont you know anything about using an OVEN????????
cook like a NORMAL PERSON and stop this deep frying bull.....freaking idiots
Oh please shut up!! I'm going deep fry you!! Yah yah!!! *tea bag* *tea bag* *tea bag*
Hey we have the same name but I spell mine backwards !
Bob can be spelled regularly or backwards. It is a good name for any occasion.
I may have the same name, too, but I might be slightly dyslexic, and my spelling is terrible.
I have the same name too but I have trouble spelling it.
Maybe the answer is not to deep fry if alcohol is involved,or if you simply dont have enough common sense to take precautions.
Like fire extinguishers,being far enough away in the open,having some dirt available in case of spills,and all proper handling gear.
Some people can deep fry and not burn themselves.
Bingo.
Good advice posted here today. One of my neighbors nearly burned down his garage in a turkey-frying mishap a few years ago, because he did not know what he was doing. Take care all and have a great, SAFE holiday.
Here's the right way to fry a turkey AND there's a really cool video of what it looks like when something goes wrong. Happy Thanksgiving! http://www.gettingoutside.com/Holiday-Outdoor-Safety-Tips-Deep-Fried-Turkey
Here's the right way to fry a turkey AND there's a really cool video of what it looks like when something goes wrong. Happy Thanksgiving!
http://www.gettingoutside.com/Holiday-Outdoor-Safety-Tips-Deep-Fried-Turkey
we are talking about following instructions. additionally it does not take long on the first cooking to determine you have to monitor the temperature and turn the heat down as it increases. It works even better if you are not doing it in a garage and the cook is not drinking. Now if that is to difficult then voting is more difficult as the last Presidential elections proves.
Overstepping their charter once again. Big brother is hear. Got a better idea. Step off!
You took the words right out of my mouth!
This is the Dept's advice, I want my money back, why must I be forced to pay for info like this? Sounds a bunch of little kids talking at school.
Time to decide who to blame:
Obama, Palin, Cain, Bush, Perry, Clinton, Gore, Tea Party, OWS, Reds, Blues, or (to please the paranoid 'anti-Zionist' crowd) Israel
i blame jerrycc
can we put jerrycc in a turkey fryer?
Waste some more money Obama.
Waste some more time jerrycc
What a d!ck
Yah Obama is pretty dumb and ghey!!
There is a good percentage of the US population who thinks this is a good idea. Most
of them live in RED states. :)
What is this!!! Absurd example of mission creep. No wonder our budgets are in chaos
We have allocated big chunks of money to DHS primarily TO PREVENT TERRORIST ACTIVITY. What are they doing in consumer product safety advice???
yes, a Tweet from someone in the DHS is mission creep.
Didn't realize frying turkeys was a national security risk. Already don't like Homeland Security since thru TSA they support and actively promote sexual assault. Try staying out of my business that is none of your business. And don't bug me tomorrow, I'll be busy frying my turkey.
Come on Edward, we all know you love to be rubbed down by some big TSA guy. Admit it!!!
Good grief folks, who fries a frozen or partially frozen turkey? You must thaw the friggin' bird out just to get the giblets out of the stomach and the butt. For those you attempt to fry a frozen bird anyway, make sure you have directions to your nearest burn unit.
If you do not have the common sense needed to fry a turkey, then you should understand that the ensuing inferno is nothing more than Darwinism at work!!!!!!
Sadly, common sense seems to be in short enough supply these days to guarantee – guarantee – that not one, not two, but SEVERAL people will cause serious harm to themselves and/or their property tomorrow when attempting to do everything the video says NOT to do, and manage to find even more creative ways to wreak havoc. My personal favorite: a couple years ago, some idiot set up the propane-fired pot of hot oil IN THEIR KITCHEN; the house burned to the ground in minutes, although thankfully no one was injured.
I was going to make a smarmy hater-gonna-hate comment, but this was actually a pretty worthwhile demonstration, and it's true. If you dump a bucket of 350 degree oil over stuff, your whole evening is going to be wrecked, and that's if you're lucky.
Good demo, and lol at the ignorant morons who think the UL is taxpayer-funded. That's not how it or CE certs work.
Try BBQ'ing. Used judicious tinfoil at extremeties and the top of the bird, and slow cook for 4-5 hrs. Much more tender than roasting, and 20,000 times safer than deep frying (ugh, I can't even imagine...).
Have cooked bunches of deep fried turkeys. The saying that fits the problem described in the article is... "You can't fix stupid!" If people would use common sense, there would be very little chance of the things happening described in the article.
It's easier to blame someone!
I love how our government has to think for us. My god where has all the common sense gone?
Are you an idiot? UL is not a govenment agency!
UL is a private company. The only mention of the government is that someone in DHS tweeted a link to a video. Your attempt to bash the government instead is bashing the private businesses that you so dearly love.
The tea-bags will grab at anything to bash. Pathetic.
tea party logic on display here folks, these are the people that brought us our latest congress. god help america
I put frozen turkeys in my rear quarters all the time. gobble gobble!
Heat up oil....
Turn flame off....
Put turkey in oil.....
Relight flame.....
Cook and enjoy..
Its not all that difficult.
Our tax dollars at work again, what a waste
You're an idiot. UL is not a government agency.
You cant be serious! UL is not a governement agency. Know your facts before you post.
Homeland Security is, you doofuses.
The TV show Mythbusters had done some testing on oil fires and the old rule about not mixing oil and water. Its worth watching if you _ever_ cook with oil. The resulting fires can be very, very dangerous.
Alton Brown also did a great episode of Good Eats on frying a turkey. He goes into great depth on how to do it safely, I would say it is another must-see.
Based on half the posts here foolishly believing that UL is a government agency, I'm surprised that no one yet is claiming MythBusters is a waste of tax dollars...
Just wait, doubtless it will happen one day. Those bozos love to complain about things that never happened.
Earlier this week they were complaining about research 'dollars' spent on Utzi the frozen man. Remember him? He's in *Europe* and not a single dollar's been spent upon him. Marunes.
Then again, if you can't spell Chartreux, what should we expect of maroon?
It is particularly dangerous for the turkey.
Good one! LOL!
Never put a frozen turkey in a hot deep fryer, it will explode most of the time, or cause the oil to boil over starting a fire.
The only advantage to frying the turkey is that it doesn't dry out.
But you can put butter under the skin and other techniques that accomplish the same thing when you roast a turkey.
.
THIS is what we are paying Homeland Security for? REALLY?
It's a link on a website. Probably cost all of $0.0000001 cent.
.
It's funny that you think it cost so little. You obviously have no experience in how government functions. First DHS regional heads held a meeting, this issue of national importance was on the agenda and it was decided a commitee be formed to determine the best course of action. A committe of 12 regional DHS heads debated the issue without any further action being taken, the issue was then tabled for later discussion without a vote being held, while it was determined that a study should be conducted to examine the issue further. A taxpayer funded 12 month study was inconclusive as to the danger present as the report stated that the simple use of common sense could greatly impact the outcome. The commitee met again and determined that an additional study should be conducted, this time they ensured the results would support their concerns. The commitee meets again to discuss the favorable report and takes a vote on the issue, the vote fails as issues with the language of the notice are now debated, the issue is tabled without any further action being taken while the language of the notice is addressed. The commitee meets again the issue is voted on and passed the DHS submits a request from their Indonesian contractor who pays a 19 year old Indian 60,000 Rupee's to post the link on Twitter.
THIS is what your employer is paying you for? REALLY?
Some Safety precautions I take:
1) Before you do anything, take the turkey and put it into the EMPTY pot.
2) Then fill with water until it covers the turkey, but is still about 2" below the top of the pot.
3) Remove the turkey, and with a marker, mark the outside of the pot where the water level is. Empty pot.
4) When you fill the pot with oil, fill to that mark, and everything should be fine.
5) Use the thermometer to ensure it doesn't overheat.
6) Set it on concrete or brick away from home, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby...and everyone else away!
Don't then use a larger turkey!!!!!
Excellent post, Douglas. Good instruction and common sense. Darn government telling everyone what to do again...
I always turn the burner off while I am putting the turkey into the oil. That way even if some oil does spill over, there is no open flame to start a fire. Once the turkey has settled into the oil and any water that was still in the turkey has cooked off, I turn the burner back on again.
Good points Douglas, the only thing I would add is always remember that if you use the method you described to determine how much oil to use, to use a little less. Oil will expand when heated up, not much, but just enough that it could cause a boil over. Otherwise, never had one problem deep frying a turkey, and they have always turned out delicious.
Good point, more oil can be gradually added after putting the turkey in the frier if it's not enough.
These are just guidelines...I like a good HOT oil rubdown too.
That's good to know. I'm sure some cannibal has a fryer ready and waiting for you!
You looked like you needed one after the grilling you took on capitol hill over the guns for money debacle.