Deep Frying Your Thanksgiving Turkey Can Have Explosive Results

No, that is not me in the picture holding my latest culinary triumph, a severely burned turkey.

What you are looking at is a picture from the blog of some New York personal injury attorneys, specifically the post from their blog which deals with the dangers associated  with Thanksgiving and the frying of turkeys using propane fueled deep fryers.

More on what the New York personal injury attorneys have to say about the risks associated with deep frying your Thanksgiving (or Christmas) turkey later in this blogging.

I only learned of the practice of deep frying a turkey shortly before moving to Texas. I had been email corresponding with a Fort Worth inhabitant with the charming Southern sounding name of Julene. At one point Julene mentioned having ordered her Thanksgiving deep fried turkey from Dickeys.

Huh? How does one order a turkey from a blue jeans maker, let alone get it fried, I wondered?

Upon arrival in Texas it was not long until I saw Deep Fried Turkey Frying Kits for sale at Krogers and other places. Along with huge jugs of peanut oil. I knew the South liked to fry stuff, but this was beyond how bad I imagined it could be.

Then, by the time my first Texas Thanksgiving rolled around the head mistress at the domicile I was staying in at that time had bought a Deep Fried Turkey Fryer. And a giant jug of peanut oil.

I thought the idea of deep frying a turkey was disgusting, that it'd be greasy and could not understand how it could be safe heating a bit pot of boiling oil and then sticking a big bird in it.

I wanted nothing to do with it, so I absented myself from the process and went roller blading. By the time I returned the turkey was done, what with it only taking about a half an hour to deep fry a big turkey.

I saw the finished product and instantly thought it looked real good, all golden brown. And then I took one bite.

Tastiest turkey ever.

And totally non greasy.

That was to be the first of many deep fried turkeys during my time at that domicile.

At one point, for a 4th of July pool party it was decided to deep fry 10 chickens. That did not go so well. The chickens did not turn out golden brown, like the turkey, and the meat was rendered sort of chewy. I liked it, but the majority did not.

It has now been well over a decade since I have had Deep Fried Turkey. Ironically, a Dickey's has now opened in my neighborhood. I forget when it was I learned that Dickey's also barbecued in addition to making blue jeans. Last week my mailbox contained an ad from Dickey's with a Deep Fried Turkey offer.

Now, if I've convinced you that you want to rush out and get yourself a Deep Fried Turkey Fryer, here is what those New York Personal Injury Attorneys had to say about this method of making your Thanksgiving turkey...

Severe burns and other personal injuries as well as destruction of property may result from improper use of gas-fueled turkey fryers that cook the bird in hot oil. These cooking appliances are very popular for Thanksgiving but they are not safe! The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) discourages their use. The risk of oil spilling is significant and the resulting injuries can be severe.

If you still decide to use a Turkey Fryer you should be aware of some of the dangers you are facing:

• During the cooking hot oil can splash on your hands or face resulting in burn injuries
• The deep fryer stand can tip or collapse when the turkey is put in or taken out resulting in a major hot oil spill
• The temperature of the cooking oil is so high that even its vapors can ignite creating an additional risk of fire
• Deep fryers can not be used inside. Many fires have ignited when fryers were moved indoors or into a garage to keep the appliance out of the rain
• Bad weather such as snow and rain is an additional danger to deep frying. If the rain or the snow hits the oil it may splatter or turn to steam and result in burns. The same can happen if the turkey is put in the oil when not fully thawed
• Deep fryers use around five gallons of oil and if the turkey is dropped too quickly in it, the oil will splash and burn people close to the appliance.

I think I err on the side of caution and let Dickey's do the turkey frying....

Saturday Morning With A Pool Half Empty, A Divorce From Skinny, A Horror Story From Carlotta & A Weird Email From A Cousin With Deep Fried Turkey

Looking out from my patio prison cell bars you'd think the pool was back full of water, due to looking blue again. You would be wrong. It is only about a third full. It will likely take til late Sunday to get full.

I don't think we got any of the predicted rain and lightning, yesterday, in my zone of Texas. We did get a lot of wind. Which blew down a tree across John T. White Road, which made an interesting return, last night, as I was heading west, back to here.

This morning I was shocked to see a message from "Skinny" in which he or she says he or she is divorcing me, due to my inability to learn the proper nomenclature for critter and flora sightings on the Tandy Hills. "Skinny" suggests I focus some attention on the best part of Texas. That being the Trans Pecos area of West Texas.

But I have already been all over Big Bend Country, to places like Terlingua and Marfa and Fort Davis and Alpine and Wink. I just have not gone there (too much) on this blog.

I heard from Carlotta Camano this morning, telling me a teacher horror story. I used to think teachers were paid sufficiently, what with that long summer vacation they get every year. For some time now I have changed my mind and think teachers are underpaid.

I also heard from one of my cousins and his wife this morning, via email. I'd not heard from them in a long time. I don't know what to make of this bizarre email.

Subject: URGENT HELP NEEDED!!! Mike & Karen Jones

Am so sorry that I didn't inform you about our trip,I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,I came down here to Wales,United Kingdom for a short vacation unfortunately I Was mugged at the park of the hotel where We Logged all cash,credit card and cell were stolen Away From us but luckily for me i still have my Life And passports with me

I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and my flight leaves in less than hours from now but having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the bills,I'm freaked out at the moment.

Thanks
Mike & Karen Jones

Are they trying to be funny? Is this some sort of Nigerian scam parody? I don't get it. This email was sent to multiple "undisclosed recipients."

Tonight I expect to be connected, via I-Phone Face Talk, or whatever it is called, to a virtual visit to the Trainwreck in Burlington, Washington. I await this virtual visit with eager anticipation.

Switching the subject to Thanksgiving. This is the time of year my Eyes on Texas website gets a lot of hits due to people looking for info about Deep Frying Turkey. A couple days ago a guy named Dave told me the method I described to measure the amount of oil needed was erroneous and could lead to a bad accident. Like a fire. I don't know where I got the original frying instructions. They seemed completely credible to me.

The sun has now totally lit up the place. But no swimming for me.

UPDATE: Above my memory failed me when I said we got none of yesterday's predicted rain and lightning yesterday in my zone of Texas. I forgot that around noon heavy rain thwarted my plan to go hiking on the Tandy Hills. I saw no lightning, though, and heard no thunder.

Riding The Horse With The 2 Amigos To Wal-Mart To Get A Turkey Fryer Picture

A few minutes ago I drove to my nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter to get some vittles. Vittles means food items.

My route to Wal-Mart goes down a 4 lane boulevard called John T. White Road. It's got a wide median between the lanes.

This afternoon there were 3 amigos riding their horses on the John T. White Road median.

Is median the right word? My brain is being fuzzy right now.

The horse on the right was way too frisky, darting back and forth. I was concerned the horse would dart out on the road.

I remember previous recessions, recessions that were supposedly not as bad as the current one. During the previous recessions you would notice a big difference in customers in stores, as in way fewer of them. This afternoon Wal-Mart was a madhouse of people buying stuff, carts loaded. I do not remember a previous recession where I would see so many people yapping away on cell phones. Seems a luxury, like a cell phone, would be the first thing to go when times get tough. I guess cell phones have become a necessity, not a luxury. How could one get by not being able to call from Wal-Mart to ask what brand of beans to buy?

Speaking of things to buy. Wal-Mart had a big stack of Turkey Fryers Sets and Peanut Oil by the frozen foods. Do Turkey Fryer Sets show up in stores up north these days? Are they on the west coast? I'd never heard of frying a turkey or a Turkey Fryer til I came to Texas.

Click here to read everything I've learned about frying a turkey.

Deep Fried Thanksgiving Turkey In Texas

I had never heard of Deep Fried Turkey til I moved to Texas. I knew all sorts of unlikely things get the deep fried treatment in Texas, but I thought it was some sort of joke when deep frying a turkey was first mentioned to me.

And then I was in Krogers and saw stacks of Turkey Fryer kits, next to jugs of peanut oil. So, I bought a Turkey Frying kit. It came with a high-powered burner, a 34 quart pot, a turkey stand and turkey lifter, thermometer and injector.

I've never used the injector. You use it to squirt marinades into the bird.

Before I had my first taste of deep-fried turkey I assumed it would be real greasy. I was wrong. There is not even the slightest hint of greasiness. The turkey comes out the most golden brown I've ever seen a turkey be. With the meat very moist.

You have to fry the turkey outdoors. Don't even think of frying it in your garage. A covered patio is the best location. You'll want to get yourself some heavy duty work gloves to insulate yourself from the heat and the burn of splatters.

You heat the oil to about 350 degrees, then slowly lower the turkey. You use the lifter to lower and raise the turkey. There will be some splattering when the bird first hits the oil.

The turkey cooks way faster than the old-fashioned in the oven method. Figure about 3.5 minutes per pound. The turkey is done when the thermometer reads 160 degrees when stuck into the thickest part of the breast.

Keep kids and pets away from the frying operation. When the turkey is done be sure to turn off the burner. It will take awhile for the oil to cool. It remains dangerous until it cools. You can re-use the peanut oil if you filter out the turkey remnants.

It is less than 2 weeks til Turkey Day. I still have 2 seats open for Thanksgiving if you want to make a reservation for Deep Fried Turkey Dinner.