It's almost Thanksgiving, which means most people are planning their holiday menus.
Most holiday hosts will serve delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry, some sort of vegetable side, and, of course, pumpkin pie.
Everyone has their favorite part of the meal. And even if turkey isn't what you look forward to most, it's not truly Thanksgiving without one.
That being said, some people take their turkey preparations very seriously. While most families dress their birds with traditional herbs and spices, stuffing, and butter before popping it in the oven, some people go a different route by deep-frying their turkeys.
If you're considering deep-frying your turkey this year, you might want to think again. Sure, deep-fried turkey can be delicious, but the process of cooking it can actually be extremely dangerous.
Deep-frying anything has potential dangers, but turkeys pose a specific threat because they're often frozen prior to cooking.
Read below to find out more about the dangers of deep-frying a turkey and how to do it safely.
[H/T: KCWY 13 News]
It doesn't matter where in the country you eat your Thanksgiving dinner, chances are, the turkey you consume will taste almost exactly the same.
Turkey is the traditional Thanksgiving food, and almost everyone loves it.
One of the things you can do to make your Thanksgiving turkey even more tasty is deep-frying it.
Putting your turkey in the deep fryer is a great way to lock in the moisture and make the skin nice and crispy.
But deep-frying a turkey can be extremely dangerous.
You might think it's just like frying any other food, but it's definitely not.
Fire officials are often called to houses where turkeys have caused pots of oil to overflow or explode, leading to scary fires.
If you do want to deep-fry your turkey, make sure you follow the instructions below to do it safely.
The mistake most people make when they deep-fry a turkey is that they don't fully defrost the bird.
If the turkey is still frozen when you put it in the fryer, it can blow up.
Chef Larry Cordova told KCWY 13 News, “Now, what you don't want to do is use a frozen turkey. You're talking… [about] a nuclear explosion! If you put it inside of there, most people's mistake is they drop it in there, and it'll just explode like a volcano."
Instead, make sure your entire turkey is defrosted and not dripping with liquid.
Fill the pot halfway or three-quarters full with oil, then gently place the turkey in the oil.
Additionally, never deep-fry a turkey inside your home.
Set up your fryer outside, with a three-foot safety zone around it; don't let kids or pets inside this area.
If you're going to fry your turkey, look up a recipe beforehand and follow the directions exactly; don't just guess or make up your own method.
While cooking, if anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to call the fire department!
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