Frying Fires

11/26/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Corpus Christi East wants to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Let your Thanksgiving be full of family and giving thanks with lots of good fried turkey, rather than be a horror thanksgiving story. According to the NFPA frying, a turkey causes an average of 60 injuries and 5 deaths and nearly 15 million dollars of property damage each year. Please consider these tips provided by the United States Department of Agriculture to prevent any tragedy this Thanksgiving.

• Don’t buy your turkey too early
• If your turkey is fresh: keep in the refrigerator and make sure to cook within 1-2 days.
• If you buy your turkey frozen: it will take 4-5 lbs per day to thaw in the refrigerator; for 12 lbs it will take 2.5 to 3 days in the refrigerator to thaw, then cook the turkey within 1-2 days.
• Smaller turkeys are better for frying
• Don’t fry a turkey larger than 12 lbs
• If you don’t have time to thaw frozen turkey you can use a quick-thaw method of submerging the bagged turkey in COLD tap water.

Please remember that the turkey must be completely thawed to be safely fried. When working with large amounts of hot oil, select a cooking vessel large enough to completely submerge the turkey without it spilling over. The oil should cover the turkey by 1 to 2 inches. Select a safe location outdoors for deep fat frying a turkey. Heat the cooking oil to 350°F. Very slowly and carefully lower the turkey into the hot oil. Monitor the temperature of the oil with a thermometer during cooking. Never leave the hot oil unattended. Allow approximately 3 to 5 minutes of cook time per pound. When reaching approximate time needed, check to see if the turkey is safely cooked by removing the turkey from the oil, draining the oil from the cavity and with a food thermometer, check the internal temperature of the bird. DO NOT test the temperature while the turkey is submerged in oil. The turkey is safely cooked when the turkey reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. If the turkey has not reached 165°F in all three locations, then return it to the hot oil for additional cooking. After dinner, the safest way to keep your dinner fresh is to not leave out food for longer than 2 hours and refrigerate up to 3-4 days or freeze your food for longer keeping. SERVPRO of Corpus Christi East wants to wish you a happy and safe holiday.

For more helpful tips please visit:

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/11/06/dont-make-turkey-frying-disastrous-situation-thanksgiving