TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Deep frying your turkey can be a quick and delicious solution to one of the biggest meals of the year, or it can quickly be a big problem.
According to Chris Chatham of the Wakulla Fire Department, "People don't know what to do (if the fryer catches on fire) and they kind of panic." If you are not careful, a grease fire can easily get out of hand.
When chefs don't thaw their turkeys all the way before putting it into the deep fryer, the added water causes the boiling grease to catch fire. It's important to know what to do in this situation. Chatham suggests that, "You definitely don't want to take your run of the mill garden hose and start spraying water on it because it can grow and it can spread as well."
So in case of a small grease fire have either a fire extinguisher, baking soda or a shovel and some dirt on hand.
When you're trying to make sure your turkey is really thaw, Chatman says you should, "...make sure you put it in the refrigerator and have it thaw over a couple of days."
And just to be safe, when you first get your turkey, put it in the empty fryer and see how much water it takes to cover the turkey. Then when it's time to cook you know exactly how much oil to use without causing the fryer to over-flow.
For more fun Tscience, tune into Tsaparis Tscience every Wednesday morning on WTXL's Sunrise.
