The Bakersfield Fire Department put on a demonstration Wednesday showing how dangerous deep-frying a turkey the wrong way can be. Battalion Chief Casey Snow said it's possible to do safely, but extra precautions should be taken to avoid a fire.
Here are the top tricks he recommends:
- Make sure your turkey is completely thawed before frying (The Department of Public Health said this is true for all forms of cooking)
- Fry your turkey away from any buildings or flammable objects
- Keep children and pets at a distance
- Make sure you have a fire extinguisher nearby (not water because you're dealing with a grease fire)
To make sure your turkey is completely thawed, foodsafety.gov has this chart with guidelines:
