Add Safety to Your Thanksgiving Menu

Deep frying a turkey may be delicious but it can also be dangerous.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires and frying food increases the risk. Keep your family safe by following these five safety tips:

Use your turkey fryer only outdoors on a sturdy, level surface away from things that can burn. Make sure to have a “3-foot kid- and pet-free zone” around your turkey fryer to protect against burn injuries. Turkey fryers can easily tip over spilling hot oil across a large area.
Determine the correct amount of oil needed by first placing the turkey in the pot with water. An overfilled cooking pot will cause oil to spill over when the turkey is placed inside.
Make sure your turkey is completely thawed before you fry it. A partially frozen turkey will cause hot oil to splatter.
Check the temperature often with a cooking thermometer so the oil will not overheat. Turkey fryers can easily overheat and start a fire.
Use long cooking gloves that protect hands and arms when you handle these items. The pot, lid and handles of a turkey fryer can get dangerously hot and cause burn injuries.

For more tips, visit the USFA’s Cooking Fire Safety page.