Thats the Thanksgiving message being sent by the Consumer Product Safety Commission — and to emphasize the warning, the agency shared an alarming video showing the cataclysmically explosive results of making mistakes when frying a turkey.
As the video racked up views on social media, the CPSC also acknowledged what many suspected: Its pretty fun to make small-scale disaster films.
“You know when we do space stuff in America and the rocket takes off, or the satellite deploys, or the helicopter flies on Mars and everyone cheers because it all worked the way its supposed to,” the agency said, “and no one got hurt. Its a lot like that.”
For anyone planning to fry a turkey this year, the CPSC says that if you make any of the mistakes below, you run the risk of burning down the house:
Its also crucial to carefully read and follow the instructions that come with your fryer, the CPSC says. And heaven forbid, do not set up a fryer inside your home.
As Thanksgiving approaches many home cooks consider deep frying a turkey for a moist delicious holiday centerpiece. However, this cooking method poses serious risks if proper precautions aren’t taken. The potential for turkeys to violently explode when submerged in hot oil makes deep frying inherently hazardous.
Understanding the science behind these fiery turkey mishaps can help prevent accidents and keep your Thanksgiving disaster-free. This article explains why putting frozen or partially frozen turkeys into hot oil often leads to explosive results.
The Dangers of Deep-Frying Turkeys
While deep fried turkey tastes great, the cooking process can be treacherous:
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Each year deep frying causes millions in property damage, trips to the ER and even deaths.
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The vast majority of accidents happen when frozen turkeys are immersed in hot oil.
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When oil and ice water mix, the result is volatile. Frozen turkeys can explode, splashing hot oil.
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If displaced oil hits an open flame or burner, it will quickly ignite into a dangerous fireball.
Clearly, special safety steps are required when deep frying turkey. Never put a even partially frozen bird in hot oil. Completely thaw and dry turkey before cooking.
Why Oil and Water Don’t Mix
To understand why turkeys explode, you first need to grasp some basic scientific principles about density.
Density – How much an object weighs per given volume. Denser objects feel heavier.
States of Matter – Liquids, solids and gases of a material have different densities.
Phases – Heat can change a material’s state from solid to liquid to gas.
Oil and water have drastically different densities. Additionally, water’s density varies greatly between its solid, liquid and gas forms.
Density Differences Between Oil and Water
There are two key density differences at play:
1. Water is denser than oil
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Water molecules pack tightly together while oil molecules are larger and more spread out.
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Water also contains heavy oxygen atoms, whereas oil is mostly lighter carbon and hydrogen.
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This density difference makes oil float on top of water.
2. Ice is less dense than liquid water
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When water freezes and becomes ice, its molecules spread out into a solid crystal lattice.
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Solid ice is less compact than liquid water, decreasing its density.
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That’s why ice floats in your drink instead of sinking to the bottom.
Understanding these density dynamics is pivotal to unraveling the exploding turkey mystery.
What Happens When Ice Meets Hot Oil
Here’s a step-by-step overview of how density differences cause turkey explosions:
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Hot oil (350°F) is less dense than liquid water.
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Frozen turkeys contain abundant ice, which is less dense than liquid water.
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When placed in hot oil, the turkey’s ice rapidly melts into denser liquid water.
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This dense water sinks to the bottom of the pot below the oil.
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The water absorbs more heat, converting it into sparse, less dense steam gas.
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Steam bubbles rapidly expand in volume causing an explosive pressure surge.
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This blows the hot oil out of the pot and all over the place.
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If the oil hits an open flame, it can ignite into a fireball.
Avoiding this scenario is simple – fully thaw and dry turkeys before deep frying. Never put even partially frozen birds in hot oil.
Safety Tips for Deep Frying Turkey
Follow these tips for safely deep frying turkey:
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Thoroughly thaw and dry turkey before cooking.
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Use an outdoor propane burner, not indoor fryer.
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Fryer should have thermometer to monitor oil temperature.
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Use fryer at least 10 feet from buildings/trees.
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Don’t overfill fryer with oil. Follow appliance instructions.
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Slowly lower thawed turkey into hot oil using rigging.
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Turn off burner once turkey is removed from oil.
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Let used oil cool completely before disposing properly.
While requiring caution, deep fried turkey can make for a spectacular and safe Thanksgiving when proper technique is used. Understanding the science behind exploding birds prevents disaster. With the right precautions, you can avoid a fiery turkey meltdown!
So, why do people still deep-fry turkeys?
The draw of moist turkey meat and fast cooking times of only a few minutes per pound have created legions of fried-turkey fans in the U.S. since the technique started to become popular more than 20 years ago.
As the CPSC video suggests, when youre dealing with extremely hot oil and an open flame, one of the big dangers is that by the time you realize mistakes have been made, its hard to correct them.
One time-tested way to make sure you reach a safe and effective oil level in your fryer pot is to measure it with water ahead of time, so the liquid sits around 1 to 2 inches above the bird.
“Remove the turkey and note the water level, using a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water,” the National Turkey Federation says. “Pour out the water and dry the pot thoroughly” before refilling the pot with oil to the proper level.
If you decide to measure the oil this way, do it before the turkey is marinated or breaded.
And given the dangers of water and hot oil noted above, make sure the turkey is fully thawed, drained and patted dry before you prepare it for the fry pot.
Why do some turkeys basically explode?
The CPSCs new video shows what look to be normal turkeys sparking a conflagration in different domestic settings, as oil splashes over the pots rim and ignites into a sheet of flame from the gas burner below. The footage is similar to the agencys earlier oeuvre — like its use of dummies to show what can go wrong when fireworks are mishandled.
But birds arent bottle rockets. So why are these turkeys blowing up?
“The reason frozen turkeys explode, at its core, has to do with differences in density,” chemist Kristine Nolin wrote for The Conversation, saying the high proportion of ice inside frozen turkeys can fuel explosions.
Because its less viscous, water might seem less dense than oil; its not. In a pot of hot oil, water from the turkey falls to the bottom. But the extreme heat also converts the water into its gas phase: steam.
“The water molecules then rapidly spread far apart from one another and the volume expands by 1,700 times,” Nolin said, noting that the waters density is suddenly much lower than the oil above it.
Add the rapid change in density and expanding volume together, she said, “and you get an explosion.” And things get worse when, as in the CPSC footage, displaced oil is ignited and spreads flames around the fryer.
Why Do Some Turkeys Ignite in a Deep Fryer?
FAQ
How do you deep fry a turkey without it exploding?
Before putting the turkey in, PLEASE make sure it is both dry (pat dry inside and out with a paper towel), and thawed. Water and boiling oil don’t react well, and ice and boiling oil will get you an exploding turkey. I like to pat dry, let it sit at room temp for an hour, then pat dry again before putting it in.
Why do turkeys explode in the deep fryer?
When you just drop a turkey in quickly, that turns a lot of the turkey’s liquid into steam all at once. This generates a big volume of steam inside and beneath the surface of the hot oil. All the gas being made needs to go somewhere, so it “explodes” up and out of the fryer, throwing a bunch of oil out with it.
How to prevent fried turkey from exploding?
– NEVER leave the fryer unattended. – Ensure the turkey is COMPLETELY THAWED to prevent a fire or explosion hazard. – Raise and lower the turkey slowly to prevent oil splatter, burns, and fire. – Keep children and pets away from the fryer to prevent tipping, even after the turkey is done.
Why shouldn’t you deep fry a turkey?
The Cosumnes Fire Department warns that cooking with deep fat turkey fryers can be very dangerous as they have a high risk of tipping over, overheating, spilling hot oil, and could lead to fires, burns, or other injuries. If a turkey fryer fire occurs, call 911 immediately.
Why do frozen turkeys explode?
The reason frozen turkeys explode, at its core, has to do with differences in density. There is a difference in density between oil and water and differences in the density of water between its solid, liquid and gas states. When these density differences interact in just the right way, you get an explosion.
Can frying a Turkey explode?
Frying turkeys can explode. Here’s how to avoid that Deep-frying a turkey has become popular in recent decades — but the Consumer Product Safety Commission is reminding people of the risks of the technique, and how to safely fry a bird for Thanksgiving. “Cook the turkey, not your home.”
What happens if you deep fry a frozen turkey?
A deep fryer filled too high with oil and with the flame on, explodes in flame when a frozen turkey is placed inside. The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. Deep-frying a turkey is a great way to get a delicious, moist meal for Thanksgiving.
Is deep frying a Turkey dangerous?
But this method of cooking can be a very dangerous undertaking. Every fall, millions of dollars of damage, trips to the ER and even deaths result from attempts to deep-fry turkeys. The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil.
What happens if you fry a Turkey in a fryer?
Cooking your turkey in a fryer means submerging it in 3 to 5 gallons (11 to 19 liters) of hot oil, which can cause all kinds of accidents and burns. Here’s why: Cooking oils have specific temperatures called smoke points, at which the oil breaks down, starts to smoke and releases airborne compounds. (The temperatures vary by the kind of oil.
Can you deep fry a frozen turkey?
The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil. If you are considering deep-frying this year, do not forget to thaw and dry your turkey before placing it in the pot. Failure to do so may lead to an explosive disaster. What is so dangerous about putting even a partially frozen turkey in a deep-fryer?