Over 45 million turkeys will be prepared for family feasts across the country this Thanksgiving and people are still debating the best way to cook the bird – oven roasted or deep fried. Traditional roasting has its perks like plentiful juices for making gravy and a decreased likelihood of starting a holiday house fire. But the deep fried turkey is quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon, mostly due to the moister, more flavorful meal it creates. If your family is #TeamDeepFried, take a few minutes to review these fast facts you need to know for your Thanksgiving feast.
- Go for a smaller turkey. Turkeys between 8 and 10 pounds are perfect for frying. Anything over 12 pounds is too big to safely deep fry.
- Use the right amount of oil. With the turkey inside, oil should be 3-5 inches from the top of the fryer.
- Allow 3-4 minutes of cooking time per pound of turkey.
- Let the fryer oil cool completely before beginning cleanup.
- Reuse your oil. Cooking oil can be reused for up to 6 hours of frying time. Simply strain out any food particles and return to original container for storage for up to 6 months.
- Recycle your oil on Saturday, November 28th from 10 AM to 2 PM in the the Bass Pro Shops parking lot at 1972 Power Plant Parkway in Hampton. Or find a collection location near you. Many cities or counties collect used fryer oil for recycling or disposal as household hazardous waste.
- Trash your oil. Freeze it or mix it with sawdust/sand to solidify the oil and throw it out on trash day. Kitty litter will work, but never use scented or disinfectant varieties as they can react to oil and cause fires.
- Never attempt to dispose of cooking oil in home plumbing including sinks, toilets or garbage disposals. Doing so can damage your home plumbing and lead to expensive repairs!
- Don’t cause an “oil” spill in your community! Dumping oil anywhere outside including ditches and storm drains is a huge no-no. Oil left outdoors can find its way into local waterways where it will float on top of water and harm the habitat of local fish and crabs.
Follow these tips and you’ll have a perfect, deep fried Thanksgiving!
Gobble, Gobble!