Turkey fryer facts for kids

A turkey fryer is a special cooking device used to deep-fry a whole turkey. Deep-frying means cooking food by completely putting it into hot oil. This way of cooking turkeys first became popular in the Southern United States. Now, it's popular in many other places too. People like it because it cooks a turkey much faster than a regular oven or a rotisserie grill.

How Turkey Frying Started

Deep-fried turkeys first appeared in newspapers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This idea came from Charlie Gant and two of his Cajun friends. They were sitting around with their big crawfish pots after a party. They had a lot of leftover pig lard and wondered what to do with it.

They decided to try deep-frying chickens first. Then, they tried turkeys. Later, they switched from pig lard to peanut oil. This was because lard would spoil easily in the warm Louisiana weather.

What You Need to Fry a Turkey

A typical turkey fryer kit comes with several parts:

• A burner to heat the oil.
• A large stock pot with a lid.
• A basket or a poultry holder to put the turkey in.
• A lifter to carefully put the turkey into and take it out of the hot oil.
• A thermometer to check the oil's temperature.

The burner usually runs on a propane tank, which you buy separately. Newer burners are designed to be lower to the ground. This makes them more stable and helps prevent them from tipping over.

Cheaper kits often have an aluminum pot and a steel burner. More expensive ones might have a stainless steel pot and burner. Some pots even have a built-in valve to drain the oil easily.

The poultry holder is a metal rod that goes through the middle of the turkey. The lifter hooks onto it to lower and lift the turkey. If you use a basket, it has a handle for the lifter. The thermometer has a long stick that goes into the oil to show how hot it is.

You can also use a turkey fryer to cook other meats like chicken or seafood. The pot lid is only used when you're not frying, or if you're boiling water for other foods. It's a good idea to wear heavy gloves and an apron for safety.

Some newer fryers have a special temperature control valve. This valve connects to the propane tank and the burner. It has a sensor that goes into the oil. The valve then changes the flame to keep the oil at a steady temperature.

There are also electric turkey fryers that you can use indoors. These don't heat up as fast as propane fryers. However, they have a thermostat to control the heat and a safety shut-off feature. Electric fryers can also be used to fry or boil other foods.

Important Safety Tips for Turkey Fryers

Deep-frying a turkey uses a lot of hot oil over an open flame. This means it can be dangerous. You need to be very careful from the moment you light the flame until the turkey is out and the oil has cooled down. There is a risk of fire, burns, and even explosions.

Because of these dangers, some safety organizations, like Underwriters Laboratories, do not approve turkey fryers. It's very important to follow all safety instructions carefully. Always use a turkey fryer outdoors, on a flat, stable surface, far away from any buildings or flammable materials. Never leave it unattended.

How to Prepare a Turkey for Frying

Older recipes for deep-fried turkey used lard and cooked 12-15 pound turkeys at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, most recipes suggest using lighter oils for health reasons. Even with high heat, the oil does not soak into the turkey.

You need to use a cooking oil that can get very hot without smoking. Good choices include canola oil, peanut oil, or safflower oil.

The cooking time is usually about four minutes for every pound of turkey. So, a 15-pound turkey would cook for about one hour in oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

After frying, you can save the oil. If you filter it and keep it cool, you can use it several more times. To add flavor, you can rub the turkey with salt and pepper. You can also inject the turkey with a marinade, which is a flavorful liquid.

It's important to know that you cannot stuff a turkey when you deep-fry it. Also, fried turkeys don't produce the drippings or broth that you would use to make gravy.