By admin Published November 12, 2021

Did you know that Thanksgiving Day is one of the year’s biggest days for fires? For a day that is traditionally spent in the kitchen cooking up food for family and friends, trying out new recipes and equipment it’s beneficial to understand the risks and how to be as safe as possible. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite tips to keep you and your family safe and your turkey intact this Thanksgiving.

Cooking Safety

Ah, Thanksgiving Day! What a great day to spend cooking up delicious food to be enjoyed by friends and family. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do, so we want to share some of our favorite

 safety tips to keep the joy alive on this upcoming holiday.

• This one can be hard, but always try to stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stove or if you have food in the oven. It can be tempting to multitask when you have a lot to do but leaving food unattended can lead to a fire in your kitchen.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and out of reach of children. Also make sure your children understand that there are safety hazards in the kitchen and to be aware of the stove/oven space.
• Have a fire extinguisher nearby and easily accessible.
• When you’re cooking, we suggest not wearing loose, flowy tops or outfits as the material could get caught and cause a spill or catch on fire.

Food Poisoning

When cooking food from home with the intent on sharing with a group of people, we recommend taking all the necessary steps to avoid giving your guests food poisoning. Here are our favorite tips to keep your friends and family full, happy, and most importantly, healthy.

• Thaw your turkey safely! By this we mean either in the refrigerator in a container, in a leak-proof plastic bag in a sink of cold water, or in the microwave. We don’t recommend leaving it out on the counter at room temperature because that causes a breeding ground for bacteria.
• Raw turkey is the same as raw chicken in that it can contaminate anything it touches. Make sure to wash your hands with warm soapy water before and after you handle the turkey. Use a separate cutting board and never place cooked food or fresh produce on any surface that the raw turkey has touched. Be sure to wash all cutting boards and utensils immediately after preparing your turkey.
• Cook your turkey all the way! The best way to ensure the correct temperature has been reached is by using a food thermometer. A safe internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Deep Fryer Safety

Did anyone say, deep fried turkey? Since deep frying your holiday bird has become a popular method among households, we wanted to share some tips and tricks to make sure it doesn’t end in flames.

• Make sure your turkey is completely thawed before you put it in the deep fryer.
• Use a deep fryer that has temperature controls so you can keep the proper temperature and the oil doesn’t overheat.
• Don’t overfill your pot with oil. Once you put the bird in, the level will rise and if that oil spills over, you could create a fire hazard.
• Make sure your children are aware of the dangers and always stay at least 3 feet back from the fryer. We also recommend keeping pets inside or out of range of the fryer, so they don’t accidentally knock it over.
• Please don’t use your turkey fryer inside, trust us, it’s not a good idea. Instead, set it up outside and away from nearby structures.