Deep Fryer Safety Guide: When Deep Frying your Food
Today, most of our modern fryers are simple and very easy to use, but whenever you add 400°F oil to the frying mix. When cooking at this temperature, extreme caution should be taken to prevent burning yourself or starting a fire. When you use a Deep Fryer, it seem very dangerous at first, however with a few simple safety tips, you will be frying up all your old fried favorite recipes right away. What follows after is a list of Safety Tips for Deep Frying Food in your commercial kitchen.
Things to Look for in a Deep Fryer
There are several things to look for in a fryer to ensure safety in your kitchen. A temperature control knob will suit in any variety of Deep Fryers as long as you are able to attain the desired temperature, and a ready gauge can be as simple as a set of colored lights, letting you know that the correct temperature has been achieved. A break-away plug-in cord is absolutely important to have, in case you have to disconnect your fryer without any additional danger of burning yourself.
Choose and Manage Your Oil Wisely
To help keep frying oil from degrading, it is important to pick the right frying oil. Carefully check the oil that are supplied to your kitchen restaurant and only use frying oils that can withstand deep frying temperatures, that have sufficient oxidation stability for frying, not flavored, and contain low amount of free fatty acids.
Always remember that fryers can become extremely hot and should never be touched while being used. The next thing you have to decide on is what kind of oil to choose. The “smoke point” of an oil is the temperature at which the oil begins to break down and visible fumes are giving off foul odors or taste. Each oil has a different smoke point and there are several different factors that can decrease the smoke point of the oil. If you want to save money by reusing an oil for several times, choose an oil with high smoke point. Most cooking oil can be utilized for up to 6 hours, as long as it don’t gets too hot. It’s enough to cook 7 or 8 deep fried turkeys, so you should be fine.
Avoid Water When Deep Frying
You can search the oil’s smoke points in the internet, you can also find the official smoke points of different oils from your country’s Food Department Authority. In the event that there is an oil fire, never use water to stop it. Water is a very dangerous liquid when you are deep frying. When water encounters very hot oil for about 350 °F, it vaporizes instantly and it will turn into a super-heated steam. The water expands quickly, which can cause oil to splatter and risk from burns and other injury. Do not let water get into the fryer while food is deep-frying or use it to cool or clean this kitchen equipment. The more you re-use the oil, the more it breaks down and its smoke point will be lowered. Always remove the excess amount of water from the food before frying to prevent the oil splatter. Also, when putting and removing food from the fryer, always make sure to use a pair of tongs or a long fork to avoid from getting burns. It’s also a good idea to be familiar with your fryer and its recommended manufacturer’s safety precautions.
During Frying Process
Proper attire is an absolutely important when deep frying to prevent fires and burns. When placing and removing food from the fryer, always be remember to use a pair of tongs or a long fork so you don’t accidentally burn. To prevent splattering oil or burning yourself, do not touch the frying basket or add something while the basket is submerged in oil. It is very important to keep an eye on your fryer and never to leave it unattended. It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with your fryer and its prescribed safety precautions and features. Finally, take extreme care when handling your fryer and eating deep fried foods.
What to Wear
Wear long sleeves and pants, Closed-toe shoes, along with goggles or glasses to protect against splashes of hot oil and a heavy pair of oil-resistant, cooking gloves. It’s important to ensure that your food fully refrozen and is as dry as possible, and slowly raise and lower it into the fryer to reduce splatter.
Other Safety Precautions
- Keep a fire extinguisher near your kitchen in case of bad incidents.
- Supply your kitchen with first-aid kit handy.
- Write out emergency numbers and fire prevention safety reminder in your kitchen.
- Install fire and smoke detectors and make sure they are working properly.
- Follow standard food preparation safety practices
- Make sure that you do not place the fryer very close to other combustibles
Do you have other Safety tips for deep frying? Share your experience on the comment box below.
