Archive for the ‘Outdoor Propane Deep Fryer’ Category
So as I said there are many different kinds of items on the market for turkey frying time.
Let’s start with the indoor counter top electric deep fryer.
Counter top deep fryers that are of a size to deep fry turkey, are usually quite versatile. Just like a traditional outdoor propane turkey fryer, you can do more than just deep fry. You can typically boil and steam with these units as well.
A turkey of about 12 to 14 pounds can be deep fried in some of the larger counter top units.
Unlike an outdoor turkey fryer, there are more safety features with counter top fryers. Most of them have a temperature gauge with a light to let you know when your optimum temperature has been reached. Usually if the appliance overheats it will automatically shut off. And all counter top fryers come equipped with a breakaway safety cord.
It is not recommended to use an indoor electric deep fryer outdoors, but if you prefer not to deep fry in the house, use the fryer in a garage or on a covered porch. Indoor units do not like to be exposed to rain. They also need to be on a sturdy, level surface.
The use of extension cords is not recommended either, due to possible entanglement in the cord which would cause safety hazards. It could also cause the unit to not perform properly.
On the down side, an outdoor propane deep fryer will heat to optimum temperature quicker than the indoor electric fryer. A propane unit with a jet cooker can heat your stock pot of frying oil to temp. in about 20 minutes. A counter top unit can take up to 55 minutes.
Another con of counter top fryers that are large enough to fry a turkey, they do take up counter space. Unless your kitchen is huge this is not an appliance that you can store on your counter all the time. Once the unit and oil are cooled, you need to strain the oil, clean the pot and put the unit away.
As with all deep fryers, indoor or outdoor, electric or propane, NEVER leave your fryer unattended! Take proper safety precautions. Read the manufacturer’s instruction booklet. Wear suitable clothing and proper pot holders.
It never hurts to have an all purpose fire extinguisher on hand, baking soda, and/or a bucket of sand. Remember water and oil do not mix.
Tomorrow we will expand upon counter top deep fryers by delving into the awesome new world that Masterbuilt and Butterball have made together, by creating a new and innovative way to deep fry turkeys using less oil.
It’s that time of year again. People start trying to remember where they packed the turkey fryer away. Is it in the garage, the shed, the attic?
I know that some people use their turkey fryers year round, for all sorts of applications, like canning vegetables at the end of the summer or making chili for the tailgate. But, most people only use their stock pot and propane cooker for one thing, Thanksgiving. I just don’t understand why this versatile piece of cooking equipment would only be used for one holiday a year. The traditional turkey fryer can be used to steam, stew, and boil, beside being able to deep fry anything, like wings, fries, onion rings, etc.
If you don’t already own a turkey fryer but have been thinking about getting one, which one do you choose?
There are so many types of “fryers” to choose from on the market now. There are indoor electric counter top fryers that can hold a small turkey. There is a larger counter top model by Masterbuilt & Butterball that have made turkey frying more convenient and use less oil too. There are the traditional outdoor propane turkey fryers and larger outdoor professional style deep fryers that you can deep fry turkey in. There are outdoor electric turkey fryers, and “oil-free” turkey fryers. Which one is right for you?
Eating deep fried foods should not be an every day occurrence but lets face it we Americans do like our fried foods. Many Americans do actually have a deep fryer at home, whether it be of the counter top variety or a stove top cast iron deep fryer. Many folks have outdoor propane fryers or turkey fryers as well.
Making a choice to eat healthy foods, like salads and boneless, skinless, chicken breast are better for your cholesterol and blood pressure. Many people have to eat this way due to the high rate of obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol in this country. But lets face it, eating healthier foods is expensive. Getting chopped meat that is 97% lean is pricey. Buying chicken breast that has been made boneless and skinless is also not cheap. Purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables is iffy due to the short shelf life. It’s not like you can freeze lettuce to use at a later date. You can always grow your own produce, which keeps down chemical exposure, to you and your family, but not every one has a green thumb, or a yard big enough to accommodate a big garden.
Mrs. Obama has been making an effort to get the country to slim down, grow a garden, and eat foods that are better for them. Many fast food restaurants are even jumping on the band wagon and offering healthier choices. But, lets face it, when you go out to a restaurant to eat, fast food or fancier, odds are in this economy that you are going to indulge yourself in fatty, comforting, deep fried, high caloric goodness. Many people can’t just afford to go out to eat anymore. When we do, why would you want to have roughage, tofu, and bulgar wheat when you can have a burger and french fries, or a steak and smashed potatoes 
with a slice of cheese cake for dessert? If you are eating healthier foods at home and on your lunch hour, you are certainly going to treat yourself if you are able to go out to eat. Besides, most fast food restaurants offer great deals on a combo burger and fry meal, where the healthier items are usually a bit more price wise.
There are many people in our country that are still out of work. Some have taken jobs way out of context to what they went to school for just so they can keep a roof over head and feed themselves and their families. I know a young man that has taken a job in retail at an electronics box store. He went to school to become a gym teacher or athletic coach. I know a woman that has been working in property management most of her life. She is now a cashier in a grocery store. I know a man that actually passed the bar exam. He now sells french fries at festivals and fairs. It can be a very trying experience when you were used to living a certain way or were expecting other things in your life.
People take comfort in deep fried, fatty foods. When your belly is full and it was something that tasted good, it can put a smile on your face and ease some tension from earlier in the day. The same old piece of grilled chicken and steamed broccoli is just not going to do that for you. People know that they should be eating healthy, but if a burger and fries can wash away your woes for a while once a week, then I say have at it!!
Now that we’ve talked about indoor fryer safety, it’s time to move outdoors.
Having a turkey fryer or any outdoor propane deep fryer is fun. It adds flavor to your holidays. It’s an extra versatile cooking appliance for backyard barbecues, and a great added piece of cooking equipment for tailgaters. You can deep fry, steam, boil, simmer, and stew with a traditional turkey fryer. When it comes to hot oil and flames, always remember…safety first. This goes for any outdoor cooking equipment, but especially when frying oil, flames, and propane tanks are involved.
Now as I said having an outdoor fryer is fun, but it is also a serious business. Caution and common sense play a big role here.
Wearing appropriate clothes, like having shoes and sleeves are a great idea. Having all of the proper tools from your fryer kit right on hand is a necessity. You don’t need to search for the grab hook or basket lifter when the time comes to use it. Other important equipment to use and have on hand when using any outdoor propane deep fryer, are heavy duty long gloves, safety goggles, a bucket of sand and an all purpose fire extinguisher. Remember…water and hot oil don’t mix. A hose used on any grease or oil fire can just make matters worse.
Always use your propane fryer outdoors. An open area is best, away from houses, garages, wooden decks, trees, and shrubs. Find a nice, flat, level piece of ground. Make certain that children and pets have another area to play in. You also want to be certain that your deep fryer will not be in a walk through area. Always make sure that there is at least 2 feet of space between your propane tank and the fryer burner. Make sure that no one is going to try to walk between the tank and the burner. Place your tank and fryer so that any wind will blow the heat of the burner and fryer away from your LP gas tank. Keep in mind that there are some outdoor electric fryer units on the market. The same goes for these units. They are intended for outdoor use, not in your kitchen or on your wooden porch or deck. You also want to make sure that your cord will not get walked into, yanking the cord out of the wall or flipping your fryer over.
Never leave the fryer unattended. This goes for any type of deep fryer, indoors or outdoors. You always need to keep a careful watch during the deep frying process. If a grease fire occurs, turn off the gas immediately and cover the stock pot with a lid. Sand and again an all purpose fire extinguisher are great to have on hand. Also if your oil begins to smoke badly, immediately turn off the gas.
Being sober while deep frying is pretty important. You will have time afterward when the cooking is done and the oil has cooled or been stored away. Keeping your friends that are partying, safe and away from the hot oil is important too. Just like the kids and the dogs, make sure that any rowdiness, rough play or an over zealous drinkers have there own place far from gas tank lines, burners, and hot oil.
Make sure that your stock pot or Dutch oven is properly centered over your burner. You don’t want food or hot oil upending because the pan just wasn’t centered.
Remember to use the tea bag dunking method. Any time you add something in to hot oil, it is going to bubble and spit. Just dropping a turkey or whatever you are frying, right in to the stock pot is just asking for trouble. This will result in a major boil over and a possible fire hazard. If you are really worried, when the time comes to put the turkey in the pot, shut the burner off for a couple of minutes until your bird or other food, is safely nestled in the pot. Then turn the burner back on.
Always give your fryer proper time to cool down before straining or disposing of the oil. Even though the unit is turned off, the oil will remain hot for quite a while. You still need to keep the kids, big and small, and dogs away from it while it cools. With a traditional turkey fryer, get a battery operated pump or enlist a friend or two to help strain and funnel the oil. The oil can be used again if stored properly. Once the oil is cooled, you can strain and funnel the oil into storage containers with ease. If tailgating, funnel empty warm oil into clean, metal Gerry Cans. The cans will still be hot but they may be stored out of high traffic areas. The fryer will cool down quicker allowing you to put it away sooner. That way you may enter the stadium and enjoy the game, without the danger of someone stumbling into your hot fryer while you are away from it.
Don’t be scared of your deep fryer. Have fun with it! Just use caution, think safely and use sober, common sense.
Using caution while deep frying, whether indoor with a Presto counter top deep fryer or an outdoor propane deep fryer, is just common sense. And using your own common sense will often help with being cautious and staying safe.
Always use your indoor deep fryer indoors. When using a counter top deep fryer you should always position your fryer well back from the edge on an even, level, cooking surface, table or counter top. Do not let the cord drape over the edge of the counter or table. Keep the cord out of reach of children and out of walk through areas.
Always make sure that foods are properly thawed before deep frying. Ice crystals on frozen chicken wings can cause a boil over of hot oil that you will be cleaning up for days!
Try to dry any wet or watery foods as water and oil don’t mix. When wetness hits the hot frying oil, splattering will occur. Remove excess moisture by blotting wet foods with paper towels.
Use good oil or all purpose shortening for deep frying. Deep frying foods in butter, margarine, or animal fat is not a good idea due to the low smoking point. (A smoking point is the temperature at which the fat or oil begins to break down and produce bluish smoke. After smoke point you near the flash point. Flash point is where the the oil ignites. Since deep frying foods is a very high temperature process, it requires a fat or oil with a high smoke point, like refined soybean or peanut oil.)
Always preheat your frying oil. Your oil should be at a proper temperature before lowering foods into the cooker. If the oil is not at a proper temperature to deep fry, your food will absorb oil instead of creating a protective barrier that cooks food, seals moisture in and crisps the outside. Also do not overload your fryer basket, as too many items at one time can also significantly lower the temperature of the cooking oil and allow for oil absorption. Frying pieces that are similar in size will also help in getting everything fried around the same time, rather than having to leave smaller pieces in the basket until the larger pieces finish cooking. Remember that smaller amounts of food will cook faster, so placing uniform pieces in a single layer 
in the bottom of the basket will result in quicker and more even browning and doneness.
Always work slowly when lowering a fryer basket into hot oil. NEVER drop the basket in. You should dip the basket like steeping a tea bag, until the oil settles down. This also helps keep some of the food from getting totally fried together. Dunk the basket raise it and shake a little to separate any pieces that have a potential to be deep fried together. Then continue this process until you can safely submerge the basket completely without an oil boil over.
Always use the equipment that comes with your fryer, like the basket and the lift/drain hook. Always wear protective gloves and having protective eye gear is a great safety measure as well.
NEVER leave your deep fryer unattended. This goes for turkey fryers, safer fryers, counter top fryers, and stove top deep fryers. You always need to keep a careful watch during the deep frying process. Should a grease fire occur, turn off gas immediately and cover the pot with a lid. Most counter top units have an emergency release cord, so unplug and cover. Baking soda and an all purpose fire extinguisher are great to have with electric fryers.
Deep frying food is tasty and fun. Using caution and common sense while deep frying can make for a very pleasant culinary experience.
This is a perfect time of year for a turkey fryer. Well, any time of year is a great time for a turkey fryer as you can use them for almost anything.
Fall, besides the obvious Turkey Day, is full of tailgating, canning, festivals, fairs, and football. Having a turkey fryer, a stock pot and outdoor propane cooker, can be handy for all sorts of fall festivities!
A traditional turkey fryer not only deep fries food, it can also steam, simmer, boil, & stew. A tailgate crew with a turkey fryer kit has it going on. You can steam corn, boil potatoes, deep fry turkey or Buffalo wings, make chili or have a Low Country Boil. Menu options are endless!
If you are an avid gardener, being able to cook down tomatoes or berries, without having to heat up the kitchen in those warm early fall days is great. Set up your stock pot and cooker outside and start the canning process on the patio. This goes the same for apple sauce, beets, blanching a ton of green beans, whatever. You can also cook down your maple sap in the spring to make syrup.
Fall festivals are great places for turkey fryers. Most Autumn fairs are held outdoors. Sometimes electric is not an option. Having an outdoor propane deep fryer can come in quite handy. Having mulled wine or hot
cider for fair goers on a cold Autumn afternoon is a great way to make some cash. Cooking up corned beef and cabbage for your local fire department’s Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day fund raiser, having a turkey fryer or 5 is a must! Tie Dying with scouts at a fall Halloween function, you need a turkey fryer stock pot. And don’t forget the football. A huge stock pot full of HOT chocolate or hot cider at an away night game. What could be better? Besides having a turkey fryer around for Thanksgiving is a must. Even if you are not deep frying a turkey, having a stock pot to make turkey stock with after the big day is great. A big old turkey carcass does not fit in most pans that you keep under the counter.
If you have a turkey fryer, but don’t use it that often, then it is time to get it out of the garage and dust it off. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one. These multi-purpose cookers are a must have for any cook, be they amateur or pro.
Well the football tailgating season has finally arrived. Be it NCAA, Pro ball, or even the local high school football team, the tailgaters are flying their team colors high. It has been a rocky start so far with Mother Nature unleashing some of her worst in many areas. Soggy games, hotter-n-heck games. We need a nice crisp, fall, sunny weekend all over America for every game. Just one weekend Mom Nature…that’s all we ask. Well…maybe more than one weekend.
For those of us hard core tailgaters, we don’t care if it’s raining or not, heck, there could even be snow! We’ll be out there. The BBQ smoker is lit, the charcoal is starting to glow in the grill, the deep fryer is bubbling and spitting, the beer is cold and our flags are blowing in the wind. We are praising our team, reliving high lights of our favorite games, eating, partying and making new memories with our bestest of friends.We prefer good weather to tailgate in, but we will still be there!!
Everyone has their own place in a tailgate. I prefer to be chief cook, but NOT bottle washer. It isn’t always about being the cook either. I like to make sure the tailgate bin is stocked with the appropriate gear and I like to plan tailgate menus. You can’t eat the same stuff week in week out. And the bin doesn’t always have everything that you need with every menu change.
I’ve been to NASCAR races where the tailgaters are all eating hot dogs and burgers. BLAH! That’s ok once in a while but you went all out and traveled far to get to this race. Why not bring out a steak or some pork chops. You brought all of your tailgate gear…make something better to eat. A football game is one day. A race is all weekend!! Take some pride in your tailgate!
I’ve been to NHRA races and other drag racing competitions. Now, these are hardcore tailgaters. They bring BBQ smokers and have rib competitions while the drag racing is going on. I’ve even seen the Philly Cheese Steak Queen bring a 60 qt. stock pot and a outdoor propane cooker and make cheese steaks for like 50 people. I’ve seen one group that brought every piece of cooking equipment that their tailgate group had. Grills, smokers, deep fryers, table top skillets. They were there for the whole weekend and had at least 25 people with them. They ate good. Ribs, wings, steaks, sausages. Why not right? (I think these people were football tailgaters too. HEY, you can do both!!!! No judging!)
I know of many football tailgaters that take pride in their party and their menu. Never just burgers and dogs and canned beer! I know of one group in Philly (big Pro Ball fans) that actually cook a meal that somehow represents the opposing team at every game. That way they eat the competition before the game even starts. Hahahha!!
Well let’s get into the full swing of the season. Bring on the football, rain or shine. Put on your teams colors and let,s get out there and tailgate!!
Some of us think about turkey fryers all the time. For those of us that don’t, it is that time of year again.
School is about to start up again. That means football season. Tailgating is about to go into warp drive. If you don’t have a turkey fryer with your tailgating equipment, now is a great time to add one!
Turkey fryers are a very versatile and mobile piece of outdoor cooking equipment. They don’t just deep fry. You can boil, steam, and stew with them too. That first real cold weather game, you can make steaming hot bowls of chili. Steam up some corn on the cob while the steaks grill. These outdoor cookers run on LP gas, so they are as portable as any grill. And, yes, they do deep fry. While you are grilling up assorted meat products for your tailgating crew, you can deep fry french fries or onion rings for a side dish. Better yet, start off the tailgate party with a whole mess of deep fried Buffalo Wings.
Then comes Thanksgiving. Everyone loves deep fried turkey. Besides having an outdoor propane deep fryer to tailgate with, you now have the propane stove and stock pot to deep fry turkey for Thanksgiving! That goes for home as well as the stadium parking lot. I know plenty of tailgaters that have an annual traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings and deep fried bird for that Thanksgiving Day game. I mean, why not? It is an American tradition. Why give it up just because you are at a football game?
Now if you are worried about hot frying oil and a rowdy tailgate party, maybe a less conventional deep fryer is more your speed. They still run on propane. They are still portable. An R & V Works Cajun Fryer was made with safety in mind. The oil is heated with super hot air that flows through self contained tubes. It will heat the oil to a temperature worthy of deep frying anything. The flame for the unit is typically at the back. Any oil spillage would occur in the front. Therefore no oil and flame should ever come in contact. These units have a rolling caddy for mobility, but the caddy also makes the unit more stable than a traditional turkey fryer. If a non-sober compadre should accidentally knock into the unit, it is less likely to take a tumble than a stock pot on a propane jet cooker. But, you know your crew better than anyone. You just need to keep a distance between propane tanks, deep fryers, grills, and the party crowd.
With a Cajun Fryer, clean up is relatively easy. They come with an oil drain valve. While everyone is eating. Let your fryer cool a bit. Then hook up an adapted piece of radiator hose to your drain valve and drain your warm oil into metal Gerry cans. The cans can be placed out of harms way while folks head into the game. The fryer unit can be rolled out of way also, allowing it to fully cool while you are in watching the game. When the game is over, your fryer will be ready to pack up and take home.
With either unit, a traditional turkey fryer or some other outdoor propane deep fryer, you can open up whole new menu options for your tailgate or anywhere. You can have a fish fry at church, wings at the fire house, or deep fried mushrooms at home. It is time to get out there and deep fry your tailgate!
I love watching programs relating with food. This has been a passion of mine since I was a small child. Back then there was not a lot to choose from. When I was a kid, I loved The Galloping Gourmet. I got such a kick out of Graham Kerr jumping over counters and his passion for good food and wine. As the years went by, more and more cooking programs began to appear. From Julia Child and The Frugal Gourmet to Yan Can Cook and then Graham Kerr reinventing himself with lower fat yet higher flavored meals.
We’ve come a long way since then haven’t we? Not only do we still have PBS cooking shows, we now have 2 food channels, do it yourself television showing multiple cooking programs, and my favorite…The Travel Channel. The Travel Channel has jumped on the food band wagon by adding such favorites as Man VS Food, Bizarre Foods, and whatever Paradise they deem fit. Bacon Paradise, Deep Fried Paradise, Ice Cream Paradise, Steak and BBQ Paradise, etc. This is a program where they show the 10 best places to get this favorite type of food within the United States.
I happened to be watching an episode of Man Vs Food the other day. Adam Richman had journeyed to The California State Fair. There were many deep fried food vendors there. Obviously Adam had to sample some of the fried fare. Most of 
these food vendors are set up in an outdoor atmosphere and not in a food truck. They were cooking all sorts of delectables with their outdoor propane deep fryers. One vendor was doing mostly sweet stuff. Everything was dipped in a funnel cake batter and then deep fried. Cheese cake, cookie dough, etc. One thing that stood out at that stand was a monstrous deep fried Twinkie. It was 3 Twinkies placed together on a stick, dipped in batter and deep fried. There was another vendor that put a twist on his potato twisters. This vendor decided to put a hot dog on the stick and then place the spiral potato around the hot dog before deep frying the whole thing. Now you may think that deep fried hot dogs sound weird, but I have had one before. I found out about a place in New Jersey, from a food program with Guy Fieri, and the Travel Channel. This place is called Rutt’s Hut. It is famous for it’s deep fried hot dogs. The Ripper, being fried just until the skin rips, to The Cremator which goes well beyond the ripping stage. If you ever get to Clifton, NJ you need to stop by and give these savory dogs a whirl. It was well worth the side trip.
Food TV has come a long way over the years. Obviously I was not the only one inspired by watching others cook. The multitude of food information that can be gotten from chefs on TV and the internet is astounding. We all have our favorites, we all have our non-favorites. But that is what life is all about, having choices. Need an idea for dinner tonight? Turn on The Food Channel or Food Network and get inspired!