It’s that time of year again when folks start being concerned about cooking for other people. Whether it’s their families, just themselves, the homeless, or an influx of customers, people all over the Inland Empire are going to be making dozens of delicious dishes over the next several weeks as we approach the end of the year. What holiday season would be complete without amazing food, right? Of course, everyone who is making these mouthwatering offerings wants to ensure they practice safe holiday cooking!
That said… nobody wants (or needs) the stress of a house fire. Fireplace? Cozy. Grease fire? Not so much! Statistics show that the 25th of November is the day with the most house fires in America, and the 24th of November is the day with the second most. To help you prevent that from happening to you, here are some safe holiday cooking tips to assist you when you’re cooking that delicious holiday feast courtesy of us home cooks on the Evolve staff.
Safe Holiday Cooking: Dos and Don’ts
What NOT To Do!
- Don’t walk away, this makes it easier for a small fire that could be dealt with quickly to turn into a bigger fire that’s harder to control.
- Never put water on a grease fire, that will only make matters worse!
- Don’t put frozen turkeys into hot oil, this can cause a spillover effect or an issue when the extra-cold frozen water quickly turns to steam inside the turkey which can splash you or the burner with oil and cause injury or start a fire.
- Never use turkey fryers** indoors, or around flammable debris! Because of the risk of catching things on fire or splashing, it’s dangerous to use a turkey fryer indoors (even in a garage) or in a place where things that could easily catch fire are nearby. Your driveway or a large open area is a good place for it.
- Never overfill a turkey fryer, or drop the turkey into it quickly, both of these things can cause spillover that can injure someone or start a grease fire.Never let children near a turkey fryer or hot stove, just in case– children, especially young children, are more likely to knock over a turkey fryer or pan with oil and be burned or start a fire.
What TO Do!
- Pay attention! Stay nearby your cooking so you can monitor for any sign of danger.
- Keep salt or baking soda handy, you can use these non-reactive materials to smother small fires before they get out of hand.
- Have pot lids available, like baking soda or salt, you can smother a small fire by putting the lid on a pot and keeping it closed until the pot is completely cool to touch.
- Remove items from heat. This helps remove items that may have hit a combustion point cool down and avoid turning into bigger fires.
- Check your smoke alarms, especially if it’s been a while! Now is the perfect time to change out the batteries so you know they work and can alert you to any trouble.
- Supervise little helpers. If you have kids in the kitchen, make sure you’re monitoring their activity closely to make sure they’re safe!
- Use protective gear. Pot holders, oven mitts, cooling racks, clothing that covers without being too loose, and safety goggles (if frying your turkey) can all help prevent injuries as well as accidents that may cause a fire.
- Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, whether you’re in a kitchen or outdoors, so that if a fire too big for smothering with a lid or other method occurs you can take care of it.
How To Use Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers come in many types, but the ones you would want for a Class K fire (a cooking fire for vegetable or animal oils and fats) are called Wet Chemical Extinguishers. This is the kind you should be looking for for most residential use and contains a potassium solution. It works by removing heat and putting a barrier between the burning fuel and the oxygen in the air that the fire needs to keep burning. Pretty much every fire extinguisher you’ll find is going to be built the same way, and you’ll use them all in the same manner. Below you’ll find a simple way to remember what to do if you ever need to use a fire extinguisher to stop a cooking fire!
P.A.S.S.
- P: Pull the pin
- A: Aim the hose at the base of the fire
- S: Squeeze the trigger
- S: Sweep across the area of the fire
** A caveat on turkey fryers: most turkey fryers on the market don’t have automatic thermostat control and have the potential for reaching a combustion flashpoint where they light on fire without outside assistance. As well, the components get extremely hot and can easily cause burn injuries. This doesn’t make these devices an ideal candidate for safe holiday cooking! As of the time of this writing, turkey fryers were refused safety certification by one of the top safety consulting companies, Underwriter Laboratories, due to the number of fires and burn injuries following their use. Evolve Lyfe includes information here to help you, but strongly recommends against their use as they are a safety hazard. Use at your own risk!