Frying Tips
SELECTING AND CHANGING THE FRYING OIL:
• Use a good quality vegetable or peanut oil.
• Frying foods in butter, margarine, olive oil, or animal fat is
NOT recommended because of low temperature smoke point.
• DO NOT mix two types of oil.
• Change oil regularly to maintain optimum frying and flavor quality.
• Always follow food package directions.
• DO NOT add fresh oil to used oil.
BEFORE FRYING:
• Remove any excess water from fresh food by blotting with
a paper towel. Excess water or ice particles can cause
hot oil to splatter or foam.
GENERAL TIPS:
• DO NOT use plastic utensils in hot oil.
• Season food AFTER frying.
• If food is not as crisp as desired, reduce batch size.
REUSING, STORING AND DISPOSING OF OIL:
• Oil used for uncoated foods like french fries or battered foods such as
onion rings can be reused more times than flour-coated or breaded
foods. Change oil if it becomes foamy, smokes before reaching
temperature, or has turned dark and/or syrupy with a musty odor.
• To reuse oil, allow oil to cool completely. Filter oil by straining through
cheesecloth or fine strainer. Pour into the original container, seal
tightly, and store in refrigerator or a cool, dark place.
• Pour cool oil into its original (resealable) empty plastic bottle.
BASKET USAGE WITH FRESHLY BATTERED FOODS:
• Freshly battered foods should be carefully placed directly into oil.
First, lower basket completely and then carefully place each piece of
battered food into hot oil. Use basket to remove fried battered foods.
STORAGE:
• Basket handle can be disengaged and rotated into basket. Place oil pot
in base and then place basket and power cord in oil pot.
COOKING:
• Length of cooking time and temperature may vary based on
batch size and weight.
• For best results, fry a single layer of food for each batch.
• Frozen, uncooked chicken should be thawed, excess water removed,
and patted dry with paper towel prior to cooking.
• Always follow package directions.
• When cooking meat, poultry, or fish, use cooking thermometer
to determine internal temperatures.
• Visit foodsafety.gov for more information on safe internal
cooking temperatures.
IF YOU LIVE IN A HIGH-ALTITUDE AREA:
Visit: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.
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