From stuffing to sweet potatoes to pumpkin pie to leftovers, everyone has a favorite Thanksgiving food item. As you plan your holiday meal, follow these cooking tips. They will help you keep your Thanksgiving dinner delicious and safe.

Cooking is the biggest cause of home fires and fire injuries, and Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires. The day has three times the average number of reported home structure fires involved with cooking equipment.

Start with these fire safety tips:
• Make your cooking area safe. Move things that can burn away from the stove. Turn pot handles toward the back so that they can’t be
bumped.
• Watch what you’re cooking. Use a timer when roasting a turkey or baking pies.
• Be prepared. Keep a large pan lid or baking sheet handy in case you need to smother a pan fire.
• Stay awake and alert while you’re cooking. If you see smoke or the grease starts to boil in your pan, turn the burner off.
• Prevent burns. Wear short sleeves when you cook or roll them up. Don’t lean over the burner. Use potholders and oven mitts to
handle hot cookware.

A note about frying turkeys

Deep-frying turkeys has become popular in recent years. This cooking method has a lot of risks. Turkey fryers get hot all over, so they need to be handled with great care and only by an adult. They can tip over, spilling hot cooking oil. Partially frozen turkeys or wet turkeys placed into hot fryers will cause the oil to splatter. If fryers are overfilled, the hot oil will spill over the side when the turkey is added. Even a small amount of oil on a hot burner can start a fire.

If you deep-fry a turkey, please follow this advice:

• Always use the fryer outdoors on a flat surface, safely away (10 feet) from structures, wooden decks, and covered patios. No matter
what, DO NOT be tempted to use the fryer in a garage.
• Ensure you are using the right amount of oil! Make sure your fryer has room for both the turkey and the oil.
• Make sure your fryer connections are tight and free from any gas leaks.
• Do not leave the fryer unattended. Monitor the temperature of the oil with a thermometer to prevent the oil from overheating and
catching fire. If the oil begins to smoke, immediately turn the gas off.
• Ensure the turkey is COMPLETELY THAWED and not wet to prevent the water from flashing to steam and throwing hot oil from the
fryer.
• Raise and lower the turkey slowly to prevent oil splatter, burns, and fire.
• Keep children and pets away from the fryer, even after the turkey is done. The oil is dangerously hot for hours.
• Don’t stand too close to the fryer.

There’s nothing more satisfying than cooking a good meal for the people we love. Make safety a priority in your kitchen at Thanksgiving and all year long.