The warning not to rinse turkeys is probably because you don't want a wet bird to go into a deep fryer, that is how explosions happen.

I would not expect a health agency, which requires processors to use a chlorine rinse that presumably the agency approves as "safe and healthy", to say that your chicken should be rinsed of any excess chlorine before cooking. They think the amount of chlorine is safe and want you to believe so as well.

And I know people rinse chicken for reasons other than what I am suggesting.

However I am still looking for a good answer to whether there is chlorine residue on chicken that can be removed by rinsing in the home. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough at first.

> The warning not to rinse turkeys is probably because you don't want a wet bird to go into a deep fryer,

That's not a thing here; I think deep-frying turkeys is purely an American phenomenon. The reason that health authorities discourage it is that it can lead to aerosolized bacterial contamination.

> I would not expect a health agency, which requires processors to use a chlorine rinse

Chlorine rinses aren't allowed in the EU. Incidentally, they're not actually _mandatory_ in the US, though they are common practice there, I gather because they're seen as a cheaper way to meet salmonella prevalence goals than controls earlier in the process.

> However I am still looking for a good answer to whether there is chlorine residue on chicken that can be removed by rinsing in the home.

I mean, if you're in a chicken-chlorination country, maybe? But small amounts of chlorine don't seem particularly a problem.

>I would not expect a health agency, which requires processors to use a chlorine rinse that presumably the agency approves as "safe and healthy", to say that your chicken should be rinsed of any excess chlorine before cooking. They think the amount of chlorine is safe and want you to believe so as well.

why not? health agencies approve pesticides as well, but they advise you to rinse off vegetables/fruit.

>why not? health agencies approve pesticides as well, but they advise you to rinse off vegetables/fruit.

As far as I know, the rationale given for washing fruits and vegetables is not because of pesticides, but because of dirt and bacteria. As far as the public is to be concerned, any pesticide residue that makes it into your home is to be considered "acceptably low."

The USDA makes no mention of pesticides:

>Before eating or preparing fresh fruits and vegetables, wash the produce under running tap water to remove any lingering dirt. This reduces any germs that may be present. If the fruits or vegetables have a firm surface, such as apples or potatoes, they can be scrubbed with a brush.

Woah hang-on there. People deep fry christmas turkeys?

Eeek.

It's pretty tasty. I just did one for the first time a couple weeks ago (as a test so I'd understand the process and timing a little better before Thanksgiving). I don't know if it's necessarily that much better than a good oven roasting, but I did a 14 pound turkey in 45 minutes.

It's not as bizarre as it sounds. They're not breaded, simply dinked into hot oil and deep-fried for half an hour or so. If you're not an idiot and follow basic precautions it's a pretty reasonable way to do things, as it's much quicker than roasting for multiple hours.

Basic precautions include:

* Do it outside away from structures

* Keep a fire extinguisher handy

* Make sure there's no ice in the bird

* Measure the displacement of the bird (by filling your pot with water), and add the appropriate amount of oil

* Heat the oil up to 250, then add the bird. Don't let the temp get over 350.

I have a propane stove I use for making beer; it's often sold as a turkey fryer stove

> * Measure the displacement of the bird (by filling your pot with water), and add the appropriate amount of oil

I don't disagree with this point (in fact I think it is prudent), but isn't the bird now wet once again, which was how this conversation started?

I've never dried off the bird particularly; if you don't dunk it until the oil is around 250, it typically drops the temp down to near 212 (100C) and the water boils off pretty gently. The real issue is if you have ice, which is often present in big chunks.

Put it in a plastic bag

With an electric turkey fryer (essentially an electric oven with the door on the top) frying a holiday turkey is easy and safe. It results in a very nicely cooked turkey without taking up any space in the kitchen (we plug it into an outlet outside the house).