The steam expands and rises, blowing the boiling oil out the pot. This expansion causes the density of the water to drop to a fraction of a percent of the density of the oil, so the gas wants to quickly rise to the surface.Ĭombine the fast change in density together with the expansion of volume and you get an explosion. The water molecules then rapidly spread far apart from one another and the volume expands by 1,700 times. The water molecules continue to absorb heat and energy and eventually they change phases and become steam. This liquid water is more dense than the oil, so it falls the bottom of the pot. Here is where the density comes into play.
However, when you submerge a turkey into the oil, the ice inside the turkey absorbs the heat and melts, forming liquid water. The steam escapes harmlessly into the air.
This quick transition is not a problem when it happens at the very surface of the oil. So when the ice in a frozen turkey comes in contact with the hot oil, the surface ice quickly turns to steam. This is much hotter than the boiling point of water, which is 212 F (100 C). If you have ever thawed a frozen piece of meat, you have probably seen all the liquid that comes out.įor deep-frying, cooking oil is heated to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 C). Raw meat can be anywhere from 56% to 73% water. YinYang/E+ via Getty Imagesįrozen turkeys – or any kind of frozen meats, for that matter – contain a lot of ice. Frozen turkeys are filled with water Deep-frying a turkey can be safe as long as the turkey is thawed and dried. The force of expanding gas pushes steam out of the kettle through the whistle, causing the squealing noise. You observe this effect when you boil water in a tea kettle. Steam occupies 1,700 times the volume as the same number of liquid water molecules. When water absorbs heat, it changes to its gas phase, steam. You observe this every time you place an ice cube in a glass of water: The ice floats to the top because it is less dense than water. While different materials have different densities, liquids, solids and gases of a single material can have different densities as well. This means that, for example, one cup of water has more atoms than one cup of oil, and those individuals atoms are heavier. Additionally, water is composed of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, while oils are predominantly carbon and hydrogen. Oil molecules are much larger and don’t pack together as well by comparison. Water molecules are small and pack tightly together. This has to do with how tightly the molecules of each substance pack together and how heavy the atoms are that make up each liquid. The first important density difference when it comes to frying is that water is more dense than oil. While they are roughly the same size, the ice cube is heavier: It is more dense. For example, imagine you held an ice cube in one hand and a marshmallow in the other. Daniel Merino, CC BY-ND Understanding densityĭensity is how much an object weighs given a specific volume. If water and oil are in the same container, the denser water will sink to the bottom. When these density differences interact in just the right way, you get an explosion. There is a difference in density between oil and water and differences in the density of water between its solid, liquid and gas states. The reason frozen turkeys explode, at its core, has to do with differences in density. I am a chemist who studies plant, fungal and animal compounds and have a love of food chemistry. What is so dangerous about putting even a partially frozen turkey in a deep-fryer? Failure to do so may lead to an explosive disaster. If you are considering deep-frying this year, do not forget to thaw and dry your turkey before placing it in the pot. The vast majority of these accidents happen because people put frozen turkeys into boiling oil. But this method of cooking can be a very dangerous undertaking.Įvery fall, millions of dollars of damage, trips to the ER and even deaths result from attempts to deep-fry turkeys. Deep-frying a turkey is a great way to get a delicious, moist meal for Thanksgiving.