The popular Thanksgiving pastime of deep-frying a turkey comes with serious safety and environmental responsibilities. Lee County wants to remind turkey cookers to take the proper precautions when frying and to recycle used cooking oil at the county’s designated facility.
Last holiday season, Lee County residents dropped off an estimated 900 gallons of used cooking oil, which was sustainably repurposed into biofuel and other beneficial products.
Thanksgiving is the leading day for home-cooking fires in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Lee County Emergency Medical Services offers these safety guidelines when using a turkey fryer:
- Always fry outdoors on a flat, stable surface away from structures and flammable materials.
- Never leave the fryer unattended while in use.
- Ensure the turkey is fully thawed and dry before lowering it into hot oil to prevent dangerous splattering.
- Remember that turkeys come in different sizes, so oil levels must be measured for each one. Before you submerge the bird in oil:
- Place the turkey in the pot you plan to use for frying.
- Fill the pot with water until the turkey is fully submerged.
- Carefully remove the turkey from the pot.
- Mark the water level on the side of the pot.
- Discard the water completely.
- Fill the pot with oil up to the marked line.
- Note that overfilling with oil can cause it to overflow when frying, which may lead to a serious fire.
- Oil does not boil like water. Use a thermometer to determine the desired cooking temperature.
Once Thanksgiving dinner is done, Lee County Solid Waste and Lee County Utilities urge residents not to pour used oil down the drain, toilet or into the garbage. Improper disposal can clog household plumbing, damage the county’s sewer infrastructure and create hazardous conditions on roadways if spilled from collection trucks.
Residents are encouraged to properly handle and dispose of the used cooking oil.
Once completely cooled, store it in a sealed, unbreakable and leak-proof container. This avoids spills during transport and helps county staff handle it after dropoff.
Bring it to the Household Chemical Waste and Electronics Recycling Facility, at 6441 Topaz Court, Fort Myers:
- Normal operating hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of the month.
- Please note: The county’s Household Chemical Waste and Electronics Recycling Facility will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27 and Nov. 28, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.