How moms can deal with their ‘fear of frying’

THE fear of frying isn’t uncommon among moms. It’s quite understandable, though, since some of them have associated it with skin burns and smoky as well as unpleasant odors that stick to the clothes and skin. Add to that the worry that food might easily get burned or overcooked.
This doesn’t mean that one should just surrender, though. Like most moms who personally prepare meals for their family, there are a lot of things that could go wrong when frying is involved especially when not done right.
There are a couple of preventive solutions that one can do to make frying an enjoyable task.
Riz Silva De Leon, 45, enjoys cooking dinner for her family. Raising three boys, frying has been a regular cooking method for her especially during breakfast.
“Frying is quite easy when mastered, but there’s always the risk on certain ways one can actually prepare great meals using this. More often than not, food is sometimes undercooked or worse burned,” says De Leon.
Choose the right cooking oil. When it comes to frying, it’s best to use cooking oil that has a high temperature tolerance. Oil’s heat tolerance is relative to when it starts to smoke. Here, oil has reached its maximum usable temperature and affects the frying process. When oil starts to smoke, its flavor and nutrition quality decreases. Oils with high smoke points are less likely to lose their quality easily.
You see, cooking oil that has reached its smoke point easily produces unwanted compounds that are bad for the health.
A very good example of commercially available cooking oil that can resist high heat is palm oil like Golden Fiesta Palm Oil. Unlike coconut oil that has a low smoke point, palm oil does not burn easily when it reaches its smoke point. This makes it more versatile for frying foods requiring high frying temperature.
Long exposure to heat could actually trigger the cooking oil to erupt into flames. Palm oil’s high heat tolerance not only prevents food from being over-cooked, it also allows the food to cook evenly inside and out and still maintain its clear state at a higher temperature.
Keep in mind that frying is dry cooking. When frying, food should be dry enough to prevent extreme oil sputter. Pad meat with paper towels or tissue to absorb any excess moisture before placing in oil. This process solves most burns that moms fear with frying. Another way to deal with oil sputters is to keep the pan’s lid within arm’s reach to easily cover it when sputters become uncontrollable.
Choose a pan deep enough for the food you are frying. Make sure that your pan’s depth is similar to the average thickness of the meat or food you’re frying. For example, a skillet’s rim should be high enough to prevent the spitting oil to reach the flames underneath the pan. This is a major reason why oil catches fire and causes most domestic fire incidents.
Other problems that moms encounter with frying are the unpleasant odors and sudden changes of the pan’s heat.
“There was this incident during my son’s birthday party and I was cooking fried chicken for the ‘handaan’ we were planning. I was running a little late so I placed the chicken in the pan and turned up the fire to hasten the frying. Our kitchen got so fogged up and, worse, the chicken turned out to be extremely crispy outside but undercooked inside. We ended up not serving the chicken to our guests,” shares Sarah Gulle, 36, mother of three.
Knowing your oil’s readiness for frying. A good way to know if your oil is ready for frying is to simply place your palm just a few inches above the pan. Once you feel heat emanating from the oil, then it’s ready for cooking.
Contrary to popular belief, oil smoking isn’t an indication of its readiness but actually the beginning of its deterioration. Over-cooking any type of oil leads to the production of chemical components that is actually bad for your health.
Palm oil has a high smoke point, which means it won’t smoke for a longer period of time when heated compared to coconut oil.
Do not overcrowd your pan. Frying should be done in batches. Too many ingredients thrown may change the temperature of both the pan and the oil. This results to an uneven distribution of heat and is the reason why most fried foods are undercooked inside.
Have a good ventilation system in the kitchen. Burnt cooking oils usually cause smoky kitchens. Your fried food should not emit any unpleasant odors or smoke at all. Fish should smell like cooked fish, likewise for chicken, or pork. Some oils cloak food in a masking odor that overpowers the actual aroma of what’s cooking. Have a good ventilation system especially for small kitchens. Do not let smoke clog up your kitchen as too much can actually cause suffocation.
Cooking should be a fun activity. Don’t let the risks ruin it for you. Simply take note of these tips and you will surely look forward to your next fry.