FOOD NEWS
The Spoon Trick For Checking Whether Frying Oil Is Ready
BY AUSTIN HAVENS-BOWEN
If you need to check if your oil is hot enough before frying and you don’t have a candy thermometer, pressing the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil will tell you.
If you see a moderate amount of bubbles forming around the handle, the oil is ready. If you don’t see bubbles, or just a couple of small ones, the oil needs more time to heat up.
If you see a lot of bubbles, the oil is too hot. A wooden spoon works best for this since it withstands high temperatures, but it still shouldn’t be kept in the oil for long.
If you don’t have a wooden spoon, a few specks of flour will have a similar effect. If there are a decent amount of bubbles and the oil doesn’t start popping too much, it’s ready.