Biggest mistakes to avoid: How to deep

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It's beginning to look a lot like … FIRE!

The holidays are here, and you are probably dusting off grandma's recipe cards for her crowd-pleasing, old-fashioned yeast rolls. You might also be dusting off that turkey fryer you bought on Black Friday last year.

The chances of ever using one properly before are slim if you’ve stumbled upon this story in a frantic Google search while preparing your holiday feast and deciding how to fry your bird safely.

Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires with more than three times the daily average for such incidents, the National Fire Protection Association states. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranked second and third, with both having nearly twice the daily average.

So put down the apron and look for the nearest fire extinguisher – you might need it later. These potentially life-saving tips could prevent you from burning down your home and offer the perfect turkey to accompany Aunt Betty's string bean casserole.

According to the NFPA, turkey fryers that use cooking oil are unsafe. They use large amounts of oil at high temperatures, which can cause devastating burns.

Because turkey fryers pose several distinct safety concerns, including burn and fire hazards, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the leading independent product safety organization, does not certify any turkey fryers.

If you must use a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, State Farm offers these safety tips:

Now, let's stop here for a moment. Did you understand all that?

If so, you will want to maintain your oil temperature at 350 degrees and cook your turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound. We will do the math for you. That's about 35 minutes for a 10-pound turkey.

Let's continue with those safety tips:

The USDA says all poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees as measured with a food thermometer. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures.

If you are still scratching your head and want a fried turkey for your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal, fire officials recommend purchasing it from a grocery store, your favorite restaurant or buying a fryer that does not use oil.