Safety in the frying game - The Jewish Standard

When you’re making sufganiyot — doughnuts that are a Chanukah specialty — handling hot oil is a dangerous pursuit. However, if safety rules are followed, you won’t get burned.

1. Olive oil smokes at high temperatures, so the following oils are recommended for deep-frying: corn, peanut, and canola.

‘. Use a candy thermometer to make sure oil doesn’t become too hot for safety, above 375 degrees. Oil should not smoke or boil. If it does, turn off flame.

3. Keep small children away from hot oil. They can participate in dough preparation and sprinkling sugar or syrup on top of finished product.

4. To discourage dangerous spatters, don’t fill a pot more than halfway with oil, don’t submerge cold dough — from the refrigerator or freezer — into hot oil, and don’t drop dough from several inches or higher above the oil’s surface.

5. If oil bubbles furiously when meeting dough, turn down flame.

6. To avoid overflowing oil, don’t overcrowd pot by adding more than two or three doughnuts or other fried holiday treats at a time.

7. Don’t leave simmering oil unattended. Avoid distraction from doorbells, telephones, and additional cooking projects. If small children are around, find someone to attend to them.

8. When finished frying, turn off flame below the pot, or disconnect an electric fryer. Don’t move a vat of hot oil.

9. When cool, discard oil in an empty coffee can or equally sturdy vessel. Never pour it down the drain.

10. To avoid burnt tongues, don’t eat doughnuts until they cool down to warm.

What would Chanukah be without chocolate coins?

s Jews all over the world prepare to celebrate the Festival of Lights, the Strauss Group, producer of Israel’s ELITE brand chocolate confections, is proud to offer one of its most popular Chanukah staples — chocolate coins aka chocolate gelt — at supermarkets and candy stores.

For nearly 30 years, the unique gold & silver foil wrapped chocolate coins have been central to the Chanukah celebration, kindling a smile on the faces of Jewish children in the United States and Israel. With eight days to celebrate, many families have become accustomed to buying the coins as a gift for friends and family.

The coins are an integral part of Strauss Group’s first-ever Winter Chocolate Festival in the United States, which began last month.

The coins come in milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate (pareve) flavors and feature the Orthodox Union kashrut certification.