| One of the cheapest forms of fuel is firewood. To | | | | compared to other types of fuels, especially if you |
| get a winter wood supply of fuel legally you need to | | | | go get it yourself.Deep Fryer - Pieces of WisdomWe |
| apply for a firewood cutting permit from the Forest | | | | all know how to deep fry food in a domestic |
| Service. This is really easy to do at the Forest | | | | situation but deep frying commercially is a different |
| Service office. If there isn't an office in your town, | | | | matter. The process is described here as are the |
| just phone the nearest office and apply over the | | | | Deep Fryer cook's safety tips.For a time I worked in |
| telephone. They just require that you live in the area | | | | a convenience store as a clerk and cook and I used |
| and have a telephone contact number, plus your | | | | a deep fryer quite a bit for cooking battered chicken |
| mailing and residential address.When you receive your | | | | and French fried potatoes.Of course the chicken |
| firewood cutting permit, it has an information sheet | | | | doesn't start out battered. It comes delivered frozen |
| explaining what trees you can cut down and where | | | | in big cardboard boxes. Before the chicken is ready |
| you can legally cut those trees. Basically you can cut | | | | for the cooking part it must be prepared and time to |
| dead trees, not valuable for commercial use, on land | | | | thaw out. Each piece of chicken is rinsed in cold |
| that is not privately owned, or leased out as tree | | | | water, then put in a vat of tenderising, salty water |
| farm or wood lot to other people. Tree farm land | | | | to soak for several hours in a refrigerated area. It is |
| must have signs posted plainly identifying it as | | | | again rinsed and kept cold, until needed for |
| such.We are assuming here that you have some | | | | cooking.When needed for cooking the chicken is |
| knowledge of how to use a chainsaw safely, to cut | | | | breaded in a special spicy flour mix, dipped in spice |
| down trees. You should also have training or | | | | water, and breaded with mix again. Each piece is than |
| experience in the correct method used in cutting | | | | carefully placed in the boiling oil in the deep fryer; |
| down trees. You don't get a second chance here. If | | | | starting with the large, meaty pieces, and finishing |
| something goes wrong, while the tree is being cut | | | | with the thin bony pieces. This gives the thick meaty |
| down, it becomes deadly serious.To go get your fuel | | | | pieces more time to cook. They get the hottest oil in |
| for winter, you take a drive in a rural area, usually on | | | | the pot to start off the cooking process. The deep |
| gravel, Forest Service roads, far away from privately | | | | fryer is on a timer and part way through the cooking |
| owned property. The area you will cut in will not | | | | process the timer sets off an alarm which notifies |
| display signs indicating it is leased from the Forest | | | | you that it's time to stir the chicken, so it gets all |
| Service, as a wood lot, or tree farm. You look as | | | | sides cooked evenly, even the sides touching when |
| you drive slowly along for areas which contain dead | | | | first put in the fryer. After stirring the chicken it |
| trees. Trees which look discolored, with brown | | | | cooks until the end of cooking cycle alarm goes off. |
| needles near the top or all the way down are a good | | | | Then the pot elevator will automatically lift the |
| indicator of this. When you find a promising area get | | | | cooking basket out of the hot oil, allowing the |
| out and take a walk through the woods, with your | | | | chicken to drip off the excess oil.The deep fryer also |
| saw. If you are in hilly terrain be sure to find dead | | | | cooks French fried potatoes. After cutting the |
| trees up hill from your vehicle, so you move the cut | | | | potatoes into the elongated cube shape in a cutter, |
| wood down hill to your vehicle. Make the work as | | | | the fries are battered, dipped and battered again. |
| easy as possible for yourself. Try to find dead trees | | | | They then can be gently lowered in hands full, into |
| as close to the road as possible.When you find a | | | | the boiling oil. The cooking is again controlled by a |
| dead tree you want, take a good look at it first. | | | | timer, which sounds when the cooking cycle has |
| Check to see if it looks rotten. Give it a kick. Does it | | | | completed. After 4 cooks the oil in the fryer needs |
| look sturdy? Does the tree move at all? Does it look | | | | to be filtered to clean it for future cooking cycles. |
| like any branches are loose above you, that could fall | | | | Another alarm indicates when oil filtering needs to |
| down on you while you are working beneath the | | | | occur.The heat on the oil is turned off, so the oil can |
| tree? Look up in the direction you want to fall the | | | | cool down enough to work with. The cooking basket |
| tree to. Is there a clear path for the tree to fall | | | | is raised and removed from the fryer. A valve is |
| through, to hit the ground, without hitting any other | | | | turned to allow the oil to drain down into the filtering |
| nearby trees? You can save yourself a lot of time | | | | drawer. When the oil has drained the empty oil |
| and work, planning the direction the tree will fall, so it | | | | reservoir is brushed, including the heating coil element, |
| goes down hill toward your vehicle, without hitting | | | | to remove anything sticking to their surfaces. A |
| any other trees, and getting stuck in their | | | | pump is turned on which circulates the oil repeatedly |
| branches.When you have done all the planning, fell the | | | | through the filter. The filtering can take place for 10 |
| tree carefully. If needed, use a falling wedge and axe. | | | | or 15 minutes, depending how dark the oil appears in |
| When the tree is down on the ground safely, cut off | | | | color. When the oil has become lighter in color it is |
| all the branches. Next cut the trunk into 3 to 4 ft | | | | pumped back up to the oil reservoir, after the valve |
| lengths. This will depend on how big and heavy it is. | | | | at the bottom of the pot has been closed. The |
| You will be flipping these lengths of wood toward | | | | heating element is turned on and the oil is brought |
| your vehicle. When you have all the wood close to | | | | back up to cooking temperature. The unpleasant part |
| your vehicle cut it into the size pieces your heater will | | | | is scooping out the sludge at the bottom of the filter |
| handle.Load up your vehicle. Be careful not to | | | | drawer. Then the cleaned filter is dusted with a |
| overload it. Drive carefully back home, keeping an | | | | special powder, put back in its place under the fryer |
| eye out for other vehicles. Your vehicle will react | | | | pot, and all is ready to go again.Yes the fryer does |
| slower when loaded.Before piling the wood in a | | | | most of the cooking for you but watch out for the |
| woodshed or wood pile, split each piece in half, so it | | | | hot oil when loading the food into the cooking basket. |
| will dry faster. Keep the wood sheltered from rain | | | | Even wearing rubber gloves won't stop the oil from |
| and snow. If not piled in a woodshed, cover the | | | | burning you, should it splash on your hands as the |
| wood pile with plastic sheeting, which can be obtained | | | | food drops into the hot oil. The secret is to be brave |
| from a hardware store.There is nothing finer than a | | | | and gutsy. Get the food close to the oil before you |
| wood fire, to heat your home. It gives off a dry, | | | | drop it in. That way the splash is really small, and |
| rosy, comforting sort of heat. Another great | | | | doesn't jump up to fry your wrist.Happy cooking. |
| advantage to using wood is that it is low priced, | | | | Cook, but don't be cooked. |