Do as I say, not as I do

[natenaaron]

Last night I made some rookie mistakes at the stove that, in the end, have left me in pain and this morning with lots of blisters. Normally I would slink off to my cave, lick my stupidity wounds and heal with no one knowing I pulled some bone head move, but there are folks reading this forum who new to the ways of the stove who this might help.

Mother's Day dinner menu: (supposed to be)
Braised chicken with balsalmic berry sauce(a fusion of two recipes)
Roasted baby bashed potatoes with garlic, Italian seasoning, and butter
roasted Parmesan zucchini spears

Here is what happened. I dredged the chicken leg quarters in flour, after seasoning pretty heavy with salt and pepper, knocked the excess flour off and let them rest while I chopped the veg and heated the pan on medium until very hot

Put 5 table spoons of olive oil into the pan and put 3 quarters in using my hand turning the skillet so each piece was lain away from me. See I do know how things are supposed to be done.

While this was browning I was talking to my 11 year old about not doing his home work (lecturing) even though it is the last week of school. and he was responding like 11 year olds do (arguing)(Mistake #1). I removed the chicken with tongs, added more oil (mistake #2) and let it heat then stupidly, once the skillet was empty and while still discussing homework I grabbed a leg quarter with the tongs by the end of the leg, not the middle (mistake #3). got it to the skillet when it slipped out of the tongs splashing almost very hot oil up my wrist. If my 11 yr old had not stormed off a few second before he would have gotten splashed as well. Luckily it was just me. Lots of pain and, this morning, lots of blisters.

Mistake #1- You are at the stove to cook. things are hot and there is plenty going on. It is not time to lecture the child. I should have saved the lecture until I was done.
Mistake #2- I did not need more oil. I was distracted and added much more than needed.
Mistake #3- It is safer to gently lower items into the hot oil by hand laying them away from you in case they slip. This way oil does not splash toward you. It is not possible to use tongs to carefully lay something into a hot skillet away from you. If you are going to use tongs don't grab the smallest end of a rather heavy food item. Grab it in the middle. There is better grip.

I spent a lot of time with my arm under running water. I got the chicken browned and in braising liquid almost an hour late. Nothing else got done, and we got Mexican take out.
Picture one is about an hour after it happened. Picture two is about 3 hours. No picture of the blisters because I had to get to work and they did not show up until this morning.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Don't feel bad, I did the same thing seasoning a cast iron skillet. I used too much oil and got the pan too hot. I swiped the pan with a paper towel and turned to throw it in my the trash can, which wasn't there...it was still in the pantry. So I headed quickly to retrieve it while still holding a sopping wet with grease paper towel. It flopped over on my wrist and I said three really bad words. The next day it blistered then a big ole scab was there for weeks.

Ouch!!

 

[Intrigued]

I've found over the years that for minor kitchen burns, putting some vinegar on the burn as quickly as I can (the quicker the better) will help reduce the pain a lot. The kind of vinegar doesn't matter as much as getting it on quick.

Wine would probably work too.... if not you could try drinking it till the pain was gone.

 

[natenaaron]

Vinegar? Really? hmmmm.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I've found over the years that for minor kitchen burns, putting some vinegar on the burn as quickly as I can (the quicker the better) will help reduce the pain a lot. The kind of vinegar doesn't matter as much as getting it on quick.

Wine would probably work too.... if not you could try drinking it till the pain was gone.

Vinegar? Really? hmmmm.

Seems to be a thing.. according to various sources.. minor burns only, of course.

"White vinegar contains acetic acid, a component of aspirin that can help relieve the pain, itching, and inflammation of a burn. It is also an antiseptic and astringent, so it will help keep your burn from becoming infected."

 

[simon1]

You're not alone there buddy. I did the exact same thing 3 or 4 years ago, but can't blame it on a kid distracting me...it just happened. Was frying some chicken and a piece slipped out of the tongs and splashed hot oil on me in the same area of my arm as yours. My burn was about 3 times the size of yours and it blistered bad and a bunch of skin came off. I slit open some aloe vera and put it on like a poultice...the entire split leaf with the gooey side down, and wrapped it in gauze. Changed the aloe poultice twice a day and left it covered 24/7 until it healed up. After I put the aloe on it there was no pain, and after it healed up it didn't even leave a scar. I was sure it was gonna scar me it was that bad.

I always keep an aloe vera plant or two around...I currently have five plants in the house.

Hope you heal up quick.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

You're not alone there buddy. I did the exact same thing 3 or 4 years ago, but can't blame it on a kid distracting me...it just happened. Was frying some chicken and a piece slipped out of the tongs and splashed hot oil on me in the same area of my arm as yours. My burn was about 3 times the size of yours and it blistered bad and a bunch of skin came off. I slit open some aloe vera and put it on like a poultice...the entire split leaf with the gooey side down, and wrapped it in gauze. Changed the aloe poultice twice a day and left it covered 24/7 until it healed up. After I put the aloe on it there was no pain, and after it healed up it didn't even leave a scar. I was sure it was gonna scar me it was that bad.

I always keep an aloe vera plant or two around...I currently have five plants in the house.

Hope you heal up quick.

Just great...now I need to grow some Aloe.

 

[BSAGuy]

Yeowee. Glad that is not a serious burn. A good lesson that did not inflict serious pain or scars or great expense.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I have a scar on my arm from where I pulled a cookie sheet out of oven while arguing. My hand was protected, but the cookie sheet of nachos pivoted and came to rest just below my elbow. The kitchen isn't a playground.

 

[simon1]

Just great...now I need to grow some Aloe.

They sell 'em at Wallyworld and other places already going...just bring 'em home and don't kill 'em, buddy. My bro-in-law has about 8 on his back porch...and that's after the three he gave me.

I have a scar on my arm from where I pulled a cookie sheet out of oven while arguing. My hand was protected, but the cookie sheet of nachos pivoted and came to rest just below my elbow. The kitchen isn't a playground.

You got that right there, Owen...especially when you have smokin' hot cast iron going.

The grease burn I was talking about had also splashed up and got the back of my hand...took several leaves of aloe vera to cover everything.

Good thing I had the first responder first aid courses for many years and could do the gauze wrap one handed.

When I got it all wrapped up with gauze I looked like a boxer with his hand taped up for over a month.

Post a pic. of your scar, Owen...it's a battle wound. You got ambushed.

 

[MursesAnonymous]

I once carried a scar on my palm the exact size and shape of a cast iron skillet handle/eyelet on my palm because my wife turned the oven on without checking and I had left a skillet that I washed previously in there to dry the night before. I was frustrated and confused by the sight of the skillet and the fact that she hadn't checked before turning the oven on and reached in to grab it bare handed. Cast iron at 375 degrees has a way of teaching lessons very effectively and very quickly. Glad your burn wasn't more serious or located on your face or elsewhere.

 

[cleanshaved]

Thanks for the reminder. We can all get a bit relaxed in the cooking zone.
I have never been burnt too bad, touch wood (reaches up and taps head).

Just a couple of minor burns myself, that pleanty of cold running water fixed, no blisters followed.

Aloe vera is good stuf, Mike is a wise man.

 

[CurtisB81]

Lavender essential oil works good for burn..

 

[oc_in_fw]

It is hard to see in a the picture, but it is the reddish area starting around the crook of my arm and going left. It could have been worse- was only a problem for a few weeks (yes, I was idiot and didn't go to the doctor)

 

[natenaaron]

The heck with the wrap. It was just irritating and kept moving on the burn. SO no wrap after work and not today. Being real careful with the big blister and lots of aloe.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Lessons learned the hard way.

 

[natenaaron]

He grabbed the piece with his whole hand so the scar should also be on his fingers. I bet Bellach (sp) could have got the correct height of the staff if the scar was more accurate.

 

[davent]

Did the same with a cubed block of tofu, the burner on max a smoking pool of oil, slipped the tofu in the same way i'd always done it and for whatever reason the tofu belly flopped into the pool and the oil hit my wrist. That stuff is hot! Have tweaked my methodology to avoid any chance of a splash.

Done the bare hand grab of the skillet just out of the oven too, first words out of mouth to my wife and daughter who were present awaiting the frittata in the pan, "did you hear that?", referring to the sound of sizzling flesh.

dave

 

[oc_in_fw]

Did the same with a cubed block of tofu, the burner on max a smoking pool of oil, slipped the tofu in the same way i'd always done it and for whatever reason the tofu belly flopped into the pool and the oil hit my wrist. That stuff is hot! Have tweaked my methodology to avoid any chance of a splash.

Done the bare hand grab of the skillet just out of the oven too, first words out of mouth to my wife and daughter who were present awaiting the frittata in the pan, "did you hear that?", referring to the sound of sizzling flesh.

dave

Those would not have been the first words out of my mouth

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Did the same with a cubed block of tofu, the burner on max a smoking pool of oil, slipped the tofu in the same way i'd always done it and for whatever reason the tofu belly flopped into the pool and the oil hit my wrist. That stuff is hot! Have tweaked my methodology to avoid any chance of a splash.

Done the bare hand grab of the skillet just out of the oven too, first words out of mouth to my wife and daughter who were present awaiting the frittata in the pan, "did you hear that?", referring to the sound of sizzling flesh.

dave

Those would not have been the first words out of my mouth

I think the word "frittata" would have been yelled differently.