Turkey Fryers

I attended the Maine State Beekeepers Association annual meeting on Saturday, in Augusta. Great meeting, but I did not win any door prizes. One of the speakers, Cindy Bee, spoke about and had a demonstration of a set-up to process old wax comb scrap - put it in an old pillowcase, tie it up, and boil it in a turkey fryer with boiling water. Her observation was that the crud left behind in the pillowcase is truly disgusting and should be discarded at a distance, promptly.

So I set out to get a turkey fryer. Never heard of one, and tough to find in the northeast. I asked around. Frying turkeys is, I think, popular elsewhere, and fried turkey very tasty, and they (people elsewhere) fry lots of things, including I hear, butter. I heard that Martha Stewart described it on her show but I do not think I was among a Martha Stewart crowd at the annual bee meeting. I now recall a Mythbusters show about dropping a frozen turkey into the fryer (not recommended) and it exploding - do not know if the myth was busted or not.

I finally had success when I was told it was a lobster boiler. So I now have one and plan on harvesting beeswax this summer. My daughter Emma wants us to start Fred's Bees and do balms.