Topic: 2kW blenders and curry bases

[Peripatetic Phil]

Wanting to try the spiced oil v. no spiced oil comparison discussed recently, I set about making a batch of KD1 base yesterday afternoon.  Once it was properly cooked, I put two litres in my 2kW jug blender, put the top on securely (as I thought) and, for what reason I will never know, pushed the "Pulse" button.  Boiling hot curry base went everywhere, and my wrist was badly scalded.  It took a good couple of hours to get the kitchen walls and surfaces clean, a fair number of things had to be binned, and I spent 1/3 of that time holding my wrist under running cold water.   I repeated the exercise later using at first the lowest power continuous setting, and then the "smoothie" mode and all was fine, so clearly pulse mode in the presence of large chunks of onion, garlic, ginger, etc., is likely to force the contents past the lid seal.  Other with 2kW blenders please note and learn from my stupidity.

** Phil.

[livo]

Near boiling hot plus agitation results in increased energy and therefore increased pressure.  Hope your not badly hurt Phil. Burns and scalds are very painful.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Wrist fine this morning, Livo

[Secret Santa]

This is a well known phenomenon Phil. Were you just having a senior moment or have you genuinely never come across this before?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Senior moment, almost certainly caused by the fact that the blender is used more frequently for making mango lassi than it is for making curry base.  So an initial pulse mode (to shatter the ice) is a norm when making lassi, and was inadvertently carried over to making a curry base by a severe lack of mindfulness ...

** Phil.

[Secret Santa]

Senior moment...

Good to know. I'd have been amazed if it was a new thing to you after all the time you've been on this forum. I recall - vaguely - having done it once, some 35 or so years ago, but that was before recipe writers cottoned on to the hazard and started warning in their books of the perils of blending hot fluids with the lid on. it's no laughing matter when it happens, as you pointed out.

[livo]

There is a well known brand of kitchen appliance that uses a heat element and blender. It has been responsible for many serious burn injuries. The same scientific principles apply.

[Bob-A-Job]

I made some of your  KD-base/PT yesterday and noted your advice to be careful with the blender.

Mine only has a 1.8l jug and that seems quite close to the top, so like with a few other recipes, I blend it 4 times.  Blend half, pour that into a smaller pan, blend the other half, mix both back together in the large pan then repeat once, just to make sure it is all equal.

The 'old wives tale' of putting Butter on a burn, is good for cooking, not for healing.  As long as the skin has not cracked or instantly blistered then no need to wrap it in cling film to keep it clean.  Slow running water is the best method to transfer the heat away, however, if the water is too cold, not only does it become uncomfortable and you can give up too early but it causes the skin to shrink and it can then crack and become easily infected, so cool/cold but not very cold water.  Glad you are on the mend.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Glad you are on the mend.

Thank you Bob.  In fact, the prolonged (and repeated) immersion in cold running water was very effective, and by the next morning there was no discomfort.  The marks vanished after a couple more days.

** Phil.