Popcorn

[Dave Shepard]

I am looking for a new approach to cooking popcorn. I used to cook it for years in a big pot on the stove, add enough oil to cover and be patient, and it would cook down to the last couple of kernels. For the last few years, I have been able to cook it worth a DanG. :( Tonight, it was even worse, the pot is still outside smoking. :-\ What does everyone else use to make popcorn, and what do you put on it? I usually only put a little bit of salt, and maybe a dusting of parmesan cheese. I used to just get microwave, but there's less chemicals in homemade, and it's a bunch cheeper. (although I haven't managed to set the microwave on fire, yet)


Dave

[DKinWA]

We use a "back to basics popcorn popper" that works very well.  A tablespoon or two of oil is all it takes for a batch of popcorn.  I googled it and came up with this walmart link.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3925325

[breederman]

I eat a lot of pop corn Our latest and best popper ever is a Cuisenart. It three pieces, the bottom is the heat, the middle is the cooker, it is heavy and has a wire doo hikky in it to keep things stired up. Just put in a splash of oil, the corn,put on the top and turn it on.  It is fast and pops every kernal. when it is done you just snap off the cooker with the lid and turn it over an WALA the lid is the bowl.season with salt and or cheese and pour a glass of milk.

[pappy19]

I am probably the biggest popcorn freak anywhere and I have become a giant Whirlypop fan. You can find them on ebay and probably retail locations. I also have settled on baby white popcorn from Lehmans or you can get that on ebay as well. If you ever try a Whirlypop, you will never go back to anything else. Fast, good and easy to clean. Just wipe it out. None better IMHO.

[Nate Surveyor]

Hot air popper. Make about 4 gallons of popcorn.

Mix 1/2 cup olive oil, cajun spice, onion powder, Garlic powder, and some Yellow flake food yeast.

The kids love it, and my dad comes up just to eat all the popcorn!

Nate

[Engineer]

All my life I had an electric stove, and that meant stovetop popcorn was hit-and-miss for me.  I've used everything: air poppers, Presto electric oil poppers, Jiffy Pop in the foil pan, all kinds of microwave gadgets and pre-bagged microwave popcorn, fireplace poppers, you name it, I've tried it.  Now I have a gas stove and I've gone back to what tastes best to me - I take a large pot, about 12 quarts, put in corn oil and wait until it is hot and just starting to smoke a touch.  Add the kernels (about 1/2 cup), cover it and shake it around every 20 seconds or so.  Make sure you stop when pops are about five seconds apart, and it will continue to pop after you take it off the heat.    I have not yet had it burn on me as long as you turn the stove off early.   It is the best, I add a little extra butter and salt to mine.  We eat popcorn 2-3 nights a week that way.   

The other option, if you want some "healthier" popcorn, is to take about 1/4 cup of plain kernels, put them in a small 'lunch' sized paper bag, fold the top over a couple times and put ONE staple through the fold to keep it closed.  Apparently one staple isn't enough metal to foul up a nuker.  Use your popcorn setting on the microwave and let 'er rip.  You will get excellent popcorn at a fraction of the cost of Pop Secret Death-In-A-Bag.

[Patty]

We make ours on top of the stove like Engineer does, only I use butter flavored popcorn oil instead of vegetable oil, then I add melted butter & salt. Sugar is good also.  Most important thing is to get it off the stove before it stops popping, or it will burn for sure.

[Dave Shepard]

Apparently one staple isn't enough metal to foul up a nuker.  Use your popcorn setting on the microwave and let 'er rip.  You will get excellent popcorn at a fraction of the cost of Pop Secret Death-In-A-Bag.

One staple may not bother it, but one piece of Riesen candy will give you a fireworks show you won't forget, don't know why.

I used to eat a lot of microwave popcorn, but wasn't so sure about it after all the factory workers started getting lung cancer.


Dave

[ohsoloco]

We always used a hot air popper when I was little, and I just bought one for Denise last year for a gift.  It pops perfect popcorn, and you can add any kind of oil, butter, or flavorings you want...or none at all if you want it to taste like packing peanuts  :D 

My favorite is the half-popped kernels, or the ones that just barely broke open 

[Dave Shepard]

So you've tried packing peanuts? :D I had a granola bar the other night that was so bad I felt bad for feeding oats to a horse once. 

I like just a bit of salt, and sometimes butter, if I'm looking to make a big mess.


Dave

[Corley5]

We had an air popper when I was a kid.  Compared to other popcorn it seemed tuff/chewy but with enough melted butter that didn't matter  8) 8)  Maybe newer ones do better  ???  I've got an old electric popper with a crank on top that makes really good popcorn but the stuff  at the movie theater is still my favorite 

[Tom]

We didn't have all of those special ways when I was growing up, so, I just got used to a pan with a lid and some oil and corn kernals.   Keep'm moving and don't try to pop the very last one.   Salt and butter makes'm better.

I asked Texas Ranger how they did it when he was little and he said that they didn't have popcorn way back then. :D

[fstedy]

 8) 8) 8) I agree with  DKimWA and pappy19.  Whirlypop is the greatest.  Its fast and easy to use and all but a very few kernels pop. Add 1TBS oil and 1TBS butter let it get hot add the popcorn,  flame full and you'll get a great treat. The crank stirrer built into the pot works great at stirring the kernels and  must cause them to pop. Takes about 2 minutes start to finish.

[DKinWA]

I've never tried putting the butter in the pan before popping the corn.  I always put the butter in a microwave safe cup and nuke it till melted and pour it on the popped corn.  I'll have to give it a try since it's one less cup to wash :D

[isawlogs]

Not being a Popcorn connaisseur , is there a special kind of corn that makes " popcorn " or will any corn kernel pop ???   :P 

[Dave Shepard]

Popcorn is its own variety of corn. I've never tried to pop sweet corn or cow corn before.


Dave

[johnjbc]

I use a Hot Air Popper and a lot more Butter than is good for me :. We always did it in a pan until we saw the Hot Air Popper at a garage sale for $3.
It real easy to use, the lid is a measure of how much to use. Just dump a lid full in, put a bowl under the spout, and plug it in.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5969519

[Bro. Noble]

If you try to pop field corn,  you will end up with "parched' corn.  I've heard that this was a staple of the native Americans.  Grandma used to make this when she ran out of popcorn.  You just put a little oil in a skillit and heat it like you would popcorn.  It doesn't pop,  but swells up and becomes crunchy...  The Hickory King variety works the best (it's the kind that makes the best hominy too).  The end product is kinda like 'corn nuts' that you can buy.

[Cedarman]

I use a Monon popper.  It is an aluminum pot probably 6 or 8 quarts.  Put about 2 tablespoons of Orville Redenbacker popcorn oil in, put in enough popcorn to cover the bottom and put on high gas burner.  I have a big bowl ready and waiting.  The Monon popper has a stirrer and I stir and shake as the oil heats.  When the popping is right at done, I take the popper off the stove and immediately pour into the bowl.  The thin bottom of the popper cools quickly enough after taking off the fire so that the popcorn cannot burn. 

While the popcorn is popping I have a little pan heating butter.  I like the slightly scorched taste of butter that has gotten just a little too hot.  Timed right the butter is melted and frothy and ready to pour over the popcorn.  I pour 1/2 the butter on the corn and shake some salt.  I then kind of shake the bowl with a motion that causes the popcorn to turn bottoms up.  This is an art.  Then pour over the rest of the butter and shake a little more salt.  Shake bowl to stir popcorn to get butter all moved around and then start eating. 

This whole thing takes about 4 minutes from the time I think about eating popcorn until I am eating popcorn.

If you make popcorn 3 or 4 times per week, I  just wipe out popper with paper towel.

[pappy19]

If you like Orville's popcorn, when you have the "baby white" or "lady finger", you'll just think you like Orville's.

[Patty]

Pappy, do you grow your own popcorn? I was thinking about planting some this year. Iowa seems to be a good place to grow corn. 

[pappy19]

No, I bought my first bag of baby white from Lehmans in Ohio. Since then I have bought both baby white and lady finger off ebay and Lehmans if they have it. They run out, so I usually buy at least 6 lbs at a time. My grandkids are eating me out of house and popcorn.

[pappy19]

No, I bought my first bag of baby white from Lehmans in Ohio. Since then I have bought both baby white and lady finger off ebay and Lehmans if they have it. They run out, so I usually buy at least 6 lbs at a time. My grandkids are eating me out of house and popcorn. I also nuke the butter and pour it on after poping. With the WhirleyPop, you just dump in the butter or carmal and give it another whirl and then dump in a bowl.

[Engineer]

I don't have the luxury of getting specialty popcorn - I hafta buy it from these Boy Scouts that infest live in my house.   Anybody wanna buy popcorn at eight bucks a pound?   :(

[Corley5]

I took the advice on the Whirlypop and got one.  I haven't tried it with anything other than the theater style corn and oil packets that came with it but it turns out pretty DanG good  8) 8)  Anybody ever use olive oil to pop corn ???