All About Popcorn!
Hello Everyone! I wanted to talk a bit about one of the best snacks ever: popcorn! With covid presenting us with a lot of down time, there is also a lot of snacking time. If you’re looking for a change from other snacks like chips, perhaps it’s time to try making a brand new popcorn recipe from scratch.
Of course, one form of popcorn is the microwaveable packs. But a really healthy option is making your own popcorn straight from the kernels, and then seasoning it however you want. Popcorn kernels themselves are high in protein, and if you control the amount of salt and oil/butter that goes on the popcorn then you’re better controlling the nutritional value.
You can buy popping corn from basically anywhere – I personally get mine from Bulk Barn and like to stick with the jumbo kernels. I’ve had a few different popcorn makers over the years…I’ve never had a movie theatre style one with the glass box, but I imagine those would be tricky to clean but also be super fun. I once had a roommate that had one that looked like a pot with a lid, that you could then turn a crank and it would rotate the kernels around the bottom. I used to have one with a big glass dome that would go over the base, and the kernels would rotate at the bottom and then you would flip the whole thing upside down. I’ve had an air popper for the longest, which is easy to keep clean but can be a bit unpredictable with where it spits the popcorn out. I also got a handy red cup popper from Bulk Barn – you put kernels in the bottom and heat it for 2 minutes and it makes enough popcorn for one person or perhaps two.
But of course, you can also use a large stockpot or soup pot to make popcorn. Heat 1 ½ tbsp high-heat oil like grapeseed or coconut oil to medium heat. After about a minute and a half, the pan should be ready – to test it out, feel free to pop one or two kernels and then add the rest of your batch (to make enough popcorn for about 8 cups worth, make ½ cup dried corn).
When the pan is hot and you’ve added the kernels, cover it up with a lid. Shake the pan around every couple of seconds so that the popcorn that has popped doesn’t burn. Once you hear more than a couple seconds between pops, turn off the heat and put the popcorn into a big bowl.
I wanted to share a few popcorn recipes with you; popcorn made from scratch can be a lot healthier than stuff that comes in a microwaveable packet, but it’s extremely bland until you add lots of seasonings to it. One of my favourites, especially when I’m feeling lazy and just want to throw something together without measurements, has four ingredients. The first is butter-infused olive oil (I get it from Vinesations in Camrose), but you could use canola oil or melted butter if you prefer – just something to make the ‘dry’ toppings stick to the corn. Then I add a bit of salt (always remember you can add more salt but it’s hard to reverse if it’s too salty, so add a bit at a time). I also like to add dried basil and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, and it is absolutely delicious and super nutritious but has the most unfortunate name ever. It tastes kind of cheesy and kind of nutty and is extremely high in vitamin B12. I find this either at health food stores (try Nutters in Camrose) or – where I always shop apparently – bulk barn.
One savoury popcorn recipe that uses more exact measurements is:
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme or dill
1 tsp garlic powder (omit if you’re concerned about garlic breath).
Mix all of the herbs together, stir around the popcorn in the oil to get it covered, and then add the herbs on top of that, and store in an airtight container for a few days.
Of course, feel free to play with whatever combinations you like to make the perfect savoury popcorn.
I also want to share with you one of my favourite sweet popcorn recipes.
For this one, I personally air-popped ½ popping corn before adding the other ingredients, so you can either do this or else start off with 3 tbsp coconut oil in the stockpot before you add the popping corn and then add the seasonings afterwards.
In my case, I melted:
3 tbsp coconut oil and put it in a small bowl.
I added:
2 tsp cayenne
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
2 tsp maple syrup
I felt that I could have doubled the topping for the amount of popcorn that I had to make sure each piece of popcorn got covered, but in general, the topping is just delicious.
If you are making popcorn right in a stockpot, you can start off with:
3 tbsp coconut oil
When you add the kernels to the stockpot, also add 3 tbsp sugar.
When the popcorn is all done and you’ve poured it in a bowl, add:
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt
Once you get comfortable making popcorn on your own, you can try making kettle corn by adding about 3 tbsp sugar (recommended that this be done if you’ve made popcorn in your own stockpot) when adding the oil and kernels to the stockpot and then add ¼ to ½ tsp salt afterwards.
And of course, there is also the possibility of making your own caramel corn. One healthy version of this is:
In a small pot over medium heat, melting 2 tbsp coconut oil
Then adding:
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
Pour over 10 cups of popped corn. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking seat and bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes.
For a rosemary caramel corn recipe, I invite you to check out the Thug Kitchen cooking blog. But please be warned that the language is not entirely PG!
And there you have it! So many possibilities for making your own popcorn. I encourage you to try some out!