I posted a bowl of popcorn on my Instagram stories a while ago, and today I'm here to answer all your corn questions! Popcorn is my favorite snack, and based on all the messages and heart-eye emojis you all hit me with, it's clearly yours, too. I grew up with microwaveable bags and aluminum tins of Jiffy Pop. I didn't get into popping my own until I was older, mostly because I was broke. Buying a pack of kernels is so much cheaper than those pre-seasoned and buttered bags. Now I'll never go back because popping your own is incomparably delicious, and I can make custom seasonings.
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Besides several hundred folks dm-ing me "recipe, please!" there were a few big questions that kept popping up, and here I'll answer them all:
How do you keep the popcorn crunchy?
How do you get the seasoning to stick?
What do you season your popcorn with?
Step 1: Start with Fresh Popcorn
Since popcorn kernels look so dry and tough, it's easy to think they'll last forever in your pantry. In actuality, freshness is vital for cooking up crisp and light.
Every popcorn kernel has a tiny bit of moisture trapped inside. When you heat up the kernels, that moisture transforms into steam. The build up of steam increases the pressure inside each kernel while simultaneously softening the starches inside. Eventually, the pressure builds so much that the kernel explodes, turning the popcorn kernel inside-out, expanding and swelling the starch inside.
When your popcorn is fresh, it's filled with plenty of moisture. This means that enough steam will be produced during cooking to break down and burst those interior starches. Fresh popcorn pops quickly, evenly, and with few dense or dud kernels. As popcorn sits on a shelf for months, the amount of moisture inside slowly evaporates. The older your kernels, the less moisture it'll have inside, leaving you with a bowl of small, dense popcorn riddled with unpopped kernels.
Popcorn kernels will keep for 3 months stored in the freezer. After that, the quality will begin to decline. To ensure freshness, buy your popcorn online. My current favorite kernels come from Anson Mills.
Step 2: Making a Seasoning That Sticks
Do you know how powdered sugar gets on everything? Try to dust a cake without getting it all over your counter. That's because it's super fine and has a higher surface area than granulated sugar, giving it the ability to cling to surfaces.
Similarly, getting seasoning to grip tight to popped popcorn is making sure it's finely ground. I always blitz my seasoning in a spice grinder or blender (even if it's just salt) to make it super fine, ensuring full 360 coverage that won't fall off.
My Favorite Kool Ranch Seasoning
This is my go-to popcorn seasoning. It hits that perfect balance of lactic acid tang from dried buttermilk, deep savoriness from nutritional yeast, and that familiar herby kick thanks to dried dill. I make a large batch and keep it in a tightly sealed container in a cool and dry place. It's ready for popcorn, stirring into dips and dressings, or seasoning anything fried.
¾ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons dried dill
¼ cup buttermilk powder
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon MSG (optional)
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blitz on high speed until everything is ground into a fine powder. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and a desiccant (if you have one) and store until use.
Step 3: Keep Things Crisp
There are a few vital steps to making the tastiest, crispest popcorn. I swear by my Whirley Pop. It's built with vents that allow steam to escape (preventing sogginess!) and a crank to ensure even cooking. I have never had more success with any other popping method. If you are a chronic popcorn popper, you won't regret having it in your kit.
If you don't have a Whirley Pop, any big pot with a tight-fitting lid will do the job. Without vents, the steam released from the cooking corn can condense on the lid and roll back onto the kernels, making them soggy. To absorb that moisture and keep everything crisp, I wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel before covering.
Another step where sog can happen is when you butter up those hot kernels. Even with clarified butter, where the milk solids have been removed, and the water is simmered off, tossing popped corn in the liquid fat inevitably results in some loss of crispness. Instead, I pop my corn in a generous amount of fat right from the start. This coats the kernels in fat while cooking, infusing them with flavor but staying light and crisp. (Don't pop corn with whole butter, which will burn.) Since it has a long shelf life, I make a big batch of clarified butter and keep it in the fridge so that I can make popcorn whenever the craving hits.
Self-Buttering, Extra Crispy Popcorn
¼ cup clarified butter
¼ cup popcorn kernels
finely ground kosher salt or popcorn seasoning to taste
Melt the clarified butter over low heat, then increase the heat to medium-high and add a couple of kernels to the pot. Close the Whirly pop flap (or cover with a lid wrapped in a dishtowel).
Once the kernels pop, quickly remove the tester kernels, add the remaining popcorn, and place the lid back on. Continuously crank the Whirly pop (or shake the pot) as the kernels pop. When the popping sounds stop, immediately dump all the popcorn onto a sheet tray. (The sheet tray allows steam to escape faster than a bowl, ensuring a crisper end result.)
Immediately season the popcorn with either salt or popcorn seasoning, tossing while sprinkling to ensure even distribution. Taste the popcorn and add more seasoning as needed.
Transfer to your preferred snacking bowl and try not to eat it all yourself.
By following these simple steps, you will never turn to a pre-popped bag of popcorn again. The crisp, airy, crunch of quality popcorn freshly popped in clarified butter fills me with more joy than a large bucket of movie popcorn ever could. But be warned: You'll quickly find yourself dedicating most of your freezer space to preserving popcorn kernels.
On average, Americans eat a quart of popcorn a week. (Source: Consumer Reports) King-Man and I certainly do our part to keep that average up. It's our favorite snack food, and apparently America's favorite, too. Luckily, it's also good for us--one of the healthiest snacks around; well, as long as it's made in a healthy way with healthy ingredients. I microwave popcorn in a way that is easy, healthy and economical.
Popcorn is nutritious
Popcorn is loaded with heart-healthy and cancer-fighting polyphenols. In fact, popcorn has 4 times more polyphenols than the average amount found in fruits. Popcorn is high in cartenoids, a type of antioxidant that may positively impact eye health. Popcorn&#;s fiber makes it a snack that both fills you up and stays with you. 3 cups of air-popped popcorn (no butter or oil) has only 91 calories. More information here.
Why make your own microwave popcorn?
It's hard to beat the convenience of those pre-measured packets; but for me, the cons of those packets outweigh the pros. That's why I make my own.
1. It's healthier to make your own. I don't know if you've read all of the hoopla in recent years about pre-packaged microwave popcorn packets being harmful to your health. It was believed that the chemicals used and fumes when heated could lead to "popcorn lung" that was a problem for popcorn factory workers. That initial fear is pretty much old news now, because most of the major microwave popcorn makers have changed their packaging and ingredients to eliminate the popcorn lung risk. However there are other concerns. The microwave popcorn packets often use unhealthy fats and are loaded with way too much sodium. Many still contain weird additives and mystery ingredients, and nutritionists advise us to avoid those. I make my own popcorn so I know exactly what I'm eating and enjoy all of the nutritional benefits of popcorn with none of the bad stuff.
2. It's cheaper to make your own. The microwave popcorn packets cost between $4.50 and $6.50 per pound of popcorn. If you buy a bag of popcorn kernels and make your own, it's costs around $.50 per pound. HUGE savings. Even if you buy the organic kernels at Whole Foods, it's $1.39 per pound--still way cheaper than the packets.
3. It's greener to make your own. There's no packaging to throw away if you make your own popcorn. Simple as that. Less waste, so it's earth-friendly.
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Microwaving popcorn in brown paper bags.
This has become a popular way to make your own microwave popcorn. It's easy and convenient. Lots of people have written about their favorite way to make popcorn this way. Tipbusters.com has done a great job of compiling and testing the different variations on this technique. If you want to try this method, I recommend reading their tips first.
There are, however, 2 drawbacks to using brown paper bags:
MY WAY: Use everyday kitchen items to microwave popcorn--no special equipment or throw-away supplies required.
It really bugs me when we consumers get duped into thinking that we need to buy specialized products that perform the same functions that can easily be accomplished with everyday items we already own. There are all kinds of different sizes and shapes of gizmos out there for popping popcorn. I've owned more than one of them. Not needed. Now I make microwave popcorn using kitchen items I already own and use for other cooking tasks. Here's all you need (pictured below):
Popcorn kernels.
If you have some that have been sitting in your cabinet for a long time, toss them and buy fresh. The moisture in the kernels makes them pop well. Old kernels loose their moisture and popability (I think I just made up a word). Storage tip: Store popcorn in an airtight container in the cabinet. Refrigeration is not recommended, because many refrigerators will dry out the kernels.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sharing 2 ways to make microwave popcorn.
Click to view Pretty-in-Pink Popcorn Party Mix recipe
Click to view Game Day Popcorn Party Mix recipe
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Recipe #1:
Plain Microwave Popcorn (no oil, butter, or salt)
Step 1. Assemble these items: A microwave safe bowl, vented lid, and popcorn kernels.
Step 2. Add 1/3 cup popcorn kernels to bowl, put on the lid, microwave for 3-4 minutes, until 1-2 seconds between pops.
Done.
Warning: the bowl will get hot--use hot pads or oven mitts.
Click to print Plain Microwave Popcorn recipe
Recipe #2:
Microwave Popcorn with Light Butter and Salt
Step 1. Assemble these items: A microwave safe bowl, vented lid, popcorn kernels, kosher salt, butter.
Step 2. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt to bowl. Microwave 20-30 seconds, just until butter melts. The salt dissolves in the butter.
Step 3. Add 1/3 cup popcorn kernels and stir it so that the kernels get completely covered with the melted butter and salt mixture. Even them out in the bottom of the bowl. This results in every piece of popcorn having the butter/salt flavor on it as it pops. The flavors distribute and stick better than adding them after the popping. They get cooked on so they stay put on each kernel.
Step 4. Cover the bowl with the vented lid and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, or until there are 1-2 seconds between pops. The time will vary depending on your microwave and bowl, so you may need some trial-and-error on the first batch or 2 to figure out how long it takes the popcorn to cook. Mine took 3 minutes, 40 seconds. If you pop a second bowl right away, it won't take as long because of the residual heat in the microwave and bowl.
Done! 1/3 cup of kernels made 8 cups of popped popcorn. One of the benefits of this method is that you can eat the popcorn right out of the bowl you popped it in--fewer dishes to wash. The butter and salt get cooked into each kernel as it pops--I love the flavor. Not too much, not to little; for my taste anyway. You can adjust the butter and salt to suit your tastes.
Click to print Lite Butter & Salt Microwave Popcorn recipe
Still low in calories and salt! Even with the butter added, it's such a small amount that a 3-cup serving of this lightly buttered popcorn only has a total of 130 calories. The small amount of added salt makes a big difference in the taste, too, without coming close to the amount of salt in the pre-packaged microwave popcorns.
There are a few unpopped kernels left in the bowl. How many? That depends on the moisture in the popcorn, the bowl, and the cooking time. I err on the side of caution and stop microwaving before I run the risk of the popcorn starting to burn, and that probably results in a few more unpopped kernels than if I let it cook longer.
King-Man and I like this slightly buttered and salted popcorn the best. However, there are lots of yummy extra seasonings and flavors that can be added. I'll share some of those recipes in my next post.
This method for microwaving popcorn isn't quite as convenient as the store-bought packets; but it's pretty darn easy, and so much tastier and healthier. I think so anyway. Let me know if you give this a try or have another way of making popcorn. I'd love to hear from you.
Make it a yummy day!
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