Popping Up Family Fun
Popcorn night is every Sunday at our house and as I haven't owned a microwave in six years, we make it the old-fashioned way. My kids have bragged on it. Friends have raved about the light, fluffy texture and begged for instruction. Popcorn-making was even the hit activity at my daughter's slumber party one year. All the girls gathered around the stove mesmerized by the whole snap, crackle, pop affair. For those of you who have been dipping into a greasy bag for years, pulling out neon yellow globs laden with chemicals in the plastic family and enough salt to stave off scurvy for a boat-load of pirates, here are quick directions for popcorn the way nature intended:
1. Gather a 4-quart (or larger) pot with a lid (my pot's lid is clear, so it's more fun to watch the action inside), canola or corn oil, salt, yellow or white popcorn kernels, and two oven mitts.
2. Turn on a burner to high heat and place the pot on it.
3. Pour enough oil into the pot to coat the bottom completely (approximately 3 tablespoons), then sprinkle in about 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels. Shake the pan around a bit so kernels settle on the bottom only one-deep. If there are spaces between the kernels, add a few more.
4. Put the lid on the pot (I forgot to mention this to one friend and she ended up with popcorn all over her kitchen!).
5. Wait a minute or two then put on your oven mitts and give the pot a shake. I hold the pot handle with one hand and place the other on the side for stability.
6. As soon as the kernels start popping, gently shake the pot continuously. I hold it just slightly above the burner while shaking.
7. When the popping slows down to around one pop per 3 seconds, turn the heat off. Continue shaking gently over the burner for another 30 seconds. You're almost done!
8. Now pour your popcorn into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. We also dash Cabot Cheddar Shake powder on ours. There are lots of other possibilities: Cinnamon and sugar, powdered ranch dressing, taco seasoning, the sky's the limit! Enjoy!
According to the U.S. Popcorn Board, the average American eats 58 quarts of popcorn each year! The U.S. produces 498,000 tons of popcorn per year and exports 103,000 tons. The popcorn craze seems slower to catch on overseas. Most of America's popcorn is grown in the Midwest, my old stomping grounds, which may be why I like it so much! In southwest Utah, a 1,000-year-old popped kernel was found in a cave once inhabited by the predecessors of Pueblo Indians. Popcorn, a whole grain and only 55 calories per popped cup (when made as directed above), was possibly our country's first grain; an important part of our ancestor's diet.
Popcorn is an important facet of my family's life: It is the high fiber mainstay of each Sunday night's meal, flanked by fruit and cheese slices, peanuts, and occasionally edamame. Where there is popcorn, there is an invitation for a relaxed family gathering. The bowl of flourishing white blooms unites us for a game, laughter, chats, or a movie. I can't think of another food that holds such power.
1. Gather a 4-quart (or larger) pot with a lid (my pot's lid is clear, so it's more fun to watch the action inside), canola or corn oil, salt, yellow or white popcorn kernels, and two oven mitts.
2. Turn on a burner to high heat and place the pot on it.
3. Pour enough oil into the pot to coat the bottom completely (approximately 3 tablespoons), then sprinkle in about 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels. Shake the pan around a bit so kernels settle on the bottom only one-deep. If there are spaces between the kernels, add a few more.
4. Put the lid on the pot (I forgot to mention this to one friend and she ended up with popcorn all over her kitchen!).
5. Wait a minute or two then put on your oven mitts and give the pot a shake. I hold the pot handle with one hand and place the other on the side for stability.
6. As soon as the kernels start popping, gently shake the pot continuously. I hold it just slightly above the burner while shaking.
7. When the popping slows down to around one pop per 3 seconds, turn the heat off. Continue shaking gently over the burner for another 30 seconds. You're almost done!
8. Now pour your popcorn into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. We also dash Cabot Cheddar Shake powder on ours. There are lots of other possibilities: Cinnamon and sugar, powdered ranch dressing, taco seasoning, the sky's the limit! Enjoy!
According to the U.S. Popcorn Board, the average American eats 58 quarts of popcorn each year! The U.S. produces 498,000 tons of popcorn per year and exports 103,000 tons. The popcorn craze seems slower to catch on overseas. Most of America's popcorn is grown in the Midwest, my old stomping grounds, which may be why I like it so much! In southwest Utah, a 1,000-year-old popped kernel was found in a cave once inhabited by the predecessors of Pueblo Indians. Popcorn, a whole grain and only 55 calories per popped cup (when made as directed above), was possibly our country's first grain; an important part of our ancestor's diet.
Popcorn is an important facet of my family's life: It is the high fiber mainstay of each Sunday night's meal, flanked by fruit and cheese slices, peanuts, and occasionally edamame. Where there is popcorn, there is an invitation for a relaxed family gathering. The bowl of flourishing white blooms unites us for a game, laughter, chats, or a movie. I can't think of another food that holds such power.
Comments