Popcorn?

[Marita40]

Is anyone here a popcorn connoisseur? I have decided to look into upgrading my popcorn experience. Popcorn is right up there in my book with coffee and chocolate and my tastes have been refined in those areas for some time. I just think I can do better than JollyTime microwave popcorn with fake butter flavor
How do you like your popcorn?

 

[Nemo2]

Me, I like mine in the garbage can. Yuk..the smell of that stuff makes me sick.

Carry on.

 

[Walt34]

Orville Redenbacher's Original, popped in a hot air popper. Melt a whole stick of butter in the microwave and pour that over it, apply a liberal dose of table salt.

Bring a paper towel to wipe my hands on, and enjoy.

 

[Spudd]

I recently got a stovetop popcorn popper. I make my corn with coconut oil and Flavacol for the real movie theatre experience. It's really good, and not too much effort. It takes about 5 minutes, and the worst part is having to clean the pan afterwards.

 

[Moemg]

We also use Orville Redenbacher's original but the SO does it in the microwave in a paper bag with sea salt and a pinch of butter .So good !

 

[Nodak]

Orville Redenbacher's Original, popped in a hot air popper. Melt a whole stick of butter in the microwave and pour that over it, apply a liberal dose of table salt.

Bring a paper towel to wipe my hands on, and enjoy.

+1

 

[aja8888]

Get it free at the sports bar. It's good. It is made in a floor standing machine and they use commercial popcorn. Goes well with adult beverages and diet coke (my drink).

 

[GrayHare]

Tastes great but how do people deal with the kernel leftovers that get wedged between and around teeth where even floss can't get at it?

 

[O2Bfree]

Oh man, I love popcorn! My favorite way to make it is in a big pot on the stove, popped in a generous amount of oil. About one cup of corn fills the pot. Sometimes I'll add butter to the oil for extra flavor. Then sprinkle the popped corn with sea salt. The type of salt does make a difference. Iodized table salt has a slightly bitter taste. If I'm making it just for myself, I'll put a little MSG on it too.

I do air-popped corn too, though it's not quite as savory. Air pop in my 1970s vintage Hamilton Beach air popper, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with sea salt. Oregano is good on it, too.

I have a book titled "POPCORN", that my parents gave me with the air popper way back when. It has 200 recipes for popcorn, including recipes for breakfast, appetizers, and entrees. I've tried a few over the years, but popcorn is just so basically good that the simplest preparation satisfies. But if you need any more ideas, I could post a few recipes from the book. Some are kinda crazy, such as popcorn breakfast cereal and banana popcorn salad.

And check this out:

The Surprising Popcorn Power | Prevention

"Turns out popcorn kernels contain more of the healthy antioxidant substances called polyphenols than fruits and vegetables, according to new research presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society."

 

[Marita40]

O2BFree, thanks for the news that popcorn is good for us! I really didn't know. Now all three of my vices are actually healthy. Who knew?
I'll have to try the Orville R. popcorn. When you put it in a paper lunch sized bag for the microwave, how much do you use?

 

[l8_apex]

Why post a question about popcorn in the "FIRE and money" section?

 

[MichaelB]

The thread was moved to "Other Topics"

 

[rodi]

We also use Orville Redenbacher's original but the SO does it in the microwave in a paper bag with sea salt and a pinch of butter .So good !

This is my younger son's favorite method. DH is more of a covered pan on the stove.

Sea salt definitely makes it better than regular iodized salt.

 

[calmloki]

Tastes great but how do people deal with the kernel leftovers that get wedged between and around teeth where even floss can't get at it?

It's a zen thing. Know that it is there, but become one with it. Feel it swell and move your teeth apart. Ooooommmmm. Ooooommmm. OOOoommmahgard! get this outa my choppers! Waterpic gets some, time and a second attack with floss gets the remainder the next morning.

 

[pb4uski]

+1 please post details on how to do it in the microwave in a bag as I'd like to try that. We love popcorn.. DW is dismayed that I always have it at the movies.

We have had air poppers, done it on the stove, the traditional poppers with the stick that rotates and keeps the kernels from burning then turn it over and the lid is the bowl (one of my favorites) but more recently have been lazy and gone microwave (we like PopSecret).

 

[REWahoo]

I recently got a stovetop popcorn popper.

We've had that same popper for several years - makes great popcorn!

 

[Jack_Pine]

 

[Midpack]

We like popcorn about once a week, but nothing special - we split a bag of 94% fat free microwave Pop Secret or Newman's Own. I buy G.H. Cretors Just The Cheese Corn every once in a while too - a gourmet brand?

 

[pb4uski]

Jack, have you used the All-In-One? How is it?

 

[GravitySucks]

Sometimes I use the Whirlybird-Pop I got for Christmas, but more often a heavy cast aluminum pot.
Wegmans Yellow popcorn, real butter, canola oil, regular old table salt.
Sometimes I'll substitute sesame, peanut, coconut, etc oil instead of canola.
I made a batch last month with margarine, washed down with orange soda while watching a Red Skelton Show DVD and was transported back to 1962 laying on my grandmothers floor.

I have enough time now to never have to suffer through microwave popcorn again.

 

[RobbieB]

Full on Theater setup;

Really good -

 

[GravitySucks]

^^^ Sweet! ^^^^

 

[Jack_Pine]

Jack, have you used the All-In-One? How is it?

We use it all the time. To us, it is the closest thing to the theater experience that we have found. Have turned on quite a few folks to this and they like it as well.

 

[Janet H]

Big popcorn fan here as well and have tried all sorts of schemes over the years.. By far the best result is using a goofy microwave popper and coconut oil

This popper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005IBXK/ref=psdc_1090764_t1_B00FN3LPYY
and any unrefined coconut oil - I get mine in a giant vat at Costco. I also get popcorn at costco - usually it's Orville redenbacher I think.

The popcorn goes in the bottom of the popper, then the seasoning and fat - amazing!

As a side note I've noticed that the price of popcorn kernels has gone up a lot in the past several years. Anyone know why?

 

[ERD50]

Sprinkle with good Parmesan. Plenty salty, and adds a lot of flavor.

When I do pop corn, I use the air popper for convenience, but oil popped the old way on the stove top is better, IMO. Tried the paper bag trick once and burned it, but I should try again.

Can't stand the smell of the microwave stuff that is buttered, just way too strong a butter flavor for me, just about turns my stomach. But for some reason, I seem to not be very sensitive to that same butter-flavor chemical (Diacetyl) in beers (sometimes produced as a byproduct of fermentation).

-ERD50