ITT we discuss how to make the best possible popcorn, including more interesting things like sugar and herb-flavoured stuff.
No microwave stuff. Airpopping allowed, but I don't like that since I don't have access to it. ; )
I've gotten quite good at making conventional popcorn with oil in a pot, but I'm curious about different optimization techniques and how one is supposed to use butter.
Any recipes/tips for flavoured popcorn are also welcome, especially sugar/caramel ones.
Of course, you should really just ramble away about popcorn. This thread isn't here just to benefit me.
I occasionally like pop corn, but it should be banned from the movie theatre. The gross thing with the butter is disgusting though, there's a reason those americans are such ugly fat ....'s
One of my favorites is kettle corn. Are you familiar with it?
Use finely ground salt(finer than regular table salt) for more adhesion to kernels and less leftover grains at the bottom.
>>4 speaks of kosher salt, sea salt is of the same texture but is more of a kind of salt used by chefs with porsches.
To make different types of flavors to the popcorn is quite a CORNy idea ^^ you have to essentialy marinate the kernels before hand and leave to dry, or there are some popcorn shops out there that will sell flavoring powder that is ground extremely fine.
Now onto Kettle Corn...i have no idea how it works, ask a carny next time you see one making kettle corn.
>>5
Sea salt is not that expensive. You can find it at Asian marketplaces for cheap prices. My favorite brand is from Hawaii, and costs only a little more than Morton's per pound. But if you want it for popcorn you need to grind it into a fine powder. I recommend a Japanese suzuribachi for the job, because it has a rough surface on the inside of the bowl rather than the smooth surface found in a European style mortar. The rough surface keeps the grains from getting away from your pestle, and makes less work.
Kettle corn is simple. You just add fine sugar to your salt. It cooks at a fairly low temperature so the sugar has time to melt and caramelize somewhat. The idea is that the heat of the kettle is mostly at the bottom, so the kernels on top don't get heated nearly as much. Keep stirring the kernels so they get evenly heated, and make sure to stir the sugar/salt at the bottom to keep it evenly distributed. You can easily make kettle corn yourself in a large cooking pot on the stove, it just takes more patience than ordinary popcorn. I don't recall whether any oil is used in kettle corn, but I suspect there's a small amount just to keep kernels from sticking from the sugar.
I live in Texas, you will not find sea salt of high quality that does not require you to take out a mortgage on your house, so if you dont like in San Fransisco, go with Kosher Salt.
Sometimes you can sprinkle nutritional yeast on popcorn and it may taste better than butter.
Kosher salt? Nutritional yeast? I love this international food board, but often the ingredients sound like something from another dimension. ; )
All rise for the entrance of Alexander to this unworthy thread!
Does pot popping make salt stick any better than air popping? What about using one of those flavored powders? I tried a cheese type once, but it didn't work too well with my air popped corn.