Originally published at: Popcorn now comes in Fruity Pebbles, hot chili and lime flavors
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I was also frustrated when trying to find unpopped popping corn, finally resorting to Amazon, where there are several varieties. We use a silicon popcorn maker/bowl that goes into the microwave and allows us to make popcorn in 3 minutes with or without oil or salt and flavor it the way we like.
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You can just use normal popcorn. You roll it around in whatever oil (or none), then microwave it until it stops popping in a brown paper “lunch bag”.
Did I somehow miss the point of this article, or are you too young to know how we did it before it became a different product based upon nothing except madness?
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When I’m lazy, Aldi’s Clancy’s white cheddar popcorn is highly addictive. When I’m not lazy, home-popped on the stove with fresh parmesan cheese micro-plane grated over it is wonderful.
Explore your spice cabinet, have some delicious fun (curry powder, garlic powder, etc.) Now I’m craving … 
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I too could not find popcorn kernels in the store. I did find one last year, some generic brand, only half them popped. Ended up going the Amazon route. Also discovered Mushroom Popcorn (it’s not made of fungi), it the shape of the popcorn. The big pieces like the kettle corn at the fairgrounds.
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If anyone knows how to make makhani-seasoned popcorn, I’m all ears. (I think it would involve maltodextrin to turn the fatty rich sauce into a powder.)
Avocado oil, huh? I could try that. I have an air popper, too, but it’s at the toppings stage where I fail. Can’t use butter due to lactose, and melting butter substitutes just feels like a lesser option.
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Consider nutritional yeast
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Off topic. I grew up with air popper, no butter, just salt. My mom is a bit of a health nut, in that she has been shopping at health food stores since the 1970s and considers anything cooked in oil to be strictly off limits. In college a friend of mine showed me how to cook popcorn with oil and then top with butter.
Today I still cook the kernels in oil (usually olive oil, but sometimes will use avocado or corn) and then maybe use a little butter. After watching some TikToks I have experimented with seasoning the oil but I’m not there yet.
If you cook in olive oil, I can’t imagine there is that much deleterious health effect. Compared to chips, I bet much less calories? Ugh. Anyway, air popping reminds me of my childhood.
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My wife likes nutritional yeast. I’m happy with salt for the most part (and sometimes curry), but I want it to stick to the popcorn instead of falling to the bottom of the bowl.
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Yeah, I think that’s an air popper shortcoming. Cooking in oil gives the toppings something to stick to
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Avocado oil has a very neutral flavor. I find macadamia oil to have a more buttery flavor. It’s also available as a spray.
@atteSmythe Agreed, I switched to cooking in oil on the stove a year and a half ago and never looked back. I cook in avo oil then drizzle with butter & seasonings. For air popping, though, I think the solution is to add some spray oil, toss, then add seasonings, then toss again.
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I’ve been heating a bit of oil in the microwave and adding a bit of tamari before pouring it over the popped corn, then adding a bit of nutritional yeast and salt. It’s my favorite. Mr. Linkey gets more adventurous, making peanut-sauce or curry-inspired toppings. But I agree with you, without some oil the toppings don’t stick. And some of the toppings, like spices, can be mixed right into the oil.
I either use the air popper or the paper bag in the microwave method.
It would seem so. The author is lamenting that she had to visit 3 or 4 stores before she could find popcorn kernels to pop at home. But pointing out that there was all kinds of pre-popped, packed popcorn available.
I haven’t noticed the same around here, thank goodness.
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Part of the problem is that she didn’t visit a full-service grocery store until the 4th try. I have never seen kernels at Costco or TJ’s. I don’t shop Aldi with much frequency, but I wouldn’t really expect to find anything other than microwave popcorn there.
Last summer, we grew popcorn in the garden. This article is reminding me that the cobs are probably dry enough to harvest the kernels now. It’s a fancy variety - ‘stained glass’, the kernels are white, yellow, green, blue, red and orange, sometimes all colors on a single cob.
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Olive oil, nutritional yeast, and salt is delicious. Avocado oil also works. You do need finely ground salt. I use a mortar and pestle to grind both to a fine powder. Then just add a drizzle of oil to the popped corn in a big old mixing bowl and toss. Maybe do again if you want. That coats at least some of each piece. Finally sprinkle your seasonings and toss two to three times.
@ClutchLinkey oh, that all sounds delicious!
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Cool! Pics or it didn’t happen 
The deer pressure here it too intense for us to succeed at that, but I did get some from a farmers’ market. It was sold still on the cob, in a paper bag, and we just popped it right on the cob in the bag in the microwave.
It’s such an amazing food.
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Oh! I also grew “glass gem” heirloom corn a few years back. I did it just as an ornamental but decided to try popping the kernels and it worked. Small kernels on mine, but very easy to eat and without the pointy shell bits that get stuck in your gums.
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Same here. I can generally find popcorn in all retail outlets here in LA. (Trader Joe’s, Ralph’s, Pavillions. Even bodegas.
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I’ll grab a new pic when I retrieve the paper bags from the basement. I already deleted the harvest photo. For now, here’s a pic of the plants at the very start, before the groundhog got in the box and ate everything except the corn:
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There’s only one thing on my popcorn: heat.
I mostly microwave with a silicone popper, but I have an air popper as well. I get more duds with the air popper than the microwave unless I babysit it for the popping duration. YMMV. 
