This only works for certain types of corn bred to have a higher than average moisture content, n’est-ce pas?
Yes the video neglects to mention that you can’t do this with sweet corn, which is the only corn most of us ever see. I have never seen ears of popcorn for sale, although my mother grew it one year.
Is there a reason for this? Does it actually taste better or is more fun to eat? Just curious, since I’m ignorant in these matters.
Video link for the BBS.
I think i’ve seen these at fairs before, and there really isn’t much point to it other than being a different or fun way to eat it. Which would be more for a kid i guess.
I’ve tried it, and might have microwaved it for too long because the smell of the heated cob was not appetizing. The experiment was filed in the circular bin, never to be repeated.
For regular popcorn, I use a microwave safe glass bowl with a lid, add 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup popcorn, some butter or margarine, and heat it. The water is there to heat things up evenly and make the kernels pop around the same time. You’ll have to experiment with the times in your microwave, mine is ~ 7 1/2 - 8 minutes. It’s very important to not leave it unattended at the end, and take it out before everything has stopped popping, or it will start to burn. If you put the warm bowel back in for a second batch, that will shorten the popping time.
Do you start with hot water?
Thick bottomed pan, and coconut oil, about enough for a millimeter. Then as much corn as it takes to cover the bottom in one layer. Pop at slightly below medium heat (350F), then dress lightly with butter, sea salt, and nutritional yeast.
It is ungodly good, and not all that calorie intensive (easy on the butter).
No, regular tap water, cold to room temperature. I think it also helps keep the popped kernels a little more â– â– â– â– â– , closer to frying them in a pot. The glass container will be hot enough to boil water on contact when you take it out.
“Warm bowel”?? shudder how much of a prolapse would one have to have to manage that?
I grew it one year as a kid – no microwaves then, so scraped it off and popped it in a pan.
A friend from work gave us popcorn on a cob a few years ago that she grew and she put in instructions similar to the OP (was pretty good).
One big pot.
Enough refined olive oil* to just cover the bottom of the pan. Stick on a burner on a medium heat and throw in about 3-4 kernels. Cover and wait until you hear the few pops.
Remove from heat, uncover, pour in enough kernels to cover the base of the pan, pour in a bit of salt and cinnamon (or other similar flavourings) on top of the kernels. Place the lid back on and count slowly to 30.
Put it back on the heat and fairly quickly you will hear rapid popping commence. Remove from heat once it slows.
Quickly throw in a few small chunks of butter and stick the lid back on. Holding the lid on, shake the pan to distribute the butter. Taste, add extra seasoning/butter and repeat.
By popping the 4 kernels at the start, removing from heat, adding the rest and giving it 30 seconds you allow the popcorn to absorb the heat from the pan evenly before it has a chance to burn over direct heat. Throwing in the salt and cinnamon on top of the unpopped kernels helps distribute the seasoning evenly through the cooking process. Smaller chunks of butter will melt and distribute more evenly than one larger chunk, I don’t like to cook it directly in butter because it has such a low smoke point, so even if the corn itself isn’t burnt it will taste terrible.
*Like cooking in butter, virgin olive oil will smoke very easily. Other oils can be substituted but will obviously affect the flavour.
It has to be popcorn, and it has to be dried to the point that the outside of the kernels are hard. Most decorative colored “indian corns” will pop. You be seeing those sold in the stores for autumn decoration reasons, and most make delicious popcorn.
I agree, it is much better if you knock the kernels off the cob first. I use the back of a table knife or a metal sharpening honing rod.
@japhroaig - as usual, we’ve come to very similar conclusions as to “the best” way. This is the EXACT way I make popcorn (on occasion a sprinkle of chili powder or korean chili powder for a touch of heat) I appreciate your foodie-ness and attention to detail in those regards.
It is easier to grow then sweet corn, I’ve grown it a number of times. Word to the wise though, corn pollinates across a great distance, and you cannot grow popcorn and sweet corn the same year or you will end up with neither. only good for cornmeal. kinda like growing summer and winter squash in the same patch…
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