Well, not totally homemade, as in I didn’t grow my own corn. (Not that I didn’t try, our corn was just sad last year…) But I sure as heck popped it without the use of a greasy chemically lined microwaveable bag!
Okay, I’ll admit that when it comes to popping corn the old fashioned way, I’m a bit of a chicken. For some reason, the thought of cooking kernels until they start flying across my kitchen always made me nervous. So when a friend called and said she’d been making her own, and it was awesome, I reluctantly gave it a try, and ONLY because she kept stressing just how awesome it really was!
And this little project of mine did make some of my fears come true. I have to admit it took me several attempts before I actually figured it out. Now…I can run an entire house hold, do laundry, cook dinner, homeschool 4 kids simultaneously, and take pictures to prove it all, but apparently the term “microwaveable safe” dish didn’t quite sink in.
If you can get that term down, then this will go much smoother for you all.
To start you need to take a little trip down the popcorn isle and pick out some kernels, or grow your own, but really, that’s just too much work.
Anyway, get some kernels, I chose organic, must be better right? Then grab some seasoning and butter spritzer. We picked out White Cheddar and Kettle Corn flavoring.
But don’t use them together. They don’t mix well…I’m just sayin’.
Oh, and you also need some vegetable oil.
Next, in a (please say very slowly and loudly) M I C R O W A V E – S A F E glass bowl add 3 Tablespoons of veg. oil and 1/2 cup popcorn kernels.
(notice the bowl above is plastic, don’t do this)
COVER with a microwaveable lid. Otherwise you’ll have kernels all over your microwave. You’d think this would be obvious.
Microwave on high for about 3 minutes or until popping slows to about 5 seconds between pops, times may vary according to your microwave.
Next spray with butter spritzer and sprinkle with desired flavoring. Toss and repeat. Take a small moment to thank me for reminding you to use a MICROWAVE SAFE glass bowl, then enjoy!
Tip: If you find that not all the kernels pop, you can half the recipe and cook each half separately. I guarantee you’ll still want to make the full recipe though as it will disappear quickly!
Some other flavors to try:
- Curry: 1 tsp curry powder, 3/4 tsp ground tumeric, 3/4 tsp ground ginger, tiny pinch cayenne pepper.
- Pizza: 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese, 1 tsp ground dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried tomato powder.
- Salt and Vinegar: 1/4 c salted malt vinegar, sea salt to taste
- Italian: 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese, 1 tsp ground dried oregano
- Buttery Goodness: Salt to taste, then drizzle some real melted butter over the top!
- Cinnamon & Sugar: Spritz with butter spritzer, then sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp sugar.
- White Chocolate: Place popped corn in a tupperware container and sprinkle with 1/4 cup white chocolate chips. Cover with lid and microwave 10 seconds, then shake warmed popcorn to slightly melt the chips.
- Cheddar Cheese and sea salt
Have a yummy flavor to share? Please share in the comments, I’d love to hear try it!
We use a Whirly-Popper on the stove and LOVE it. We got it as a wedding present 12 years ago and still use it all the time. Our secret to awesome popcorn is to use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil – better for you, lighter popcorn and it smells heavenly!Thanks for sharing your story.
We always make our own popcorn, rather than use the microwaved stuff. However, we put ours in a kettle. Pour oil in the bottom, dump enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan, when they have finished popping, pour into a bowl. We just lightly salt it without any other seasoning and love it! My kids ask for popcorn nearly everyday.
Looks great. We made a few times popcorn and we used brown paper bags. – We sprayed a handful of kernels with oil (we used olive oil but any oil that you can spray would work). -We seasoned it (we use sea salt, but use your imagination). – Put them in a paper bag. Fold it really well. I usually fold it horizontally a few times and then tuck the corners under the fold I get. It's harder to explain then do it. But the idea is to makes sure it's not opening.- microwave it as you do with the bought bags. We love it 🙂 And we know what's inside….. 🙂
I purchased the Stir Crazy popcorn popper just this winter and I LOVE it. It pops every single kernel every time! It's fun, the kids love it because they can watch it pop.http://www.target.com/Stir-Crazy-Popcorn-Popper-qt/dp/B0052BRGSG/ref=sc_qi_detailbuttonWorth every penny!
Erica, you crack me up! And when you said homemade, I thought you meant old fashioned ~ on the stove top! lol
Or, you could make it easy with the microwave and bag : 1/3 c kernels in a brown paper bag, fold over the end of the bag twice and add 2 staples at least 1" (one inch) apart. This is Alton Brown's suggestion on Good Eats! – works great if you want air popped style.
Microwave SAFE!!! … yep, I thot mine was … sadly one of my favorites broke and then couldn't eat the popcorn! lesson learned!
We always have popcorn & movies on Saturday nights. I am going to try this. I also love all the flavor recommendations. We will definitely be having a variety of different popcorn for the next few weeks.
I also used to do the microwave popcorn, but had read that the microwave alters the structure of the food, and actually makes food harmful for you. So I was determined to make popcorn on the stove top. I used a small sauce pan with a lid and just covered the bottom of the pan with olive oil, turned the heat to high and let the oil heat up, then added enough popcorn kernals to just cover the bottom of the pan also. The kernels started to simmer in the oil, I turned the heat down and put a lid on it. Once it started to pop, I would pick up the pan and shake it around a little, and put it back on the fire. Once it got really popping I would shake some more, and turn off the flame. The kernels continued to pop from the heat inside, and once the popping stopped, it was done. Ready to put in bowl and top with whatever.
To make your popcorn even healthier, use light olive oil rather than Vegetable oil(higher in fat and cancer causing). It will not change the flavor but will be better for you body.