I am in love with popcorn; I don't think there is any snack food that has consistently spanned the scope of my life like these crunchy, misshapen, explosions of corn kernels. I can only imagine all the truck beds that could be filled with the vats of popped corn that I have gnashed through. It is comfort food to the tenth power. I love the flavor and texture, but I will acknowledge that part of the appeal is the fact that you can just eat so darn much of the stuff, without feeling too guilty. For a totally guilt free snack, make air popcorn, without the use of any fat. Or you could just chew on those styrofoam packing peanuts for the same taste. A little fat is needed to capitalize popcorn's charm. If you drizzle it with melted butter, after the popping, popcorn is elevated to another category of "high caloric snack". For me, the right approach is to bathe those kernels in hot oil, in a heavy bottomed pot, over medium-high heat, and allow the moisture trapped inside each kernel to turn to steam, ever expanding, until it explodes. In my humble opinion, this old fashioned method is the best. (Can we please not even mention microwave popcorn in this segment?! Thank you.)
When I was a kid, Sunday evenings meant popcorn and grape juice. We usually had a hearty lunch after church, so dinner was simple fare, and always included a giant, stainless steel bowl of popcorn, salted with Lawry's Season Salt. Our beverage often was made from grapes which we harvested in the fall, and our mom magically turned into canned, glass jars of homemade grape juice. One of us kids would run to the basement for a jar of the purple juice.
There are many types of popcorn kernels on the market, enough to please everyone. Some are crazed for the tiny, lady finger popcorn. I myself am in the-bigger-the-better-popcorn category. Regardless of type, what matters most in ensuring fewest unpopped kernels, is storage method. Kernels pop because of the right amount of moisture trapped within each orb. If improperly stored, popcorn loses moisture, which will affect the quality of the finished product; storing the kernels in the refrigerator or freezer will have this affect. Popcorn should be kept in the pantry in an airtight container. It will keep for many months this way. But of course, if you make as much popcorn as I do, this will not be an issue.
You might find it interesting that I have not mentioned popcorn and movies. For some, that is an immediate association. Having never been to a movie theater in my childhood, that pairing is not part of my paradigm. To me, popcorn means family at home, fistfuls to mouth, laughter, and maybe board games or a puzzle. Most Sunday evenings, I still make popcorn and we eat it out of a giant, stainless steel bowl. And we rinse it down with grape juice, hand selected by Larry from the cellar. :)
How to pop corn, the old fashioned way:
All you need is popcorn and oil. Sometimes I substitute a bit of butter or coconut oil for part of the vegetable oil.
Heat a large,heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 c. oil. Drop in 2 kernels of corn as the oil heats. When one pops, you know the oil is hot enough: add a heaping 1/2 cup of popcorn. How about if I just show you from here?
