Is there anyone, save Professor Hathaway from the 80s cult film Real Genius, who doesn’t love popcorn?
Despite a quick online search turning up such non-sequiturs as Jiffy Pop being listed in the gourmet food section at Amazon.com, the best popcorn is still made from scratch, over a stove or open flame, and never ever in a microwave oven. Granted it is true that the microwave stuff only takes three minutes, and many of us have children who stand in front of said microwave screaming “hurry up” as the LED timer ticks past 1:30. It can be said that there is tradition behind microwave popcorn as well, since according to the Popcorn Board (a nonprofit promotional organization) popcorn was the very first use of microwave heat. Nonetheless, for flavor and yes – nutrition – you can’t beat the real thing. And the real thing takes 10 minutes; worth it by anyone’s measure.
This is Iowa after all and if anyone knows anything about corn it would have to be us. One of the most famous companies to produce the prodigious snack is Jolly Time, of Sioux City, who has been selling popcorn for more than ninety years, but it goes back much further than that. It was a staple for the Aztecs and Incas, used as a food, as decoration and jewelry, and as an offering to the Gods.
The moldboard plow made the planting of corn much easier by the mid 1800s, and by the end of that century popcorn was popular all over the United States, a popularity that would grow for 70 years unabated – popcorn companies did well during the Depression because their product was cheap – until the advent of television. Movie attendance declined and with it the consumption of popcorn. But as people began to make popcorn at home, its popularity resurged. Of course it is still a virtual requirement in movie theatres.To make great popcorn start with fresh corn kernels. The best way to assure this is to buy it straight from the farmer who grew it, perhaps at a farmers’ market, or find another local source such as the delightful little kernels from K & K’s “Tiny but Mighty” in Shellsburg (www.kandkpopcorn.com).
I used to recommend corn oil for popping, but these days so much of it is laced with genetically modified corn that I can’t recommend it. I now use another Iowa product, called Asoyia, which is soy bean oil that contains no GMOs, has a very light (almost nonexistent) flavor and a very high smoking point, so it won’t burn easily.
In a large stockpot with a tight fitting lid, heat three tablespoons of oil. Add just two or three kernels of your favorite popcorn. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt real butter (not margarine) until just liquid – do not boil.
When those first couple of kernels pop, the oil is hot enough. Add one-third of a cup of popcorn, then cover tightly with the lid. Hold the lid down using hot pads and shake the pan vigorously, once every 10-15 seconds. Do not leave unattended.
Listen for the popping to subside to one pop every few seconds, then carefully remove the lid, watching out for steam. Pour into a very large bowl and dress alternately with the melted butter and kosher salt, mixing between each addition. Serve immediately with your favorite movie.
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| Kurt Michael Friese, Gather Food Correspondent | ||||
Gather ‘Round the Table is a regular feature of Gather Essentials: Food. Chef Kurt Michael Friese is a freelance food and wine writer & photographer. He is also the co-owner - with his wife Kim - of Devotay, a restaurant in Iowa City, serves on the Slow Food USA Board of Governors, and is Editor-in-Chief of the local food magazine Edible Iowa River Valley. He lives in rural Johnson County, Iowa. Keep up with Kurt Michael's food series by joining his network, or subscribing to his content. | ||||
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Comments: 44
I love LOVE popcorn with lots of butter and salt.
If you grow your own, or get it straight from the farmer, sure. But I don't mean fresh picked - it has to be naturally dried or it won't pop. What I do mean is fresher than the stuff on the bottom shelf of the snack aisle at the Piggly-Wiggly.
Find a farmer nearby who grows it. Chances are there's one listed at www.LocalHarvest.org
Depends of course on how much you are making, but I use a 6 quart. And yes a wok can work, but only if you have a lid and are experienced with using a wok. Stirring or tossing the popcorn, without such experience, can be a dangerous proposition.
I used to love making popcorn in a pot on the stove, but I found the baked on oil ruined the pan (it was a large s/s saucepan). As soon as I saw this photo I thought, Hey! He's making it in a wok, what a great idea! But you call for a large stockpot in your instructions. Have you ever made popcorn in a wok? If not, think it would work? I have a cast iron one that only gets better with layers of baked on oil so I'm thinking it would be perfect.
And you're right--real butter is a necessity. A dash of onion and garlic powder, plus a sprinkling of finely grated pecorino romano or parmesan are very nice, too. : )
As noted above, be cautious with a wok. But the photo is me cheating a bit for good art. I shot that at last week's Iowa City Farmers' Market, and that's a huge batch of kettle corn he's making there.
The brown, baked on grease at the bottom of a stainless steel stockpot comes off easily with Dawn and a steel or nylon scrubby.
And oh yes, there are lots of way to flavor your popcorn. One of my faves is to mix green Thai curry paste into the butter (strictly for adventurous eaters!)
The trick to a good kettle korn is to add the sugar and the salt together just a moment before the kernels begin to pop. It's also vital to keep the agitation (stirring or shaking) going constantly so that the sugar doesn;t burn as it so loves to do. Stirring is easier with one of those mesh spplatter guards rater than a lid, ad sometimes it helps t have a helper hold the pan steady.
As for how much sugar, it's a matter of taste of course, but I'd start by experimenting with 2 tablespoons for that 1/3 cup of corn I mention, then adjust up or down with subsequent batches according to what you like.
Question: Have you seen ears of popcorn? I used to get them and you can actually pop it on the ear. A lot comes off in the process, but the kids are THRILLED! I remember them, I know I did it, but now I can't imagine how. (This is because I am old and losing it, I believe. It was decades ago.) Does this ring a bell?
I didn't see anything about sugar in the article and then all of a sudden it shows up in the comments........ is this for making caramelized popcorn?
I've seen it, but not lately. It was quite common years back at the (Grandaddy of'em all) Iowa State Fair. I'm going back this year for the first time in forever, so I'll keep an eye out for it.
And any season is a good seasoon for popcorn.
it's in response to Amy's question about how to make kettle corn, the sweet stuff you see at fairs sometimes.
With the air popper, they gave me two bottles of popcorn flavorings, which stick well after the melted butter is added. My favorite so far is Buttery Herb & Jalapeno.
Thanks for the info....learned a new thing today
At least, that's how it is out here in the Hinterlands...
And I agree, Margarine is loaded with trans-fats.
Santee ;)
My neighbor is a popcorn farmer so every once in awhile he'll drop off some fresh boxes. We have the popcorn fields all around our town. When I was in grade school, my 5th grade teacher didn't believe that popcorn grew on stalks in fields like normal corn. I went to my neighbor and told him, so he chopped off a stalk or two and gave me a few dried cobs. I'm not sure if she popped it, but I was kind of amazed that it was really that simple. Fresher is definitely so much tastier.
For the record, caramel corn is made by making dark caramel and pouring it over popped corn then tossing and mixing it until the caramel cools and hardens. Kettle corn is made (usually in large batches in a large, deep kettle) by heating oil and popcorn and adding equal amounts of salt and sugar just as the corn begins to pop and stirring constantly until the popping subsides then dumped out before it can stick and burn in the kettle. To make kettle corn at home, you definately need one of those special popcorn pots with the stirring paddle built in or you'll end up with a terrible mess.
If you must buy your popping corn from a store, examine it carefully because the quality can vary quite a bit. I've gotten some packages that were almost too dry to pop well and others that had cracked and broken kernels in them. Popcorn that's too dry is easy to remedy, but corn that's cracked doesn't pop well and you'll find a lot of hard bits and unpopped kernels in the bottom of your snack bowl. To rehydrate popcorn that's too dry, I put the corn into an airtight container, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water per pound of corn, shake the container (and contents) until the water is thoroughly distributed, and let it stand for a couple of weeks (checking & shaking periodically) to let the water completely diffuse through the corn.
A couple of years ago, I bought my husband a popcorn popper (It's metal with a handle and a crank on top that you turn while the kernels are going). I don't remember what it's called, but we love it! We rarely have any unpopped duds and you only need to use the tiniest amount of oil. Yum!
The yeast sounds interesting, but I'm not familiar with "Spike," and I can't get behind PAM. Their products are made with GM canola, and that's risky stuff.
Popsecret Homestyle is a close alternative as far as microwave popcorn goes!
Missy - Gotta disagree with you. No microwave popcorn comes close. Just keep the heat down and shake the pan!
It has been a while since I passed along the old Slow Food Manifesto. Granted it's a bit idealistic, but aren't all manifestos? Here are some thoughts to aspire too:
Endorsed and approved in 1989 by delegates from 20 countries
Our century, which began and has developed under the insignia of industrial civilization, first invented the machine and then took it as its life model.
We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast Life, which disrupts our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes and forces us to eat Fast Foods.
To be worthy of the name, Homo Sapiens should rid himself of speed before it reduces him to a species in danger of extinction.
A firm defense of quiet material pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal folly of Fast Life.
May suitable doses of guaranteed sensual pleasure and slow, long-lasting enjoyment preserve us from the contagion of the multitude who mistake frenzy for efficiency.
Our defense should begin at the table with Slow Food. Let us rediscover the flavors and savors of regional cooking and banish the degrading effects of Fast Food.
In the name of productivity, Fast Life has changed our way of being and threatens our environment and our landscapes. So Slow Food is now the only truly progressive answer.
That is what real culture is all about: developing taste rather than demeaning it. And what better way to set about this than an international exchange of experiences, knowledge, projects?
Slow Food guarantees a better future. Slow Food is an idea that needs plenty of qualified supporters who can help turn this (slow) motion into an international movement, with the little snail as its symbol.