We all have our favorite methods of popping popcorn, don't we? There are air poppers, whirley pops, microwave-safe silicon plastic origami things, electric hot oil poppers, and those great pro-grade amusement park popping machines. You can even use a brown paper sandwich bag and put a whole corn cob in it and push start on the microwave - pops right off the cob!
If I could, I'd make jiffy pop things with the foil and the folded tin handles like we used when I was a kid, and I'd fill them with my popcorn. But there's a much simpler way to pop popcorn. You just need a pan and oil. Ready?
Here's how to pop Vermont Black Popcorn.
Makes 1.5 lbs (5 cups). Use 3 tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup of kernels.
- Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat.
- Add 3-4 kernels to the oil and wait for them to pop.
- When they pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer.
- Cover the pot – then remove it from the heat!
- Wait 30 seconds. Count it out, just thirty seconds.
- Put the pot back on the heat.
- In a moment, the kernels should start popping, and they'll all pop at about the same time.
- Gentle shake the pot by moving it back and forth over the burner.
- Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let steam out; the popcorn will be drier and crisper.
- Remove the pan from the heat when popping slows to several seconds between pops.
- Add any flavorings - butter, salt, sugar... but this popcorn is good as is.
Let me know how it goes - or if you have your own tried and true methods.
Be great,
Mike