Popcorn corn: how to make corn popcorn at home

Do you like popcorn? I really love, and this is one of the most compelling reasons to go to the movies. Previously, I always bought only a finished product, so imagine my surprise when I found out that it can be easily made at home from corn of a special variety "Volcano".

This corn can be grown in your garden, if you live in a private house, bought at the supermarket (it turns out that it is sold in bags in the form of hulled seeds) or from grandmothers on the cob in the market (the latter is preferable).

How to get an airy treat from small grains, I will tell you further, but for now I will share my impressions of the finished dessert.

It so happens that you tried a dish in a cafe or restaurant, and you liked it so much that you wanted to cook it at home. In the end, it turned out very tasty, but a little different from the restaurant. So, in our case, the opposite happens - homemade popcorn turns out to be much tastier.

After all, only high-quality oil and corn grown in the garden without pesticides and other harmful substances are used at home. In addition, you can eat popcorn right after cooking, which means it will be freshest and still hot.

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Cooking time: 20 minutes

Quantity: 1 serving

The history of popcorn

Delicious and healthy popcorn
The homeland of popcorn, like corn itself, is the American mainland. When this dish first appeared, it is not known for certain. There is documentary evidence that during excavations in Mexico "blown up" corn grains were found more than 4,000 years old. This means that popcorn was already on the Indian menu at that time.

It seems that popcorn has always been eaten in America, so it is not surprising that in our time, Americans are leaders in this market. Popcorn is several thousand years old, but it was given a second life by an enterprising Chicago merchant Charles Cretors in the 1880s, who invented an automatic mobile popper - a device for preparing delicious treats. The new-old product began to be sold on every corner. Its low cost and magical taste made it megapopular.

By the way, there are different types of ready-made popcorn: mushroom and butterfly. Pay attention the next time you feast on who your popcorn turned into from the explosion.

The third wave of popularity hit popcorn with the advent of cinema. During the Great Depression, a cheap snack helped collect movie theaters. Nowadays, not a single cinema is complete without a corn candy seller stand. It's hard to say for good or bad, but nowadays popcorn and cinema are almost synonymous.

They say, "Popcorn saved Hollywood"

Instructions

Traditionally, popcorn is cooked in a hot skillet or saucepan, with a lot of oil. In public places, this delicacy is made in an air-heated machine (popper), which minimizes the risk of food scorching. But it makes no sense to buy such equipment home, it is better to use a saucepan or a frying pan with high sides. It is even better than a saucepan - it is easier to grease with high quality oil.

Cooking in the microwave

The advantage of this method is that the delicacy can be easily and quickly cooked in any microwave oven, guaranteed not to burn or burn you.But at the same time, it will come out much more high-calorie than on the stove: the grains will have to be poured with oil very abundantly, because there will be no opportunity to shake or stir them during the cooking process.

The cooking technology is as follows:

Take a few cobs of corn. They do not even need to be washed: all the same, during the cooking process at high temperatures, everything is sterilized.
Pick kernels from the cob. Choose them carefully: they must all be whole.
Get a microwave-safe container. Pour oil there at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of container.
Advice: sunflower oil, if desired, can be replaced with coconut oil. This is more beneficial to your health and also gives the treat an unusual taste.
Place the seeds in a saucepan and stir thoroughly until they form an oily film. The number of grains depends on the volume of the dish chosen, but it should be small! Be guided by the fact that 25 g of grains after cooking will take up a volume of 1 liter.
Close the container tightly with a lid and send it to the microwave. Approximate power - 600-700 watts.
Very quickly, pops are heard from the microwave - this is the corn kernels that open. You need to turn off the microwave after the interval between claps has increased significantly: this will mean that almost all the grains are ready. On average, the cooking time takes 3-4 minutes.
The treat is ready! It remains only to remove it from the microwave, add butter and sugar or salt - to taste.

It's even easier to make popcorn sold in microwave-safe bags. To do this, simply put the package in the microwave and press “Start”.

Watch a video on how to make popcorn in the microwave:

In a frying pan

Take a skillet with a thick bottom and high sides, preferably cast iron.
Pour oil into it - about 3 dessert spoons per 1.5 liters.
Pour the husked and washed kernels into the heated oil and cover immediately. Before that, the grains can be kept in the freezer for a couple of hours: this will provide a sharp temperature drop and a strong lightning explosion of the grains.
It is better to remove the pan from the heat while falling asleep. After that, it is worth tilting it from side to side several times - so the oil will definitely fall on all the grains.
You can open the pan after the explosions and pops have completely stopped. Otherwise, you risk getting exploding corn flying all over the room. Plus, it can burn you.
Pour hot ready-made popcorn into a bowl and season with salt or sugar. You can, while the delicacy is still warm, sprinkle it with grated butter.

Advice: it is best to mix the popcorn with spices and butter in a sealed plastic bag, shaking it vigorously several times.

Can you make popcorn from regular corn?

Making high-quality popcorn out of regular corn most likely won't work. The composition of such seeds is denser, they contain more starch and less fat. The shell is thicker, but fragile, does not withstand pressure and breaks ahead of time, preventing the grain from fully opening. Due to the density inside there is less air and the necessary moisture, there is a possibility that the grains will not open at all.

On a note! There are special devices where a pressure of 10-12 atmospheres is created, they are able to transform ordinary corn. They are called "guns" for their characteristic sound.

It is more rational to use special varieties for growing or buy ready-made bags of corn seeds for popcorn in supermarkets.

Popcorn corn varieties

The variety of species cannot but rejoice and it is not difficult to choose a variety for cultivation in any region. For the southern lane, there is a wide range of mid- and late-ripening maize. For cooler regions, early species. Some will delight you with small cobs, while others are quite large.

The following varieties are especially popular with gardeners:

Red popcorn. An early and compact appearance (over 120 cm), with small ears up to 10 cm long. The seeds themselves are dark cherry in color.
Hotel. Taller (up to 2 m), but also an early variety. The cobs are slightly larger, up to 20 cm, the grains are yellow. Differs in increased resistance to drought and disease.
Zeya. Another early variety with red grains, like Red Popcorn, but with larger ears (up to 20 cm). It also surpasses the plant in height - it is 0.5 m higher.
Pop - pop. A mid-season variety, the height is also medium (170 cm), the ear is slightly longer than that of the Gostinets (21 cm), with yellow elongated grains.
Volcano. Medium early and tall, with long ears (up to 22 cm) and yellow oval grains.
Ping pong. A late variety with small yellow grains, but a decent plant height (up to 2.2 m). The cobs are medium in size, maximum 15 cm in length.

How to dry popcorn seeds

The quality of any dish is primarily influenced by the raw materials. Harvesting corn, especially for popcorn, is important to harvest at a certain stage. If this occurs during the milky stage, the kernels will not burst in the pan. It is very important that the kernels are fully ripe, best if they dry on the cob. The characteristic appearance of the finished grains is a vitreous shell.

Harvest from the beds just before storing. The top layer of leaves is left on the cobs, in this form they are dried for about a month in a dry, cool place. Then they put them in bags made of natural material. Cobs are stored without loss of properties for several years in a cool, dry room, so they can be prepared for future use. An insulated balcony or cellar can be an ideal storage place.

Corn harvest

Be careful, overdrying corn is just as harmful as not drying it out. Overly dried grains do not contain the amount of moisture needed to explode. Observe the storage conditions of the crop and you will be happy. Correctly prepared corn on the cob will open 95% of the kernels in a skillet.

The nuances of growing and storage

Growing this plant is not particularly difficult. Popcorn corn and regular corn are very similar in planting and care methods. Let's consider some of the nuances.

Roots develop more slowly than cereal maize, the plant also does not like dry soil, requires frequent watering and can grow poorly if not weeded.

Popcorn corn is thermophilic, so it is better to plant in early May. 1-2 grains are placed in the dug hole. According to the recommendation, it is better to plant where the nightshade used to grow: potatoes, tomatoes, etc. Since pollination with other crops can occur, plant it separately from other species.

Remember the rules, the implementation of which will lead to healthy ears and a large harvest:

Harrow the soil before planting.
Do inter-row cultivation about three times during the entire growing period.
Water the corn once a week, this is the minimum.
Do not forget to fertilize the soil in the root system with organics or minerals.

If you pick corn for popcorn unripe, then eat it like regular sugar. But you won't be able to make popcorn out of it.

It is best to harvest corn at the very last stage, when the ripe ear begins to dry out and becomes covered with a shiny crust. Such seeds should be prepared for further planting. Best stored directly on the stems. To do this, we wait until the plant begins to dry out completely along with the cobs, this is somewhere in the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Do not pick corn earlier and dry it at home, it will explode badly.

Dry cobs are broken out and dried for about a month in a cool and dry place. Place them in rag bags or paper bags.An attic or closet works well for storage. If there is a chance of drying the ears too much, send the crop to a more humid place for several weeks. This is a cellar or balcony.

Flavoring additives

There are many different additives available to enhance the flavor and aroma of popcorn. Experimenting will help you find your favorite recipe. Here you will find the most popular ones:

Caramel - mix 30 grams of butter, a glass of granulated sugar and a few tablespoons of water. Bring over the heat until golden brown, stirring constantly. Pour the tasty liquid onto the finished popcorn and mix or shake everything in the bag.
Hearty recipe with cheese - grate hard cheese on a fine grater directly onto hot popcorn. The cheese will melt and you will get almost a one-course dinner. After cooling down, it is also tasty and appetizing.
With chocolate - melt the bar and pour over hot popcorn or add one tablespoon of cocoa to the caramel.
For spicy lovers - for two liters of water take: 50 ml of corn syrup, 100 g of sugar, a spoonful of butter, salt, chili pepper, a pinch of vanilla. Boil the syrup until it thickens (15-20 minutes) and pour over freshly made popcorn.
Just sprinkle with dry seasonings: icing sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, paprika, salt, lemon zest, orange. Bon Appetit

Colored popcorn with additives

How to make popcorn at home

Traditional homemade popcorn is made in a saucepan or skillet. In cinemas, special popcorn machines are used, which have a special heating plate and air heating in order to minimize product scorching.

Of course, it is unprofitable to purchase such a device for home use, it is better to use the existing tools. Use a thick-walled skillet, it is easier to grease it with vegetable oil.

In a frying pan

We take a good frying pan and put it on fire. We heat it well and put it on the stand. Pour the prepared corn kernels in one layer into the pan... It is better to have one thin layer, otherwise not all grains can be fried. Then pour with vegetable oil - 1-2 tbsp. spoons. Mix well with a spatula so that all the grains are covered with an oil film. Then cover with a lid and set on fire.

You will soon hear frequent claps. Never open the lid, this will lower the temperature. It is good to focus on cotton when cooking. When the frequency reaches one cotton for 3-4 seconds, shake the pan again and simmer on the stove for 5-10 seconds, then remove from heat.

Open the lid carefully so as not to burn yourself with the steam. The contents are poured into a bowl, left to cool. Salt or sugar is added to taste.

In the microwave

It's easy to cook popcorn in the microwave, but the dish will turn out to be many times more caloric - you have to add more oil than when cooking in a pan, since you won't be able to shake it several times.

The cooking procedure is simple: pour corn kernels into the dishes, pour oil on them and place them in the oven. The power should be 600 watts. Then you will hear explosions. When they happen at intervals of 3-4 seconds, take out the ready-made popcorn.

In a multicooker

Some cook in a slow cooker, but if you decide to use this method, it is better not to use salt in cooking, as it eats away the surface of the bowl. The recipe is the same - pour small layers of grain into a bowl, pour over with oil and select a mode for soup. When the pops subside, turn off and take out the popcorn.

In a saucepan

Take a large saucepan, preferably thick-walled. If cooking spray is available, spray the inside of the pan with vegetable oil all over the sides. Add a small amount of beans.

Cover the saucepan with a lid and put on fire.Do not open until the time between claps is 1-3 seconds. Turn off the stove and open the pot. The popcorn is ready.

In a special apparatus

Special machines are used to prepare popcorn for sale in public places. Small devices for home use are also sold. The method is the same, only coconut oil is used here. First, heat the cauldron for 5-6 minutes, then add the coconut oil.

After we make sure that it has melted, add the corn. Add salt or sugar to the grains to taste. We warm up the apparatus to 240 degrees and wait for the end of the claps. Then we place it several times, making sure that the popcorn is ready.

What are the benefits of popcorn?

Many novice cooks are interested in what popcorn is made of. Roasted corn kernels are a standalone dish that contains all the essential elements and ample calories. Therefore, in order not to get additional folds of fat, it is necessary to eat popcorn in small portions.

Such a snack, thanks to vitamin B1, is useful for the condition of nails and hair. It also normalizes metabolism and the work of the heart and blood vessels. This product is especially useful for people of retirement age, athletes and those who receive physical activity.

Vitamin B2, which is contained in popcorn, is indispensable for stress and depression. It helps to overcome these conditions and has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole. If you eat fried grains in their pure form, they will only benefit.

Exotic popcorn sweets

In the East, fried corn grains are usually consumed with raisins or nuts in a sweet form. Such dishes turn out to be very appetizing and satisfying. Before making oriental popcorn out of corn, you need to prepare the icing and the rest of the ingredients. For 1 cup of grains you need 1/2 cup of nuts and raisins, 300 grams of chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter. The corn is fried at the same time as the nuts. Then the raisins are added, the popcorn is poured with melted chocolate. Served on small saucers in the form of cakes.

Corn does not explode: what to do?

There are several reasons why corn kernels do not explode:

the grains are overdried;
unripe ears if picked too early;
corn does not explode from excess moisture if stored incorrectly;
corn has been pollinated with varieties unsuitable for making popcorn;
the simplest reason is too low temperature or heating power.

Mistakes are made when storing corn or growing it, they are all described above. To prepare a good meal, all you need to do is follow the tips. The main thing is to love popcorn and cook with love.

What kind of popcorn should you eat?

Corn grains, cooked without harmful additives and an abundance of spices, sugar and salt, are rather a healthy product. It contains B vitamins and polyphenols that help the body's tissues stay young. A large amount of fiber contributes to the fight against excess weight and also cleanses the intestines.

The harm of popcorn that tastes too sweet or salty is undeniable. Such a product should be consumed in small doses and very rarely. In addition, after using it, you are very thirsty. Too much liquid can cause swelling, especially if it's soda. Such nutrition is the first step to obesity and diabetes.

Tips & Tricks

There are some tips to help in the future:

Dry grains that have not burst are best kept in a closed container in the freezer.
Some grains are dry and therefore do not burst. Soak them overnight in cold water. Then dry well.
To prevent the popcorn from getting damp, remove the lid as soon as it is ready so that condensation does not form in the dishes and water drops do not fall on the beans.
It is better to mix popcorn with seasoning, after mixing the grains with butter. Salt or sugar will be better placed on a damp surface.

How to cook from a boiled vegetable?

If you already have boiled corn but suddenly crave popcorn, the best bet is to buy a new ear. Boiled grains of popcorn will definitely not work: it will not open at all, because the dense shell has already softened during the cooking process, and the starch with a drop of water has been transformed.

By the way, the reverse process is also impossible: corn, specially grown for popcorn, will not boil until fully cooked. There are many varieties suitable for making popcorn, as well as recipes.

So experiment and enjoy the healthy homemade treat!

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This corn can be grown in your garden, if you live in a private house, bought at the supermarket (it turns out that it is sold in bags in the form of hulled seeds) or from grandmothers on the cob in the market (the latter is preferable).

How to get an airy treat from small grains, I will tell you further, but for now I will share my impressions of the finished dessert.

What is the harm of popcorn?

People need to remember that the effect of this product on the body depends solely on how it is prepared. In retail outlets, it is offered with flavor enhancers, synthetic ingredients and caramel, and you can also try salted popcorn.

The buyer has the opportunity to choose an appetizer for every taste, but it is better to give preference to the one that contains the minimum amount of additives. Otherwise, popcorn will turn into a rather dangerous product.

For those who are wondering whether to buy popcorn, the benefits and harms are important criteria for making a decision. American scientists have proven that eating a large amount of the product provokes the development of many diseases.