cooking popcorn on the stove

[Willamena]

I really love popcorn. It might very well be my favourite food. But, microwave popcorn is so expensive and I'm on a tight budget right now. I don't own an airpopper (and don't want to buy one), but I seem to recall that it's possible to cook it on the stove in some oil or something. How do I do that specifically?

Here's how I do it (with much experience).

Heat the pot on a medium or medium-high heat (depends on your stove) about two mintues. Add 2 tbsp oil and let that heat about a minute. Add 2 ounces of popcorn kernels, and give it a shake so they get all oily. Shake regularly every 45-60 seconds after that, so they don't burn on one side. In about a minute or two they start to pop. Keep shaking regularly so they don't burn, and so that the kernals keep to the bottom and the popped ones lift. When the popping stops, transfer the popcorn quickly to a cool bowl or dish.

Now, suddenly realise that you forgot to melt some butter so get that done real quick in another pot on another burner, and then pour the butter on the popcorn. A bit of salt, and you're good to go.

Edit: I forgot the lid! :sorry1:

 

[Willamena]

It's MORE than possible!

Here's how I remember it...

Start off with any pan and put a layer of oil in the bottom. Put it on a HIGH heat. Stick ONE kernel in the oil and wait for it to "soft pop". Now put one layer of kernels into the pot and reduce the heat to medium high. Now the secret trick: SHAKE THE POT as the corn pops. When the popping slows noticeably, pull the pot off and QUICKLY dump the popcorn.

PS, doing this over a camp fire is a real art form.

Brilliance!

 

[cardero]

I really love popcorn. It might very well be my favourite food. But, microwave popcorn is so expensive and I'm on a tight budget right now. I don't own an airpopper (and don't want to buy one), but I seem to recall that it's possible to cook it on the stove in some oil or something. How do I do that specifically?

Very simple. Take a coat hanger. Shape it and fringe it into the outer ridges of an aluminum pie pan, this will be used as a handle. Put a little vegetable oil and some corn kernals at the bottom of pie tin. Take a sheet of foil and fold it, fan style, each fold about 1/5 of an inch until you get it to look like a crop circle and cover and tuck this fanned foil on top of the pie tin and around the outer ridges. Poke a hole in the center of this foil. Set on a stove and stir on an open flame using swift circular motions. When the kernals pop it will rise, unswirling the foil on top. When kernals are 3-5 seconds between pops, remove the pie plate from the flame and tear the foil exposing the freshly popped corn. For an extra taste, shake grated Parmesian Cheese vigorusly over the open top. Enjoy!!

 

[Ðanisty]

I feel that butter tastes better than oil.

Oh, and a serving tip: dust with a bit of Icing Sugar (or whatever you guys call it, powder sugar or frosting sugar....?)

Or if you can get hold of it from somewhere, get aniseed cubes. I get them from the Dutch section of the supermarket and they're very sweet and in little white cubes. You can crush one (or more) into a powder and sprinkle that on top instead of the sugar. Very very very nice

Powdered sugar, huh? I think I'm going to try that. Salt and sugar together are magic.

Anyway, no not all cooking oils work as well. Some oils take heat better than others, and peanut oil is the best of those. Canola oil...nope.

I was about to say the same thing. Some oils you can't take to a high temperature without them smoking and actually, shortening is really bad with that. Peanut oil is good and I believe safflower oil has a high smoke point too. (I'd like to thank Alton Brown for being a living food encyclopedia.)

Try it with a bit of parmesan cheese sometime too, esp. with a bit of the garlic.

MMMMM....I love the parmesan cheese. I wonder if that's a Yankee thing?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I really love popcorn. It might very well be my favourite food. But, microwave popcorn is so expensive and I'm on a tight budget right now. I don't own an airpopper (and don't want to buy one), but I seem to recall that it's possible to cook it on the stove in some oil or something. How do I do that specifically?

BTW - growing up, we had a microwave popcorn popping bowl-thing. We used normal bulk popcorn with it and it worked fine.

The fancy ones are available in the $20-$30 range that claim to "focus the microwaves" or the like, but you can probably make do with something you rig up yourself as long as it's microwave-safe, keeps the popcorn from flying out and has some way to let steam escape... I've got a picture in my head of a plastic colander upside-down on a plate secured by elastic bands, but there's probably lots of ways to do it.

 

[Willamena]

I get bulk popcorn from the organic store. It turns out to be cheaper than the packaged stuff, here at least. Pops well, too.

 

[Aqualung]

BTW - growing up, we had a microwave popcorn popping bowl-thing. We used normal bulk popcorn with it and it worked fine.

The fancy ones are available in the $20-$30 range that claim to "focus the microwaves" or the like, but you can probably make do with something you rig up yourself as long as it's microwave-safe, keeps the popcorn from flying out and has some way to let steam escape... I've got a picture in my head of a plastic colander upside-down on a plate secured by elastic bands, but there's probably lots of ways to do it.

Yeah, we had one of those, too, but I was feeling really lazy when I wrote my OP so I didn't even mention that I also didn't want to spend money on that, either.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Uh...that stuff may work but it shouldn't be consumed by humans....

It's alright. I eat once in awhile, but lack an artery declogging method to eat but very rarely.

 

[Smoke]

Oil-free popcorn tastes like cardboard.

I always add butter and salt. And sometimes cheese.

 

[Smoke]

MMMMM....I love the parmesan cheese. I wonder if that's a Yankee thing?

Not exclusively. My husband's as Southern as they come, and he puts it everything, or gets me to. In fact, my parmesan chicken wings are a great favorite with everybody, but you have to use big shreds, not the stuff in the green canister.

 

[Aqualung]

Anyway, no not all cooking oils work as well. Some oils take heat better than others, and peanut oil is the best of those. Canola oil...nope.

What about vegetable oil? I couldn't find peanut oil and was debating between safflower and vegetable...

 

[Willamena]

What about vegetable oil? I couldn't find peanut oil and was debating between safflower and vegetable...

The oil can vary the taste. I'd recommend olive oil or peanut. You can find peanut oil in the imported foods section, with the asian sauces.

 

[Aqualung]

Yay, I did it!! Boy, it was so tasty, too.

 

[methylatedghosts]

Powdered sugar, huh? I think I'm going to try that. Salt and sugar together are magic.

Very much so!

MMMMM....I love the parmesan cheese. I wonder if that's a Yankee thing?

Did anyone else spot the "is PARMESAN CHEESE" a Yankee thing?

Last I checked Parmesan cheese was European....

 

[Aqualung]

Very much so!



Did anyone else spot the "is PARMESAN CHEESE" a Yankee thing?

Last I checked Parmesan cheese was European....

I think Danisty meant the idea of putting parmesan cheese on popcorn, rather than parmesan cheese itself.

 

[lilithu]

I think Danisty meant the idea of putting parmesan cheese on popcorn, rather than parmesan cheese itself.

Agreed. Also, given where Danisty is, I would also think that she specifically meant "Yankee" (ie - Northern/non-Southern, as opposed to American). In the South, "Yankee" does not equal "American."

 

[Scuba Pete]

Do the Europeans even HAVE popcorn? Mon Dieu! Is nothing sacred??? Next thing you know, they'll be eating apple pie with a scoop of vanilla on top!

 

[jacquie4000]

We decided to cook popcorn on the stove tonight because of the recent warnings.
The warning should be don't let teenage boys do this at home...lol. We had fun
but they found it more fun to lift the lid and watch the popcorn go flying all over my
kitchen. The dogs seem to clean it up fairly well though.

First batch just plain with olive oil and a little salt.
Second with Parmesan cheese.

Now they are in watching a scary flict that mom doen't want to watch:cover:

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Gentoo and I popped some popcorn on the stove tonight.

So much better than microwave or air-poppers. Olive oil is great with popcorn. I like sugar and cinnamon on top.

 

[Aqualung]

Gentoo and I popped some popcorn on the stove tonight.

So much better than microwave or air-poppers. Olive oil is great with popcorn. I like sugar and cinnamon on top.

Air popped still owns all, but stove topped is in second.