When I was a kid, my dad made homemade popcorn in a popcorn popper and it was the most delicious of treats. As an adult, I love popcorn nearly as much and I’ve learned to make it on my own. While the rest of us have become a nation of microwave popcorn poppers, at Sassafras House we are old-school poppers. In my book, homemade popcorn is the ideal comfort food.
It takes practice to learn how to make popcorn just right but it’s a skill worth practicing because homemade popcorn is snake-charmingly good.
You need:
a big pot or kettle with a firmly-fitted lid
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup popcorn
salt and melted butter to taste
Heat the oil with the lid on the pot and 2 or 3 kernels of popcorn. Usually, I heat it just short of the highest setting on my gas stove. This is a practice-makes- perfect exercise and you’ll have to find your own sweet spot for heat.
When the first kernel pops, pour in the rest of the kernels and set the lid on top. Let the pot sit on the heat until more kernels pop and then every few seconds, give it shake over the heat. You need to keep the lid on, so the best way to accomplish this is with some hot pads to hold the lid secure. When the popping begins to slow, listen carefully. When there are a few seconds between kernels popping, you’re done. Turn off the heat and let the hot pot sit for a minute in case any kernels pop late. Empty into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and melted butter to taste. Turn on something great on the telly and sit back and enjoy the taste of childhood.
1 comment:
My kids like to air pop popcorn in the microwave using a small brown paper sack. Anything they can do on their own makes my life that much easier. :-)
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