On a recent road trip, my travel companion and I gushed about our favorite snack time treat, popcorn. During the course of the conversation, and due to a great deal of Googling (yes, she was driving), it came to my attention that although popcorn can indeed be a healthy snack, the microwave variety is really bad for you. Not only are you ingesting chemicals used to line and seal the paper bag, but you're also exposing yourself to artificial flavors that can hurt your waistline and worse, your lungs if they're inhaled. Who wants to eat something so dangerous?!
My friend shared with me her family's tradition of making stovetop popcorn. Having a brother who was obsessed with this treat meant that we had every gizmo and gadget to pop corn that you could think of - but we never did it the old fashioned way! Turns out it was even easier than she described...a little oil, a little corn, and presto!
Pop, pop, pop! I love that sound. And I didn't feel guilty about snacking at all. Packed with fiber and low in calories, this variety of corn can be a great way to make snack time pop.
Directions
- Heat 1/4 c of oil (I used avocado oil because of its high smoke point and mild flavor) in a lidded pot. My 5 qt Dutch oven worked perfectly.
- Start with one kernel and listen for a pop, when it does pour a single layer of popping corn into the pot and cover.
- Gently shake the pot as the kernels heat and burst. Slide back the lid periodically to release the steam.
- When the popping slows down, remove from heat.
- Sprinkle with your favorite herbs and spices or keep it simple with a little salt. I added raw sugar before bagging mine for that kettle corn flavor.
Yum!
Stove-popped popcorn