Why does anyone buy microwave popcorn. It costs much more than the real thing, is full of hydrogenated fats, ersatz “butter” artifical color and doesn’t taste nearly as good as the real thing. Convenience? How inconvenient is it to pour some oil in a pan, add corn and melt some real butter to pour over it?
The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. (Karl Marx, 1845)
And if you make it yourself you can use olive oil and curry. Mmmmmmmm
I only know two things;
I know what I need to know
And
I know what I want to know
Mangeorge, 2000
Convenience comparison:
Microwave: one bowl dirtied.
Pan method: one pan, one lid, one small pan to melt the butter, and one bowl dirtied.
And with “real” popcorn, you need a darn good pan – something sturdy, heavy, like the stuff your mom uses. Can’t make good popcorn in those cheap-o pans from K-Mart.
Unless you store it in the fridge, in a closed container, real popcorn gets stale really fast.
I agree microwave is better. Now ya’ll need to decide which brand is the best. Pop Secret does seem to have bigger popped kernels, but Orville’s has more of the real corn taste.
Haven’t had any luck with the other brands. Either tasteless, or dry, or too salty.
Pecatonica River popcorn, AuntiePam. Of course, I only have the chance to buy it once a year and always end up running out and buying a package of whatever’s on sale to tide me over.
Here’s a trick I learned to make microwave popcorn if all you have is the real thing:
Take one small paper bag, like a lunch sack and use a cooking spray to coat the inside, pour in some kernels and microwave. There’s also those hot air poppers, plus there should be some of those old electric poppers that used oil around.
“Age is mind over matter; if you don’t mind, it don’t matter.” -Leroy “Satchel” Paige
The microwave stuff is great, it comes in lots of flavors & you can get low fat butter flavor. If you put your own butter on, youre adding a lot of fat. Just put it in, do something else & come back 6 minutes later & eat. Better than standing at the stove.
One catch is you need to find the right brand that works right for your microwave oven. I noticed some work better than others.
Convenience is a big factor. Most American office buildings start smelling (in places) like popcorn about 3:00 or so in the afternoon. It’s a popular snack and people in offices value convenience/expedience quite a lot.
It’s not stocked at my local Fareway Store, Kat. (We have one grocery store in town and it’s even closed on Sundays.)
But you’ve whetted my curiousity – is it “real” or a microwave brand? And where can I get some?
You can also get corn on the cob ready to microwave. You put it in a paper bag for about 3 minutes. weird.
Well, I guess you all showed me. I guess I’ll go out and stock up on microwave popcorn. Guess I might as well pick up the Pop-tarts for breakfast and Wonder bread for my sandwhiches as well as some Hamburger Helper for dinner. Yum!
One of the first things I bought when I moved into this apartment was an air popper. So much cheaper, so much better. Besides, my microwave is kinda small, so microwave popcorn tends to get “stuck”, not turn, and not pop quite right.
Still, there are plenty of reasons to eat microwave popcorn. For one, it’s a lot easier to enjoy at work. Also, if you’re in a dorm or something, you might not have room for a corn popper, but there’s usually a microwave right down the hall.
Overall, I find that my air popper is faster and pops more completely than microwave popcorn. Plus, I can put real butter on my popcorn…mmmmm…
Hey, just thought of something: you know those new light-ovens that GE or somebody is promoting? Fast as a microwave, uses light to cook, and actually cooks meat and the like? I’m only guessing, but a microwave popcorn bag would just burst into flames in one of those, right? Or do they have a “popcorn mode?”
Close, Max. They’ve included microwave capabilities so you can pop your corn.
Peace,
mangeorge
http://www.geappliances.com/advantium/home_fr.htm
air poppers? We have them by the dozen in thrift shops. I wonder why people give them away? I did myself. I did think it was nice.
I agree, Galen. I like real popcorn popped on a stove better than microwave, too. I think it tastes better, you can control the amount of salt you use (have you ever read the sodium content on a bag of microwave popcorn? Yikes!), and it’s much less fattening - even if you’re comparing it to “Lite” microwave popcorn. Not to mention that it’s considerable less expensive. (The only time I’ll eat microwave popcorn is in an office where no stove-top is available - if I’m starving.)
Here’s my secret to making a perfect pot of popcorn. Put about 2 tablespoons of oil in a sturdy pot (I use Revereware) and add 3 kernels of popcorn. Yep - only 3 kernels at this point. Put the lid on and wait for them to pop. Remove the lid and scoop the 3 popped kernels out with a spoon and either throw them away or put them in the bowl you’re planning on using. Now your oil is the perfect temperature to pop your corn without soaking in oil for so long or burning because the oil is too hot.
Quickly dump 1/4 to 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels (depending on the size of your pot and how much you want to eat) into the hot oil making sure they’re fairly evenly distributed along the bottom of the pot. Replace lid. Popping should start within about 15 seconds and will be completed in less than 60 seconds.
Dump your popcorn into a bowl and add your favorite seasoning (salt, paprika, curry powder, parmesan cheese, etc.). And if you want to put melted butter on it, just throw a couple tablespoons of butter right into the same pot you popped it in (no extra pan needed for melting butter).
Mmmm, Mmmm, good!
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank
It’s available both as “real” and microwave popcorn and, so far as I’ve been able to find out, it’s not stocked at any store. The Cub Scouts sell it as a fundraiser (which is why I can only get it once a year). So all you have to do is latch onto a Cub Scout.
And in case anyone is interested in how corn pops:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question255.htm
Pretty cool. I hate the stuff myself.
Here’s the take by the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board on storing popcorn in the fridge/freezer.
All you purists will actually need to stir your kernels into hot sand, according to the Chicago Popcorn Board. Interesting little page, except that Spencer first notice candy melting in his pocket, rather than corn popping, while working for Raytheon. Makes you wonder what else they messed up.