How to Make Popcorn on the Stove

How to Make Popcorn on the Stove

This ought to last at least 15 minutes, unless the neighbors
get a whiff of it! Just because you choose to live simply,
doesn't mean you need to give up any of the basic pleasures
of life... like popcorn! Back in the dark ages, before the
microwave oven – before even Jiffy-Pop – people made and
enjoyed this light, fluffy, tasty treat. Here's how to make
it on an electric stove, wood stove, or even on a campfire.

!! Ingredients !!

Organic popcorn, purchased in bulk from a health food store, or any
other popcorn

Any healthy cooking oil, with a high smoke point like peanut or
canola

Sea salt, or any kind of salt and/or spices

Butter (if desired)

Sugar (optional)

!! Steps !!

Put a quarter pound (one stick or 113g) of butter into a large (8
quart/7.57 litres, or larger) stainless cooking pot, or any large
pot or bowl that has a lid or cover. Use more or less butter as you
prefer.

Get a rip-roaring fire going; high heat is best for this method. If
you have a propane or electric stove, just turn it on high once the
popcorn is ready to pop.

Pour a single layer of popcorn kernels into a saucepan with a lid.
Pour in a healthy, high-temperature cooking oil to just cover it.
Place the lid on it.

* Heat for about 20 seconds, then remove and leave to the side for
30 seconds. This allows all the kernels to heat to the same level,
to give them all the chance to pop together.

* Place the pan onto the stove at high heat. After a minute or two,
you should hear the first pop.

Expect the popping noise to grow more and more rapid as the pan and
oil get hotter. At some point, either the popping will slow down to
where you don't hear any pops in a 3-second count, or the saucepan
will start to overflow.

If the popcorn rises to where the lid lifts off the pan: before it
overflows onto the stove, dump some out into the large container,
and quickly place the pan back on the stove.

* Once the popping has slowed so that you don't hear any pops in 3
seconds, dump the entire contents of the pan into the large
container (the popcorn will have absorbed all the cooking oil). If
you'd rather have a few scorched kernels rather than risk unpopped
kernels, you can wait a few seconds longer.

Sprinkle salt over this batch. Turn the large container upside down,
and shake it to melt the butter and distribute the salt throughout.

* Repeat from the point of adding the kernels for popping, until the
large container is full.

Place the large container over the fire or heat for 20 or 30 seconds
to make sure the butter is melted through.

Shake the popcorn one final time, right side up and upside down, to
thoroughly distribute the butter and salt.

* If want to make the popcorn taste sweeter, sprinkle some sugar on
it just before you eat it. How much depends on depends on how
sweet you want it to be.

* Eat and enjoy!

!! Video !!

!! Tips !!

* Find enough people to help eat it, or you will not stop until the
last piece is gone. There is just _no way_ to stop stuffing
yourself with it.

!! Things You'll Need !!

* A large, 8-quart, 7.57 litres or larger pot, and a
smaller saucepan, both with lids

* A stove, wood oven, or campfire

!! Related WikiHows !!

* How to Make Popcorn

* How to Make Popcorn in a Pan

* How to Make Popcorn Old School Way

* How to Make Real Popcorn

* How to Survive a Decline in Oil Production

!! Sources And Citations !!

* This research was made possible, in part, by a land grant from the
City of the Sun Foundation,
http://directory.ic.org/records/?action=view&page=view&record_id=20103,
though the specifics of the research were not coordinated nor
endorsed by COSF.

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