Microwave Popcorn

Deelee

Deelee

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Deelee
So I’m watching the US Open after spending the day outside doing kid-sport-type-activities. Wanting a semi-healthy snack, I rummaged for some microwave popcorn in the pantry. No luck. All out.

I did find a jar of Orville Redenbacher loose kernels - classic popcorn. Remembered that we have a plastic dish with a lid designed to pop this old-school delicacy in the microwave in about five minutes.

Popped it, melted a large slice of butter in a dish to drizzle over it, shook on some salt.....

..... where has this been my entire life? I don’t think I will ever buy microwave popcorn again. So much better. In fact, I may hatred microwave popcorn at this point. Just sayin. The old-school classic popcorn is on a different plane than microwave bag popcorn.
 
can't argue with that...
 
I just made a batch on the stove a few days ago. I don't see how a microwave is significantly faster. Maybe it saves you from washing the pot, but that's about it as far as convenience.

Deelee said:
Remembered that we have a plastic dish with a lid designed to pop this old-school delicacy in the microwave in about five minutes.
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FYI, microwaving standard loose popping kernels in a regular brown paper lunch bag also works. No need for the special device.
 
Where can I get fresh popcorn? I have to have it now.

I will try the paper bag. We had this dish since forever. It may have come from my mom who may have bought it at a Tupperware party.

I can’t eat microwave popcorn again.
 
Deelee said:
Where can I get fresh popcorn? I have to have it now.

I will try the paper bag. We had this dish since forever. It may have come from my mom who may have bought it at a Tupperware party.

I can’t eat microwave popcorn again.
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Orville Redenbacher, you sometimes find plain popcorn in the bulk aisle or the snack aisles of your grocery.
Putting it in the microwave means you made....microwave popcorn ;)
 
Years ago, I came up with a dandy device for making popcorn. I just use my wok. Put a little oil in the bottom and heat it and drop in a kernel. When that pops add the rest and put the lid on.
 
Whirley-Pop. No better way to make popcorn. Guaranteed. Great for kettle corn too, though I don’t love the cleanup.
 
Store bought microwave popcorn is NOT healthy.
Regular popcorn popped in a microwave can be healthy, until you pour the butter and salt on it.

I like to pop regular popcorn in a brown paper bag, as @asicer said and mist it with a little vegetable oil (just a little) and sprinkle a little garlic and cayenne on it. Other ways to season it include a light sprinkling of apple cider vinegar and some dill seasoning. Use your imagination, but use salt and butter with caution. (Advice I didn't follow for my first 50 years but sure wish I did now).

edited some mistakes due to lack of proof reading.
 
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My dad had his "super popcorn pot". It was a broken pressure cooker, but since it was so thick on the bottom and walls it was great for popcorn. Just used a pie tin on top as a cover.

Once my grandmother tried to clean it. oh my... flavor changed for a while, but returned to normal.
 
Been doing this for years. Our oldest got me one of those microwave popper bowls. I love it. Popcorn kernels, olive oil and let it pop. A few dashes of salt after it has popped and I’m golden. :D

No nasty chemicals. No artificial flavorings.
 
By the way if you want to be decadent, drizzle a little truffle oil on the popcorn and then toss.
 
Truffle oil..... oh yeah..... later tonight that’s gonna happen.
 
So what my dad loves hot peppers. Fries his own weekly. He will reuse the oil several times which get the heat of the oil up and seasoned well. He will then use that oil to pop popcorn in a large saucepan on the stove.
Nice spicy popcorn.
 
asicer said:
FYI, microwaving standard loose popping kernels in a regular brown paper lunch bag also works. No need for the special device.
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I have, with my own eyes, seen popcorn (with nothing added) being microwaved in a brown paper lunch bag set the bag on fire and melt some of the interior plastic of the microwave. We've not tried it since.
 
GaryM said:
I have, with my own eyes, seen popcorn (with nothing added) being microwaved in a brown paper lunch bag set the bag on fire and melt some of the interior plastic of the microwave. We've not tried it since.
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I believe you! One needs to enter the cooking time correctly, and not walk away.
 
Never on microwave popcorn. I have always put popcorn in a brown paper bag and let it do its thing until the kernels go 5 seconds without a pop.

Then melt some butter to pour on, then add garlic salt.

Or eat M&Ms along with the popcorn.
 
jordane93 said:
Add some hot sauce to the popcorn next time. So good...
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I use Franks.....but now that I’ve discovered jalapeños are just as good or better, I rarely use Franks anymore.
 
Yup, I'm down to a science for popcorn now.

About a handful of kernels, it doesn't have to be exact.
The popcorn popper goes in for 1:40 and I gather the butter, a ramekin to melt it in and salt.
When the popcorn comes out, the butter goes in for 25 seconds. Meanwhile I scoop the popped kernels out into a 15qt metal kitchen bowl, leaving the unpopped kernels behind.
After the butter is done, the kernels go back in for another 40 seconds and I use a spoon to drizzle butter over the kernels, then salt and toss.
Repeat. Save a little butter for the last popped kernels.

I usually get less than 20 unpopped kernels and a half bowl of popcorn, more or less depending what I started with.
 
The microwave popcorn from Costco is pretty good. $10 for 44 bags. Not bad, at all. Just had some more this afternoon.
 
Ghery said:
The microwave popcorn from Costco is pretty good. $10 for 44 bags. Not bad, at all. Just had some more this afternoon.
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May I ask you what you mean by "good"? Tasty? Healthy? Cheap? (multiple or write-in answers are acceptable)
 
Nordicware - $13 at Walmart, lasts for years (forever?).
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GaryM said:
No one walked away; it lit up pretty quickly, well before most of the popcorn had even started to pop. Bad bag, weird popcorn, I dunno.
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Something strange for sure.
 
I'm sold on air poppers. No oil. I mean, you can still butter it if you want, for the taste, but at least you don't have all that oil.

I haven't eaten microwave popcorn in probably 8 or 9 months. There is still a half a box sitting in the pantry. Don't need the calories.
 
I have an air popper that has to be 20 years old, it could be a bit older. Once a week I pop up a load of popcorn for dinner. About 300 calories, maybe 400 with the little bit of butter I drizzle on it (the popper has a little plastic pan that melts the butter). I've been doing this for decades.
 
Olive oil drizzle, some fresh chopped oregano and thyme, fresh grated parm or romano, and maybe some garlic.

The only thing I don't like about air-popped corn is that it always seems a bit dry and less flavorful. It's not bad, but i prefer it on the stove popped with a tablespoon of peanut or avocado oil. Doesn't take much.
 
JOhnH said:
May I ask you what you mean by "good"? Tasty? Healthy? Cheap? (multiple or write-in answers are acceptable)
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Tastes good, cheaper than microwave popcorn from the grocery (I believe). Healthy? Who are you kidding, we're talking popcorn here. :)

steingar said:
I have an air popper that has to be 20 years old, it could be a bit older. Once a week I pop up a load of popcorn for dinner. About 300 calories, maybe 400 with the little bit of butter I drizzle on it (the popper has a little plastic pan that melts the butter). I've been doing this for decades.
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I haven't used an air popper in years (decades?). It did work well and the plastic cup that was used to melt the butter at the copy of the popper did work well.
 
bflynn said:
Nordicware - $13 at Walmart, lasts for years (forever?)
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that be the same one we have. Works great. Made another batch last night for a snack.
 
I think mine's an honest to Odin Orville Redinbacher. 20 or so years on, used once a week it still works just fine.
 
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