Popcorn is associated with watching a movie in the cinema, as it is a popular treat for such events. But you can watch your favorite movie at home with low-calorie and nutritious popcorn! Make your own popcorn and it will be healthier than store-bought popcorn.

How to make popcorn - preliminary preparation

To make delicious popcorn you will need:

• corn. Not all corn kernels are suitable for frying. Corn intended for cooking, which is grown in gardens, will not work. Take a wild variety; these grains have a more elastic and dense shell. But regular corn bursts quickly during cooking and does not cook well. It is recommended to fry popcorn from wild corn - uncultivated corn. But if you don’t find such a variety, buy popcorn prepared for frying at a convenience store or take grains of natural ordinary corn;
• heat-resistant vessel. Take the largest frying pan you have in the house. You can use a thick bottom pan;
• vegetable oil. The best option is corn oil, but refined sunflower oil is also suitable. To make diet popcorn without oil, take a container with a non-stick coating;
• salt, sugar or seasonings to taste.

Before frying, place well-dried corn kernels in the freezer for at least half an hour. If possible, keep them there for 2 to 3 hours.

How to Make Popcorn on the Stove

For 100 g of corn, take 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Pour oil into a frying pan or saucepan. Place on the stove and heat well. Your next steps are as follows:

• pour corn kernels onto the bottom of the hot vessel and immediately cover tightly with the lid. Fry over low heat. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare one serving;
• Expect characteristic sounds to appear under the lid - pops from exploding grains. At first you will hear popping sounds often, then the intensity decreases. Take the pan by the handle, do not open the lid and shake lightly so that all the corn is saturated with oil. Do not open the lid, you will get burned! After 2-3 minutes the corn will stop exploding;
• Turn off the gas and set the pan aside to cool slightly. All the grains that did not open during the frying process will still open in the hot oil.

After 10 minutes, open the lid and look at the popcorn. Sprinkle with fine salt or sugar and shake the bowl again with the lid closed. Eat the treat only when it has cooled completely.

How to cook popcorn in the microwave?

Place corn kernels in one row at the bottom of a plastic container. It’s good if its sides are high. Don’t put too much, the grains will increase in volume. Drizzle with a little oil. Cover the container and shake to distribute the oil evenly throughout the corn. Place it in the microwave with the lid on and turn on full power. It will take 2 minutes to prepare one serving. After reducing the frequent strong pops, it is advisable to check the dish to ensure it does not burn. Sprinkle the finished popcorn with salt or sugar.

How to make popcorn - adding flavor to the dish

In addition to salt and sugar, you can diversify the taste of popcorn in the following ways:

• Give the dish a citrus flavor. Remove the zest from the orange or lemon in advance and dry it. Grind with granulated sugar in a coffee grinder and sprinkle on the finished puffed corn. The popcorn will be yellow and have a pleasant taste;
• make caramel popcorn. Melt a little butter in a saucepan or in a separate frying pan in advance. As soon as you feel a pleasant aroma, add a little sugar. Stir constantly and watch when the caramel begins to melt. After a couple of minutes the mixture will turn into caramel. Pour it into the popcorn after the kernels pop in the pan.

Eat puffed grains as a separate dish or use them in salads and desserts. Add popcorn to ice cream or a milkshake and your kids' joy will know no bounds. Season the dish with any spices you like and enjoy delicious popcorn.

Popcorn has long been an integral attribute of cinemas. It's hard to imagine going to the movies without a bucket of crunchy treats. What children's session is complete without sweet popcorn. Not only kids, but also their parents adore her. Sometimes you want to gather with your whole family in front of the TV in the evening and watch a good family comedy. To recreate the atmosphere of a movie theater at home, you can't do without popcorn. Many people love salty popcorn, but if there are small children in the house, then, of course, the treat should be sweet.

Preparing sweet popcorn is quick and easy. It's an exciting and fun activity, so you can get your kids involved as long as you take precautions. They'll love watching the corn kernels explode and turn into their favorite treat. You can make sweet popcorn in different ways.

1 way. Sweet popcorn

Ingredients:
Corn – 150 g
Vegetable oil
Powdered sugar – 100 g

How to make sweet popcorn:

Special corn is used to make popcorn. Do not buy ready-made formulas in microwaveable bags. They contain many artificial additives, flavor enhancers, etc. This corn should not be given to children.

To prepare cornflakes, it is best to use a non-stick saucepan or deep frying pan with a glass lid.

Pour a little oil into the bottom of the pan and place it on the fire. When the oil is hot, remove from the heat and add the corn kernels in a single layer to just cover the bottom.

Cover the pan with a lid, shake it to coat the grains with a thin film of oil, and return the pan to the heat.

Watch the process carefully; soon the grains will begin to explode. At first, individual clicks will be heard, then the crackling will intensify.

Shake the pan occasionally to avoid burning. When the popping noise stops, immediately remove the pan from the heat, wait 10 seconds and pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl.

Sprinkle the cereal generously with powdered sugar, cover and shake several times to distribute the powder evenly.

Method 2. Caramel popcorn

Ingredients:
Corn – 150 g
Vegetable oil
Butter – 150 g
Brown sugar – 2 cups
Honey – ½ cup
Soda – ½ teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon

How to make caramel popcorn:

The flakes themselves are prepared in the same way as in the first method. Next, place the popcorn on a baking sheet lined with parchment, distribute it evenly and place in an oven preheated to 120°C.

To prepare caramel, melt butter, add sugar, honey, salt. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved and a homogeneous mass is formed.

When the caramel begins to boil, remove it from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Add soda to it and stir the resulting mass until it begins to lighten and foam. At the same time, the caramel will increase in volume.

Remove the popcorn from the oven and pour the caramel mixture over it, stirring until it is evenly distributed throughout the cereal.

Place the pan back in the oven. Dry popcorn at 120°C for an hour. Every 10-15 minutes, take it out and stir.

Pour the finished popcorn into a large bowl, turn on the cartoon and call the children. Enjoy watching!

Today everyone knows what popcorn or puffed corn is. The name comes from the English words corn - “corn”, pop - “to burst with a bang”. The honor of discovering this dish belongs to the Indians, who were the first to discover the fact that a grain of maize, when thrown into a fire, explodes, turning into delicious, airy white flowers.

IMPORTANT! Corn explodes due to the presence of a drop of starch and water in it. When heated, this water boils, and the hot steam ruptures the shell, causing the grain to increase in volume.

There are many different types of popcorn:

• Sweet.
• Salty.
• With butter.
• With cheese.
• Color.
• Caramelized.

What variety do you need?

So how do you make popcorn at home? Before you begin production, you need to purchase the right variety of corn.

For popcorn, grains of a separate variety, the so-called popcorn, are used. It differs from ordinary cobs in having a thinner and at the same time stronger shell, and is rich in proteins and fats (read about what can be prepared from corn on the cob).

A strong wall guarantees that the grain will not crack immediately, but will first warm up thoroughly and open beautifully, greatly increasing in volume. In this variety, up to 99% of the grains open when cooked!

There are the following varieties of corn for popcorn:

1. Volcano.
2. Gobble, gobble.
3. Zeya - the variety is also interesting for its burgundy color.
4. Ping pong.

REFERENCE! You can buy special grains for popcorn at the supermarket, and if you plan to grow it yourself, it will be enough to plant some of the above varieties next to regular corn.

People often wonder whether popcorn can be made from regular corn. Yes, theoretically this is possible. But in practice this is not worth doing. Corn grains can simply burn - this is what most often happens to inexperienced housewives, and it’s good if they don’t burn anyone.

And even if the experiment succeeds, conventional varieties of corn will have far fewer kernels exploding, and those that do pop will be very different from the popcorn you are used to in appearance and size.

So purchasing special raw materials will save a lot of time, nerves and eliminate the waste of products.

Fodder varieties of corn are definitely not suitable for popcorn, but it makes sense to experiment with a wild plant. It will look like a smaller copy of a regular plant - a cob about the size of your palm, not only yellow, but also black, white or even multi-colored.

Instructions

Traditionally, popcorn is cooked on a hot frying pan or in a saucepan with a lot of oil. In public places, this delicacy is made in an air-heated machine (popper), which reduces the risk of the dish burning to a minimum. But there is no point in buying such equipment at home; it is better to use a saucepan or frying pan with high sides. This is even better than a saucepan - it’s easier to grease it well with oil.

Microwave cooking

The advantage of this method is that the delicacy can be easily and quickly prepared in any microwave and is guaranteed not to burn or burn you. But at the same time, it will come out significantly higher in calories than on the stove: the grains will have to be poured with oil very generously, because there will be no opportunity to shake or stir them during the cooking process.

The cooking technology is as follows:

It's even easier to make popcorn, sold in special microwave bags. To do this, simply place the bag correctly in the microwave and press “Start”.

Watch a video on how to make popcorn in the microwave:

On a frying pan

Advice: It is best to mix popcorn with spices and butter in a closed plastic bag, shaking it vigorously several times.

Flavoring additives

Any recipe for making popcorn itself contains advice to improve the taste of the treat with butter and salt or sugar. But there are many more flavors of this dish. You can experiment by adding a variety of spices as desired:

• cinnamon;
• coconut flakes;
• powdered sugar;
• nutmeg;
• paprika and even mixed spices from a bag.

Recipes

Caramel

Kids should love caramel popcorn, which you can also make at home:

Watch the video with the recipe for caramel popcorn:

With chocolate

You can also improve the recipe by preparing caramel with chocolate - to do this, melt the sweet bar or add cocoa powder to the butter and sugar.

Ready-made popcorn is now sold on every corner, but store-bought treats are usually made with a lot of harmful aromatic and flavor additives. Therefore, for my household, I often prepare my own very tasty homemade popcorn from corn kernels in a regular frying pan. The delicacy prepared at home, depending on the preferences of the eater, can be made either sweet or salty. But, unlike the store-bought option, I add natural flavorings and aroma additives to my popcorn at home. You can learn how to quickly, simply and correctly prepare a tasty, aromatic and crispy delicacy from my step-by-step recipe with photos.

Popcorn Products:

• corn for popcorn – ½ cup;
• vegetable oil – 3 tbsp.

Making popcorn at home begins with the fact that you need to purchase corn from a store or market that is not the same corn that we usually cook in the summer. Popcorn is made from special varieties of corn, such as butterfly or caramel. The grains of these varieties of corn are rich in starch and when heated, they open like a flower.

In order for the corn kernels to open properly, they need to be placed in a tight bag and placed in the freezer for forty minutes.

Cover the pan with a lid and place on medium heat. After a couple of minutes, you will hear characteristic pops - this is our corn bursting. 30 seconds after the last clap, remove the frying pan from the heat, but keep the lid on for at least another minute. This is how we got beautiful natural popcorn like in the photo. At this stage, its taste is insipid, one might say, none.

And now, I want to tell you how to make homemade popcorn richer and tastier using various natural food additives. Now we will prepare salty popcorn and several sweet options.

How to make salted popcorn in a skillet

We will need:

• vegetable oil – 50 ml;
• ground coriander or other spices – 1 tsp;
• “extra” salt - 1 tsp;
• garlic - 1 head.

Peel the garlic and chop it into thin slices.

Fry the garlic slices until golden brown in a frying pan in vegetable oil.

Then, use a slotted spoon to remove the fried garlic from the oil; we won’t need it anymore. Actually, we needed garlic in order to make the vegetable oil fragrant. You can simply throw away the fried garlic, but I use it as a roast for first or second courses.

Now, sprinkle the already fried ready-made corn kernels with salt, coriander, pour in garlic oil, mix and our most delicious salted popcorn with spices is ready.

How to make sweet popcorn in a frying pan

Sweet popcorn with caramel

• butter - 40 g;
• sugar – 200 gr;
• water – 40 g;
• “extra” salt – 1/3 tsp.

First, let's prepare the caramel. To do this, pour sugar into a saucepan, pour water and melt the sugar over low heat, stirring with a spoon.

At the last stage, be sure to salt the caramel. If you don’t add salt to the caramel, it will turn out too sweet and cloying.

Pour hot caramel into a deep container with popcorn and mix.

To prevent our sweet popcorn from sticking together into one big ball, we need to spread it in one layer either on a silicone mat or on a sheet of parchment and let it dry for twenty minutes.

This is what ready-to-eat sweet and flavorful caramel popcorn looks like.

Sweet popcorn with coconut flakes

Caramel popcorn can be used to make delicious and cute coconut balls.

To do this, roll the slightly dry popcorn with caramel into small balls with wet hands, which are then generously sprinkled with coconut flakes.

Sweet popcorn with powdered sugar

This cooking option is very simple. Simply pour the finished popcorn while still warm into a plastic bag. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

Then, tie the bag and shake vigorously. This will help us evenly distribute the powdered sugar over the surface of the already burst grains. Additional drying is not necessary for this preparation. You can serve and enjoy the delicacy. 🙂

As you can see, making popcorn at home is very easy, and there are a lot of options for flavoring crispy fried corn kernels.

Bon appetit everyone!

Can you imagine a modern cinema without popcorn? Puffed corn is almost the main product of the cafes of entertainment centers, where children stand with delight and watch the preparation of popping grains in special units, and parents stand in line to buy a multi-colored delicacy. And so, at the beginning of the next film show, people gather, bringing with them the obligatory glasses filled to the brim with crisps. The film screening begins in an atmosphere of cheerful crunch and specific aroma...

"Explosive" nature of the grains

Do you think popcorn is an "invention" of recent decades? Not at all. It is known for certain that four thousand years ago, North American Indians used it in their diet. Most likely, they accidentally discovered that if you throw maize grains into the fire, they explode from the inside, become larger in size and have an unexpectedly pleasant taste.

True, not all varieties of maize were suitable for this fun. The fact is that the “explosive” varieties contain starch and water. The liquid does not flow out of the dense shell of the grain and, when heated, turns into steam, which is “cramped” inside, so it “explodes” the dense walls. And the starch from this process foams, taking on a wide variety of forms as it cools. This is popcorn.

In America, during the economic crisis called the Great Depression, popcorn was in incredible demand: cheap, nutritious, high in calories. By that time, Americans had already been eating this product for over 200 years. At the end of the 19th century, the talented engineer Charles Critors even decided to create a machine for making puffed corn. The result was a unit, improved over time, without which entertainment centers and cinemas are unthinkable today.

Benefit or harm

Popcorn is a product containing high-quality carbohydrates, vitamins and polyphenols. Some criticize popcorn, considering it “not our” food, harmful to health, while others happily consume it in large quantities. Puffed corn is prepared with bacon, cheese, onion flavors, as well as salted, sweetened, and caramelized. Flavoring additives, as well as the oil used in the cooking process, are the main danger to the body. These substances can provoke various diseases, such as ulcers, gastritis, and cause problems with the pancreas and lungs. In addition, salted corn balls cause a feeling of thirst, and modern trends dictate drinking popcorn with carbonated drinks, which is completely unacceptable for the gastrointestinal tract.

In other words, in order to please the buyer, suppliers invent flavors, dyes and flavoring additives as a means to turn a product that has nothing in terms of taste into “candy.” If you try popcorn in its pure form, it will not shock you with anything outstanding. But it has a number of useful properties:

• Has a positive effect on the functioning of the central nervous system;
• Normalizes the activity of the cardiovascular system;
• Removes free radicals, toxins and waste from the body;
• Normalizes blood sugar levels;
• Prevents signs of premature aging;
• It has a preventive effect against diabetes, allergies, hemorrhoids, constipation and cancer.

In addition, puffed corn is a very high-calorie product and quickly satisfies the feeling of hunger.

Joe Vinson, PhD, from Pennsylvania, created a real sensation. He examined popcorn for beneficial substances and found that it contained a large amount of polyphenols - much more than vegetables, greens, nuts and fruits.

For reference: polyphenols are chemical substances of plant origin. These antioxidants are important for our body, helping to improve digestion and circulation, increasing resistance to viruses. Polyphenols are called “life extenders” because their consumption prevents the occurrence of certain diseases and reduces age-related pigmentation, including the appearance of wrinkles.

How to make popcorn

The above information is already enough to start consuming puffed corn. But not the one sold in cinemas and stores, but the one made independently. After all, healthy popcorn is properly prepared. We will teach you how to make popcorn at home.

Several cooking methods are practiced: in a frying pan, in a saucepan and in a microwave oven, where the main character is temperature. It is during heat treatment that the corn kernels begin to split and transform into popcorn. Two varieties are suitable as “raw materials” for puffed corn: Caramel and Premium.

Heat treatment for popcorn can be dry or with the addition of oil. In the first case, a frying pan (preferably cast iron) is heated and clean grains are poured into it. The “exploding” process occurs with constant stirring so that the grains do not burn.

For the second method, the frying pan (or saucepan) must also be well heated. Then pour a little oil into the bottom, bring it to a boil, and pour corn kernels into it. Cover the container with a lid (preferably transparent), shaking from time to time.

As for the microwave, it is not recommended to cook popcorn in it. Firstly, it is inconvenient to follow the process. Secondly, microwave popcorn packaging contains the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid and diacetyl. Consumption of the first leads to diseases of the endocrine system, the second leads to damage to the respiratory tract.

What kind of oil is suitable for popcorn?

In principle, any refined vegetable oil will do (with the exception of rapeseed oil). But it is preferable to use coconut - when frying it gives a sweetish aroma. Once you fall in love with making your own popcorn, you'll probably experiment with salty and sweet versions. Remember that coconut yellow is suitable for making salted popcorn, white is suitable for sweetened popcorn.

Cooking process

We bypass the microwave and opt for a large saucepan, and then step by step:

• Pour the oil into the pan and put it on the fire until it warms up well;
• Place a layer of corn kernels on the bottom of the pan (you don’t need to put a lot, as they will increase in volume by about 40 times when cooked);
• Sprinkle the seeds evenly with sugar (per 100 g of grains you need 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar);
• Cover the pan with a lid;
• Do not change the fire mode;
• To prevent the sugar from burning, shake the pan periodically, even when the corn seeds begin to explode;
• Watch for the sound of explosive pops; when they stop, turn off the burner.
• Place the popcorn in a dish and let cool for 3-4 minutes.

If you prefer a salty version of popcorn, then you should salt it already ready, as is done with boiled corn.

Crispy treat recipe

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil - 3-4 tbsp. spoons;
• Popcorn seeds - half a glass;
• Salt - to taste.

The cooking procedure is similar to that described above, only leave the salting until the last moment, when the popcorn is ready and still hot on the plate. Spices and paprika can be used as additional “flavorings”. Another option is to add nutritional yeast to the oil. They will give the delicacy an unusual taste, reminiscent of the aroma of a nut.

Homemade popcorn can be the “excuse” for a family gathering around the table! All for a crunchy snack!