Stove Top Popcorn

My parents have had the same hot air popcorn popper since I was a kid. It still works. A couple of weeks ago, I got to visit them for my brother's wedding, and we had a movie night. Rather than pull out the microwave popcorn, which is terrible for you, my mom pulled out her air popper. It was so much fun!

You know that old saying, "They don't make things like they used to"? Well, I think that's true of hot air poppers. We've gone through two in a year. We've had all sorts of problems. Perhaps it's because we keep buying the less expensive (cheap!) poppers. Perhaps it's because my mom's popper was just simply made better 30 something years ago.

Whatever the reason, we've decided not to buy another one. Our family really likes popcorn, though. It's a whole grain, it's cheap, it's delicious and easy to make, and if you make it yourself, it can actually be healthy!

So, I looked around for some stovetop recipes and I found one I really liked. I want to share it with you. If you have a great hot air popper that works well, that's fabulous! But, if you don't have one, and you want to make some delicious popcorn without all of the nasty ingredients they put in microwave popcorn, try this recipe!

Perfect Popcorn Recipe

adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil (it has a higher smoke point than olive oil)

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1 3-quart covered saucepan

2 Tbsp. (or more) of butter, to taste

Salt, to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Place 3-4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of kernels, and shuffle the pan a little so they lie in an even layer. Cover the pan, and remove from heat for 30 seconds. (I just set the timer to make it easier.) According to Simply Recipes, "This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the stove, they all pop at about the same time."

After the 30 seconds removed from heat, place the pan back on the burner. Gently shake, or shuffle, the pan while it pops to prevent burning. When the popping slows to a couple of seconds between pops, remove the lid and pour the popcorn into a large bowl.

You can then melt your butter right in the same pan where you just cooked your popcorn. Pour the melted butter and salt over your popcorn, and stir (or shake) well to mix. Enjoy!