Popcorn, popcorn seasonings, and a Bonus Track!

I find it hard to believe that nobody has put up a popcorn thread (according to the new and improved search engine). So here goes:

POPCORN! We all love it, or almost all of us love it. Let's talk seasonings.

First, I make my popcorn on the stovetop, with one of those whirly-handle deals, and heat it up with olive oil. Another good oil is peanut oil (which gives it a great nutty taste) - and some say coconut oil (I've used it once, quite sticky over everything but likely an acquired taste).

Then, after pouring it into a pan, I sprinkle it with some Ume Plum Vinegar (seriously, it's very good, I learned it from a commune hippie woman in the nineties, and if a commune hippie woman doesn't know her popcorn then my avatar isn't carrying an egg on its back). I then sprinkle that with dill weed. Next some powdered garlic, a little salt, and finally top the whole thing off with a good sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

Which comes to my selfish purpose for this thread. Tell us your seasonings!! What are the best odd ones you've found?

Odds ends: I personally don't use butter - vegan and all - but did like it long ago. I have a hatred for microwave popcorn, and it attacks me like a chemical bomb when someone pops it up in all the chemicals it's supposed to pop in. And on the stove top, I'll whirl it after it's heated enough to pop and then take it off the burner for a period, then put it back on for a few seconds then off again, whirling the whole time.

BONUS TRACK: HowTo:Microwave whole ears of corn. Keep the husk on, don't tear it off, and cook each ear of corn for four minutes (if you put three ears in the microwave, that's 12 minutes total. I usually do two for eight minutes). When it's done the husk practically falls off by itself, and the corn is soooooo good. Not everyone knows this trick, which is why I'm putting it here on what I guess I can call "The Popcorn Thread" - nobody ever wrote one???? - and I try to tell at least one or two people every time I pick some ears up at the Farmer's Market. For some statistical reason I only seem to tell women (a mystery how that happens). Enjoy!

reply to post by Aleister


Why do you use your Voodoo on me Aleister..... All I want right now is some popcorn those are some nummy num num num ways to making popcorn....

I'm not that savy, I like Extra Butter and buy that little shaker of extra flavoring (Heart attack sprinkles) and call it a day~

And I nuke it in the microwave~ Nothing say's Healthy like Nuclear Popcorn!

SnF great thread creation!~

reply to post by Aleister


I really like popcorn a lot. It is in my top 10 of favorite snacks. How I prepare mine is... I pop organic popcorn in an air popper and then I drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle it with kosher salt.

After I do all that; sometimes I sprinkle my popcorn with hot sauce or soy sauce.

I don't eat microwave popcorn; it tastes awful to me.

Originally posted by sulaw
reply to post by Aleister

 

Why do you use your Voodoo on me Aleister..... All I want right now is some popcorn

those are some nummy num num num ways to making popcorn....

I'm not that savy, I like Extra Butter and buy that little shaker of extra flavoring (Heart attack sprinkles) and call it a day~

And I nuke it in the microwave~ Nothing say's Healthy like Nuclear Popcorn!

SnF great thread creation!~

Thanks! And if all I've accomplished today is for you to skip the microwave stuff at least once, my voodoo is still working. Someone will likely come along with the data on the horrible chemicals those microwave bags use (if not I'll do it later) but they always make my eyes water and the anti-toxins start to flow to fight off even the "smell" (although smell is just tiny particles of something escaping into our body, so I guess the little guys have to fight them off for real). I haven't used the shakers, which would you suggest as most flavorful? Thanks.

Originally posted by caladonea
reply to post by Aleister

 

I really like popcorn a lot. It is in my top 10 of favorite snacks. How I prepare mine is... I pop organic popcorn in an air popper and then I drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle it with kosher salt.

After I do all that; sometimes I sprinkle my popcorn with hot sauce or soy sauce.

I don't east microwave popcorn; it tastes awful to me.

edit on 9-4-2013 by caladonea because: add more

Good, the march of the seasonings. I've never used soy sauce, although I have used Balsemic vinegar. Will have to try the soy, thanks. (personally I'm not a hot sauce or spice person, but good idea, as many people love the hottier and the spicier)

reply to post by Aleister


You did!~ And I try to stray away from that darn Toxin inducer of a machine ^_^~ Honestly, all the shaker flavors are yummy in my personal opinion, though I haven't taken the time to read the back label to see exactly what they are putting in it to make it taste so delicious, i'll have to check when I get home and get back to you

I've got one of those popcorn machines that I use on the weekends for movies with kids. I just bought Orville's butter oil and popcorn seed. It's not bad. My next batch of popcorn seed with come from Snappy. I've heard good things about them. I've also heard good things about coconut oil.

As far as seasoning I bought this cheddar jalapeno salt and it is really good. Also have a ranch salt that is good. Funny thing is I just had a freshly popped batch about an hour ago

I pop my corn in rendered bacon fat or clarified butter only.

Sometimes I'll mince a couple cloves of garlic and let it steep in the chosen fat over a low flame to allow it's essence to permeate my cooking medium, removing before the pop.

I pop in a 12" cast iron skillet on a medium high flame, letting the pan get nice and hot.
After adding a couple ounces of fat and a handful of corn and tossing around to coat I cover with the lid off a smaller sauce pot that fits inside the cast iron. Turn the heat up to high until you hear it start to pop for 10-15 seconds then turn off the flame and let the residual heat in the cast iron continue the cooking process. If you keep it agitated while it pops you should get a near 100% pop rate with no burning.

If I use clarified butter as the cooking fat I usually only top with sea salt. Maybe a little melted butter.
If I used bacon fat, oh man...

Mince thyme flower and add to the corn after topping with butter...a little sea salt and a few splashes of white wine vinegar...dang. There's a subtle meatiness that comes from the bacon fat paired with the herbaceous thyme flower...with the acid of the wwv to cut through it all...and the SALT!

Off to make popcorn
(this is a vegan friendly recipe...try it)

reply to post by Aleister
At my house our favorite thing to season popcorn with is Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning. We like it hot and spicy!

When I can afford it, I pop mine in butter. I use a hand whirly thing too.

Most often I pop in butter, drizzle melted butter on top, put "buttery flavor topping" from Orville R., and popcorn salt on it. The popcorn salt works better than normal salt because it can drift through the corn more than regular salt, because it's so fine.

Other things I've done:
Put salt in a bowl and drizzle vinegar on that then top
M&Ms mixed with popcorn
Reeses Pieces
I have a friend that SWEARS by putting a buttered bowl of popcorn on a platter with sliced pickles, ham, and swiss cheese, and eating them like finger foods. He loves it, it's not my favorite, but try it if you're so inclined. I'm just not a pickle fan.

I, too, have used Tony C's seasoning and enjoyed it.

I've made pumpkin spice popcorn. Basically you make a glaze with butter, sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and a pinch of cayenne for some umph. Make a good amount of the glaze, and dump it over your corn. You have to be good to coat it, but it's nomnom.

We have an oil popper and when we get extravagant my favorite popcorn is sprinkled with black truffle oil and rosemary. And tonight I'll have to make some now... Thanks...

Was gone for a few hours, so thanks to everyone who added their favorite seasonings, cooking recipies, and HowTo's to the thread. Lots of good ideas, and I'm going to have to incorporate putting some whole garlic into the oil in the whirly-thing. It seems everyone uses some form of vinegar - white, balsamic, ume plum, the others - so maybe we've "discovered" that lots of vinegars go good with popcorn. I don't think that's common knowledge.

Have you all tried cooking the kernals in peanut oil instead of butter or olive oil? Peanut oil popcorn is what I have a taste for while writing this.

Pepper is another good topping. The pickle thing sounds interesting, I've never mixed the two (popcorn and pickles), so will have to try that for sure, and soon. I'll have to read back over the shake suggestions, I wonder if there is a "best of the best" shake among popcorn lovers. Soon it'll be time to branch out and get some good links on this thread, to see what the rest of the world finds the best seasoning.

I just remembered, I also shake on Zaatar, the Middle Eastern spice. I was introduced to Zaatar a few years ago, and use if on rice and beans and popcorn and pasta, some middle easterners use it at every meal. It's not baked in anything as far as I know, it's an "after cooking" seasoning.

Enought for one post. A swami once asked me "What is the sound of one kernel popping?" When I was able to answer that question, true enlightenment followed (either that or some more popcorn!)

LOVE Popcorn! I cook mine in either coconut oil or peanut oil. Then I put salt, grated parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. YUM.

Oh, and popcorn and dill pickles are delicious together. I used to get popcorn and one of those giant pickles at the movie theater. Take a bite of pickle, then eat a handful of popcorn. Soooo good.

Originally posted by kaylaluv
LOVE Popcorn! I cook mine in either coconut oil or peanut oil. Then I put salt, grated parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. YUM.

Oh, and popcorn and dill pickles are delicious together. I used to get popcorn and one of those giant pickles at the movie theater. Take a bite of pickle, then eat a handful of popcorn. Soooo good.

Thanks! You are the second who praised pickles and popcorn, a combo I've never heard of. Later today I must put that one to the test. The one time I cooked pc in coconut oil the oil seemed to stick to everything, the popcorn maker, the bowl, the other popcorn maker (me). Maybe I used too much oil, will have to try it with a less (I'm new to coconut oil, which is the new quinoa).

Movie theaters - my tip which everyone probably knows is to make or buy some good popcorn and sneak it into the theater in a coat or bag. That, and a bottled water, and you've just saved a months wages.

I love good old fashioned popcorn on the stove top!

I use a big stock pot. I use evoo and then add the kernels and cover to let pop. I add salt and seasonings. It depends on my mood as to which seasoning I use. I really like garlic powder on it and italian seasoning. Another i found out that was good was some regular Mrs. Dash.

I will also sometimes melt butter and add it to the popcorn

Oh now I want pop corn.

reply to post by mblahnikluver

Interesting. Do you put garlic (maybe whole garlic!) and the Italian seasoning in with the oil? I'm going to have popcorn later, and want to taste it with a bit of pickle as some users are posting. I've never added anything into the oil with the kernels while it's heated up and popping, maybe I'm missing a big part of the popping process!

Here's a youtube find for making a spicy seasoning mix. Since I don't like spicy, I ask other posters who like spicy to find vids of non-spicy popcorn seasonings. In that way the universe will stay in balance for another minute or two.

(If anyone tries this, please tell the spicy-seasoners how you liked it. It comes with an imitation of old-timey music)




and by the way, nobody has yet to mention the "Bonus track"!

Excellent thread op. I really hate microwave popcorn and have been cooking kettle popped corn forever.

My lazy/easy method is to put my oil into the pot. Toss in salt to taste. Let the salt dissolve then add the popcorn. Never over crowding the bottom of the pot by 80%. If you're into a buttery taste, use butter flavored Crisco. I usually use olive and/or canola oil and kosher salt. Medium heat is all that is needed so using nonstick cookware is acceptable IMO.

If/When I season the popcorn with anything other than salt, I add the flavor seconds before tossing in the corn. It'll coat the popped corn with no need to spray or drizzle fats over the cooked popped corn then adding the flavor.

As for your microwave'n the corn - awesome. I grew up with the old radar range cook books and how microwaving foods cut down on prep time. Nuking veggies steam cooks them and when added to a dish allows almost no oils in finishing them. People have seemed to forget how to use the microwave oven to its full potential.

Thank you.

Edit-for a real butter taste, use butter...but add the butter right before adding the corn. Cooked butter has a different taste than a more 'fresh' butter that has been melted. Use oil as your main cooking medium, butter burns easily.


Edit2-if you really want butter, after pouring the popped corn, throw butter into the empty pot. Just be sure to use unsalted butter. Melt, drizzle, mix into your cooked popcorn.

Seasoned salt... mmmm. My father used to throw that on after he popped it on the stove every time. I myself even like a bit of black pepper sometimes. Some good ideas above I will have to try for myself soon.

reply to post by ChuckNasty


Thanks. I've never added salt to the cooking oil. Next time my trusty popcorn popper is sitting on the trusty stove, salt will be sitting in the olive oil dissolving away. Then we'll see some action.

Thanks for finding the bonus track, about the microwaving of whole ears of corn. That's the easist and tastiest way I've found for cooking whole ears. And also time for another video or something.

This is about the danger of microwaving popcorn. Maybe the thread should take this direction for a little while, it sounds serious. I can't stand breathing the air when microwaved popcorn is cooking, my body senses the toxicity.

As the moderator says, microwaving popcorn becomes easy by putting popcorn in a paper bag, and nuking that. Haven't done that in years, but maybe I'll try it again for a change-of-pace.

edit on 13-4-2013 by Aleister because: (no reason given)

edit on 13-4-2013 by Aleister because: (no reason given)