Popcorn, or popcorn, is loved by both children and adults. According to nutritionists, home-made popcorn is healthier than store-bought popcorn. Especially if you use natural corn grains. To please your loved ones, you can cook this delicacy yourself, at home.

What will you need

To make popcorn at home, you will need the following ingredients:

• 100 g natural corn kernels
• powdered sugar or salt to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

You will also need utensils - a deep frying pan with a large diameter or a thick-walled pan with a lid.

How to make popcorn at home

Put the corn kernels in the freezer ahead of time. Refrigerate them for at least 20 minutes. If possible, increase the grain freezing time to 2-3 hours.

After that, put a deep pan on the fire, the volume should be at least 2 liters. If you don't have a suitable pot, use a wide frying pan with high sides. A cast iron skillet is great for making popcorn. Although it warms up slowly, it retains heat well.

You can cook popcorn not only on a conventional stove, but also in a microwave.

Heat a frying pan or saucepan without adding oil over high heat. To check the degree of heating, drop water on the bottom of the dish. If the water begins to sizzle and evaporate quickly, the pot or pan is hot enough. Take it off the heat and then put it on a stand. Do not reduce or turn off the fire.

Now take the corn out of the fridge. Carefully and quickly pour the grains into the pan. The corn should cover the bottom of the dish with only one layer, otherwise there won't be enough room for it to heat up. Drizzle the grains with vegetable oil. Use a cold-pressed olive oil or refined sunflower oil.

Cover the pot tightly with a lid, then shake the pan well several times so that all the grains can be evenly saturated with oil. And again put the dishes on the fire. As a result of a sharp temperature drop from low to high, corn kernels will explode sharply and quickly. Almost all of them burst, open, and also turn inside out.

After 30–40 seconds, the first pops from the pan will be heard: the corn grains will begin to open. Initially, the explosions will be single, and then more and more frequent. During this period, it is strictly forbidden to open the lid of the dishes. Otherwise, you may be burned by corn kernels that have escaped from the pan or hot steam. In addition, the grains can abruptly spill out of the dishes onto the floor.

After about 3-4 minutes, the explosions will finally stop and the corn will be popped. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on more or less raw beans used. It is best to focus on hearing: if the pops in the dishes have stopped, then the popcorn is ready.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully open the lid to let out the remaining steam. Sprinkle the finished popcorn with powdered sugar, salt or other seasonings of your choice. Cover the product again with a lid and shake well. As a result, the seasoning will be evenly distributed over the corn kernels. Transfer the popcorn to a wide glass bowl or serve it in portions in plastic deep glasses.

For kids, you can make sweet popcorn by seasoning it with jam, syrup, melted chocolate, or caramel.

Popcorn can be safely attributed to the number of favorite delicacies of most people. Crispy open corn kernels occupy hands while watching TV, give additional comfort to cinema visitors, and calm restless children. Therefore, many are interested in the question of how exactly a treat is prepared at home. After all, you don’t always want to stuff your body with store-bought products, it’s easier to make a snack yourself. Let's look at the main aspects regarding this.

Composition and features of popcorn

1. Many mistakenly refer to popcorn as a high-calorie snack, but this is far from the case. For a 100g fried portion. (!) accounts for only 298 kcal. How much popcorn do you need to eat to get that number of calories?!
2. Another thing lies in carbohydrates, which make up most of the fried corn. Natural saccharides in combination with starch are quickly absorbed, but only for a short time retain a feeling of satiety. It is for this reason that popcorn is not suitable for dieters (and not because it has a "high calorie content").
3. The composition also contains proteins and fats in small quantities. It is worth remembering that wild corn contains less carbohydrates than cultivated corn. Therefore, if possible, give preference to it.
4. The nutritional value of cobs is high. Corn contains iron, which is required to improve blood composition and prevent anemia. Popcorn is also rich in magnesium, potassium, zinc, and copper.
5. A special place is given to dietary fiber, in particular fiber. It occupies its 14% of the total volume of grains. This means that the use of popcorn will favorably affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
6. If we are talking about homemade popcorn prepared without unnecessary sweeteners, this snack is suitable for proper nutrition and diets. You can sometimes indulge in popcorn as a dessert, mixing roasted grains with granulated sugar.
7. To make the treat even tastier, the grains are fried in butter. During the cooking process, the dishes must be covered so that the popcorn does not shoot out. To obtain uniform heating, periodically shake the container with the contents.
8. Always remember one geometric truth - the more oil you put in, the higher the energy value of the dish will be. Wild corn is better suited for roasting, it is dense and balanced in its composition.

Subtleties of making popcorn

1. For frying, any utensil that can withstand high temperatures will fit. In most cases, it is convenient to cook an appetizer in a deep frying pan.
2. First you need to heat the container, pour a little corn or olive oil into it (sunflower oil releases carcinogens), pour a couple of pinches of salt or granulated sugar. After all the manipulations, grains are sent inside.
3. Frying is carried out exclusively at low power stoves. Moreover, when the grains begin to crackle, the container should be covered. One dose will take 10 minutes.
4. Experienced housewives got used to preparing an appetizer using a slow cooker. To do this, pour a little oil into the bowl, heat it, salt it and fry the grains according to the above form.
5. Not without the participation of a microwave, it is also easy to cook popcorn in it. To do this, arm yourself with a container, pour grains into it and pour oil over it. Send to the oven for 2 minutes, shake the contents every 30 seconds.
6. If there is a cauldron, you can use it. The main negative quality of this method is the duration of cooking. Similarly to the method with a frying pan, heat the oil in a cauldron, sprinkle with salt, send the grains inside. Roast until all the corn is open.

1. The opinions of popcorn lovers differ greatly in terms of the benefits of the product. Some Hollywood stars claim that the composition helped them to return to their previous form after some events in their lives.
2. Modern nutritionists adhere to the theory that popcorn has a low calorie content and high nutritional values. It is important to understand that we are talking specifically about the home cooking method.
3. This kind of product has a high fiber content. Dietary fiber has a positive effect on the activity of the digestive tract. Popcorn is considered an excellent prophylactic against stomach cancer and cardiovascular pathologies.
4. Before proceeding with preparation and consumption, it is important to know a few facts. Ready-made popcorn in its original form does not cause any harm to the body. The negative impact on the organs is due to additional components.
5. On an industrial scale and in public institutions, corn is prepared with the addition of diacyl flavoring. The chemical adversely affects the respiratory organs and provokes the development of an allergic reaction. Also, grains in the fields are covered with chemicals from various pests.
6. It is strongly recommended not to eat popcorn on an empty stomach or in large quantities. Abuse of the product leads to problems with the gastrointestinal tract and worsening of the condition with varicose veins. In any case, it is not recommended to eat popcorn more than once a week.

popcorn technology

1. Do not assume that delicious popcorn is impossible to cook on your own. To make popcorn properly, you need a tall pot with a lid.
2. During cooking, you need to take 60 gr. butter per 100 gr. raw materials. Various seasonings are added to taste. The grains are poured at once into a red-hot pan. Don't forget to cover the container with a lid.
3. Keep in mind that the process of making popcorn is carried out exclusively on low heat. The container must be shaken periodically.
4. This procedure allows the corn to soak up the oil. Wait 2-3 minutes after the grains stop exploding. Then you can start preparing the next batch.

1. Popcorn lovers are divided into two types, someone prefers a sweet delicacy to salty. The question is how to make caramel popcorn so that it melts in your mouth. The procedure will require a small cauldron.
2. In this case, 60 gr. corn accounts for 120 gr. oils, 50 ml. water, 8 gr. soda and 240 gr. granulated sugar. Add some lemon juice to enhance the taste.
3. You need to cook popcorn according to the classic scheme described above, with the lid closed. To prepare caramel, you will need an additional container. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Boil the components until a viscous paste is formed.
4. After cooking, immediately add soda and lemon juice. During the reaction, foam will begin to form from the caramel, which must be mixed with the finished popcorn. Wait for the treat to cool down.

It is important to dry the corn kernels well before frying the popcorn. Some gourmets insist that raw materials need to be kept in the freezer for several hours. In this case, the pressure inside the grains increases markedly during frying.

Video: how to make popcorn at home

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. She is adored not only by kids, but also by their parents. Sometimes you want to get together in the evening with the whole family at the TV and watch a good family comedy. In order to recreate the atmosphere of a movie theater at home, popcorn is indispensable. Many people love salty popcorn, but if there are small children in the house, then, of course, the delicacy should be sweet.

Preparing sweet popcorn is quick and easy. This is a fun and exciting activity, so with some precautions, you can get the kids involved. They will love watching the corn kernels explode and turn into their favorite treat. There are many ways to make sweet popcorn.

1 way. sweet popcorn

How to make sweet popcorn:

Special corn is used to make popcorn. Don't buy ready-made formulas in microwave-safe bags. They contain many artificial additives, flavor enhancers, etc. Such corn should not be given to children.

To cook corn flakes, it is best to use a non-stick pot or deep frying pan with a glass lid.

Pour a little oil into the bottom of the pan, put it on fire. When the oil is hot, take it off the heat and sprinkle in the corn kernels in a single layer, just enough to cover the bottom.

Cover the pot with a lid, shake it to cover the beans with a thin film of oil, and return the pot 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 clicks subside, immediately remove the pan from the heat, wait 10 seconds, and pour the finished popcorn into a large bowl.

Dust the cereal generously with icing sugar, cover and shake a few times to evenly distribute the icing.

2 way. caramel popcorn

How to make caramel popcorn:

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

To make caramel, melt the 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 let it cool for 5 minutes. Add soda to it and mix the resulting mass until it begins to lighten and foam. This will increase the volume of the caramel.

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

Place the tray back into the oven. Dry popcorn at 120°C for an hour. Take it out every 10-15 minutes and stir.

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

Today we will tell you how to cook the favorite delicacy of cinema visitors - popcorn. To do this, you need to purchase or grow corn for popcorn on your site, and devote very little time to prepare the product. Homemade popcorn turns out to be no less tasty than store-bought, and its ridiculous cost will be a great motivation for making your own.

How to make sweet popcorn at home in caramel in a pan?

Ingredients:

• - 60 g;
• vegetable oil without aroma - 55 ml;
• granulated sugar - 220 g;
• purified water - 40 ml;
• baking soda - 10 g;
• - 4-5 drops.

Cooking

Let's prepare the popcorn first. To do this, pour vegetable oil without aroma into a frying pan with a thick bottom and high sides and place it on fire. Its intensity should be slightly above average. Now pour the popcorn into the pan and immediately cover it with a lid. After a few seconds, characteristic pops will be heard, which will indicate the correct course of the process. The kernels open up and turn into popcorn. During the entire frying time, periodically shake the pan so that the unopened grains sink to the bottom, and the opened ones do not burn. After the patting in the pan stops, remove it from the heat and begin to cook caramel.

Pour granulated sugar into a thick-walled saucepan or cauldron, pour in quite a bit of water and add lemon juice. We put the vessel on a fire slightly below average and leave it alone for a while, only observing the ongoing processes from the side. When the sugar begins to melt, taking on a liquid consistency, we tilt the vessel a little to one side or the other, wetting the undissolved crystals to speed up the process. Stirring the contents of the dishes at this point is not recommended until all the sugar has melted. Then we begin to gently stir the caramel so that it does not burn, and warm it up until a beautiful amber color is obtained.

Now very quickly pour soda into the caramel mass, also quickly stir the foamy substance and pour it onto the popcorn, trying to evenly distribute it. We mix everything quickly and accurately, hastily transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and level it, spreading the popcorn in caramel in one layer.

We leave the popcorn in caramel to harden for about seven minutes and we can try.

The process of making sweet popcorn can be greatly simplified. The taste of the finished product in this case is somewhat different from that prepared according to the technology described above, but in the absence of free time, this method is just a godsend. Pour the corn kernels into the pan, mix so that the oil covers them evenly, and then pour in the powdered sugar and mix again. After that, cover the pan with a lid and wait for the end of the cooking process and the disclosure of all the grains. The sugar will melt when heated and give the popcorn a caramel flavor.

How to fry salty popcorn at home in the microwave?

Ingredients:

• corn for popcorn - 25 g;
• vegetable oil without aroma - 25 ml;
• fine salt "Extra" - to taste.

Cooking

When starting to cook popcorn in a microwave oven, and choosing dishes for this, we take into account that corn increases significantly in volume and from the proposed amount you get popcorn with a volume of approximately like one liter jar.

We place the corn in a glass bowl, sprinkle with vegetable oil, add salt to taste and mix. We cover the dish with a glass lid or a second plate and put it in the device. We set it to 800 W and set the timer for five minutes. After the allotted time for cooking, leave the container with popcorn in the microwave for another couple of minutes. And only after that we take it out of the microwave and enjoy.

In a similar way, you can cook sweet popcorn in the microwave, replacing the salt with powdered sugar. Sprinkle generously with oiled corn kernels.

Hello dear readers. Probably every child at least once, but tried popcorn. And I do not know a single child in my environment who would be indifferent to popcorn. My children also loved popcorn very much, and at one time they were so carried away by it that I had to “impose” a ban on it. The fact is that we bought puffed corn in the store, with the taste of bacon, cheese, sweet, salty ... In general, whatever manufacturers come up with to increase their sales. And if caramel can be made from sugar, salty can be made with salt, but I doubt that bacon and cheese are natural flavors. And just more with bacon, my children fell in love.

We tried to cook popcorn from semi-finished products. This is when you cook briquettes in the microwave. I also didn’t like it very much, I had to stand and watch. If you do not hold up, then there will be unopened grains, and if you overdo it, it will burn. So we decided to cook regular corn kernels on the stovetop.

How to make delicious corn popcorn.

In order to cook popcorn at home, we need a container, and preferably such as a cauldron or a saucepan with a thick bottom, well, or a frying pan with a lid. We will cook on the stove, not in the microwave.

I took an aluminum cauldron, this is the most successful utensil for making popcorn. I added about three tablespoons of vegetable oil to the bottom, poured out half a glass of corn grains and distributed the corn in a circular motion along the bottom of the cauldron. The grains should lie in one layer. If they lie on top of each other, then there is a high probability that these grains will not open.

Cover the cauldron with a lid and put on fire. You can, of course, heat the oil first, and then add the corn. I did this and that, and when you add corn to cold butter, it turns out much easier, there is less chance of getting burned. After all, it doesn’t work faster if you add grains to hot oil.

If we take it by time, then my grains began to open after the second minute, and depending on the intensity of the fire, they ended up opening at a maximum of three minutes and 10 seconds. You yourself will already know, especially when you do it not for the first time. It is necessary to turn off the fire after about 5 seconds there is silence.

Even after switching off, the corn kernels will still open. Even if you turn it off a little later, nothing bad will happen. But if you did it in the microwave, then the grains would burn there, but not on the stove.

After the corn kernels have stopped opening, the popcorn is ready. Now you can already think with what taste you will do it next. The easiest way is to make salted popcorn. It will be enough to pour a little fine salt on the freshly poured popcorn and mix a little.

Now you know how to make salted popcorn. Let's move on to the next recipe. It will be slightly different, but not much.

How to make caramel popcorn

Making caramel popcorn will be slightly different from salted popcorn. But first, let's start cooking the caramel itself, since it takes longer to cook than the corn itself.

How to make caramel popcorn

To make caramel, we need sugar, salt, juice of half a lemon and a little soda, a little less than a third of a teaspoon. We will cook caramel in a saucepan with a double bottom. Pour a glass of sugar into it, squeeze the juice of half a lemon. This is so that our caramel is not cloyingly sweet.

Then add plain water. The amount of water should be within 1/3 - 1/4 of the amount of sugar. I took a little less than a third of a glass. After the water, I added less than half a teaspoon of salt. I use fine salt. In the meantime, you can already turn on the fire under the saucepan.

When our caramel is already cooked, and it takes about 15 minutes to cook, we can already start preparing for cooking the corn itself. It differs only in that I take one tablespoon of vegetable oil and add 30 grams of butter. So we get more delicious popcorn.

But, I want to warn you, I did it completely with butter, and so I liked the option with mixing oils more. First, when the corn is cooked, there was a slightly suffocating smell of butter in the kitchen.

At the same time, when I used a mixture of oils, there was no such smell. Yes, and I liked the option with a mixture of oils to taste. Oddly enough, but it was more fragrant and with a creamy taste. In general, we already include corn.

While we are preparing the caramel and corn, we have a few minutes to prepare the popcorn mold. I take a bowl and a spatula and grease them with butter. Of course, you can lubricate with vegetable, the main thing is that the caramel does not stick to them when kneading, but I decided to lubricate it with cream.

When preparing caramel, we in no case interfere with it with a spoon. If you stir it with a spoon, then the caramel may begin to crystallize. And so we just mix the caramel in a saucepan in a circular motion.

When we have corn grains ready, we pour them into a greased bowl. The caramel is already getting darker, as you can see in the photo, and we add a little less than a third of a teaspoon of soda. The caramel starts to rise and foam. Turn off the heat and mix the caramel well so that there is no soda left.

We do it all quickly so that the caramel does not have time to settle, and pour our caramel onto the popcorn. Until the caramel has solidified in a piece, quickly stir it with a prepared spatula. You can also prepare two spatulas, so it will be a little more efficient and quickly mix the popcorn.

You can also prepare parchment paper a little earlier, on which we will pour popcorn to harden the caramel. And now, when we have mixed the caramel with popcorn, we just pour it onto the prepared parchment paper. If you have good parchment paper, then you don’t even need to grease it. Then popcorn will be well removed from it.

Leave the popcorn to cool completely, and then we can collect it in a bowl or glass. In general, in a container in which it will be in finished form. The popcorn will stick together on its own, but it will easily break into smaller pieces.

This popcorn is crispier and tastier. You can make caramel without baking soda, but then you will need to stir the popcorn faster. Butter is also added to the caramel, but I did not do this. If you still do with soda, then it is better to add less than more. If you add more soda and it doesn't go out, your popcorn will taste a bit soda-like.

For my taste, caramel popcorn is more crunchy and delicious. But my kids prefer salted popcorn. And if you are still thinking whether it is worth cooking popcorn or not, then I recommend that you read my article "."

And recently we went with the children to a cartoon at the cinema, so instead of getting popcorn from a special machine, they poured it out of ordinary shopping bags. Moreover, the price was more than 3 times higher. And after the cartoon, we went to the store, and there we found only semi-finished products for the microwave. Apparently all the popcorn was bought from the cinema.

The cost of a small glass of popcorn in a movie theater is equivalent to a kilogram of corn kernels. If you love popcorn, then this information will be useful to you. And even more so, you already know how to make delicious popcorn from corn kernels at home.