the pop secret is out–microwave popcorn is super easy to make

September 14th, 2007

bowl o popped corn

Popcorn is an amazing food. Kernels of whole grain goodness that pop to unique, tasty shapes. Like snowflakes with substance. It tastes so great all salty and crunchy and chewy and in the case of my recent addiction, coated in white cheddar powder. We were eating it bag by organic bag-full when the “popcorn lung” scare hit mainstream media.

Even tho the scare concerns the ConAgra-fake-buttered type of microwave popcorn and not the heath-food-store-bought version we’d been consuming like popcorn-crazed maniacs, the story did make popcorn suddenly seem a little less wonderful.

Enter the environmentally aware, DIY-ers at lighterfootstep.com, who recently urged readers to Dump Dangerous Diacetyl by Making Your Own Microwave Popcorn. Diacetyl is the fake butter flavor that causes life-threatening respiratory and other problems.

This is all you have to do to make your own microwave popcorn.

You’ll need a brown paper lunch sack about 1/4 cup of loose, organic popcorn kernels. Measure the kernels into your bag. Add one teaspoon of olive oil and popcorn salt to taste. Fold the top of the bag and shake gently to mix.

Press most of the air out of the bag. Secure with two staples (they won’t spark in most ovens) or tape loosely, leaving room for steam to vent. Place flat on a microwave-safe plate and heat on a high setting until the pops have slowed down to about three seconds apart. it will take less than four minutes.

Within hours of reading this recipe, I had to try it, and the results were fantastic (see photo). The recipe is extra simple, but can be refined with different proportions, flavors and methods.

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    About

    Jeela is a writer, web content editor and graduate student in Honolulu. This site features some of her published articles and anything else she feels like rambling about, including but not limited to: food, the environment, music, Hawaii and Moomins.

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