Popcorn. Love it. Always have. Always will. In fact, there was a period in my life when I gobbled a lot of it every single day. I had convinced myself that I'd invented a new diet - fill up on popcorn and you won't have room for anything else. Unfortunately it didn't work, which might explain why I'm not the author of a best-seller about it.
But aside from that, can someone tell me why nobody makes popcorn the old-fashioned way anymore? You know, in a pan on top of the stove like mom did? Think about it. When was the last time you made popcorn at home that wasn't the microwave variety? Not that there's anything wrong with microwave popcorn — after all, popcorn is the perfect food no matter how it's fixed — but does anyone even know anymore how to heat the pan, warm the oil, pop the corn, salt it, and most important, butter it?
Even though my affinity for popcorn is legendary, I can remember a time when even I had too much. It was when I was a young boy and spending some in the country with my maternal grandparents. My grandmother was an old-fashioned farm wife who'd been raised in an environment that caused her to firmly believe that rich food was something to be desired, and that a true sign of love for her family was the amount of butter she could cram into everything she cooked. And she didn't forget the importance of lard, which she also used lavishly. I can still remember her home-made donuts, deep-fried in lard and then tumbled warm into icing sugar. Homer Simpson would have loved them.
But back to popcorn. When she popped it, she did it with lard or bacon grease, and then turned it all out into a huge roaster pan. She'd salt it thoroughly and then pour endless amounts of melted butter all over it. And mind you, this wasn't supermarket butter - this was country butter, dark yellow and with all the flavor that's missing in commercial butter. She put so much on the popcorn that even after it was all eaten, you could see pools of butter left in the pan.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Actually, Steve, in the last few months I've started popping popcorn on the stove again. Everyone in this house loves it as well and I was starting to get annoyed at the high cost for a small box of the microwave stuff... that would be gone in a couple nights.
My husband calls me an obsessive-compulsive fruitcake for the way I won't put the corn in the pan until the oil is hot... but then he and the kids prefer I be the one to make it, but I suppose that could just be laziness on their part.
2 - Mat Brewster
My wife is nearly as popcorn obsessed as you, and we haven't microwaved the stuff in years. We've got an air popper which works by means that I can only call magic. The great thing about it is that its way less messy than the stove version and rarely burns.
3 - Mark Saleski
i have one of those stovetop poppers that has a hand-crank on the side. does a great job.
4 - Pico
The air popper rules in the Pico household. Spray the naked popped corn with butter Pam, salt away and you're good to go!
My favorite "popcorn song? That would be "Mother Popcorn" by the recently departed JB.
"Maceo! Blow your horn! Don't want no trash....give me some popcorn"
5 - Big Geez
Thanks for all the comments - glad to see I'm not the only popcorn fan!
6 - Mark Saleski
by the way, if you're interested in learning about the development of the Moog synth, check out the most excellent book Analog Days...a very interesting read.
7 - aaron
Stove top pop is the best. We use a pasta pan (with a strainer type lid). I like to put the heat on high and shake it overe the flames when its popping. I usualy heat the oil with a single kernel and put the rest of a single layer in when it pops. It makes a huge (or small) amount in very little time. It usually takes about 5 minutes total depending on my dexterity with the topppings. As for toppings, we shake on kosher salt, seasoned pepper, garlic, and cayannne then spray it down with a little magic buttery cooking spray. Forget the microwave, the most satisfying bowl of popcorn is also the best tasting, healthy, and economical way.
8 - BIg Geez
Sounds great, Aaron. I'll be over next time you have it!
PS Thanks for the comment.