Ingredient Spotlight: Popcorn

Today, we’re featuring recipes using popcorn!  Popcorn is a great snack – here are just a few stats about popcorn you might find interesting:

• Popcorn is a variety of corn, but it is not the same as field corn and sweet corn; different plants, grown in different parts of the country.
• Popcorn contains water inside the kernel, when heated this moisture turns to steam and puts pressure on the seed coat, which then pops and the starchy interior appears!
• Old Maids are hypothesized to be caused by three things: they (1) were heated too slowly, (2) don’t have enough moisture inside to result in popping, or (3) the hull may be “leaky”.
• Popcorn has two main shapes: butterfly (see above) and mushroom
• Air-popped popcorn is high in fiber and low in calories, has no sugar or sodium… but be weary of “movie-theater” popcorn! 
• Stay away from pre-packaged microwave popcorn.  Make your own instead – all you need is 1/4 C popcorn and a brown paper bag. 

Here are a few of our favorite ways to use popcorn:

Honey Butter Popcorn – When you are looking for a treat or a dessert popcorn, try this honey butte popcorn.   Simple and delicious.  Not overly sweet.  Get the recipe here. 

Papa’s Popcorn – My dad is famous for this stuff.  If you have a stove popper, give this recipe a go.  We can make a whole meal out of it.  Get the recipe here.

Grandma’s Sugared Popcorn – This recipe comes from my 93-year-old grandmother.  Better than kettle corn, and so perfectly my grandma.  Get the recipe here.

Chocolate Craisin Popcorn – Toss in some chocolate chips and craisins and you have a delicious after-school snack.  Get the recipe here. 

Apple Popcorn Munch – Dried apples, cinnamon, sugared popcorn and salty popcorn… delightful combination.  Get the recipe here. 

Do you like popcorn?  What is your favorite way to enjoy it? 

If you have a recipe to share, stop by Tiffany’s blog and link it up to the Ingredient Spotlight for this week!  I can’t wait to see all the other yummy popcorn creations.