Making good popcorn on the stovetop? And other ways to make popcorn

I used to make popcorn with normal bulk organic popcorn on an electric stove years ago, and can't quite remember if I needed high heat or low heat, and how much fat to use. Now I am using a woodstove and tried high heat with plenty of fat, same kind of corn, and the kernels just did not pop! Tried with less fat, less heat, did not pop either...

I wondered if there are any really good popcorn making permies that could share their secrets here?!

Looks like there's a Permies thread here with lots of ideas too: https://permies.com/t/750/kitchen/optimal-popcorn-cast-iron-skillet

A wok works really well for popcorn too. Get the oil and the pan hot, add popcorn, cover with lid and shake occasionally. When you stop hearing pops, crack the lid a bit and a few more kernels will pop.  I use 1 tablespoon of oil to 4 tablespoons popcorn.

Heartily agree with MK Neal's wok method. I am quite fastidious about the popcorn making process. Instead of preheating, I heat carbon steel wok, popcorn and oil (coconut, corn, sunflower or olive) all together on high heat with lid off. As soon as first popcorn kernel pops, put the lid on and bring down the fire to medium high. While popcorn pops, lift lid edge every 10 seconds or so to let out steam but keep popcorn and oil inside. When popping slows down to about two seconds between pops, take the pan off the heat and remove lid as soon as popping stops (get rid of that steam for crispy corn). Sprinkle with superfine salt and put lid on and vigorously shake. Remove lid and dig in: but gently so you don't burn your hand on the edge of the wok.

I wondered about lids. Thank you both! Maybe the failure last time was because I used a pot with a tight lid, and had the lid on the whole time - I'll try making it without the lid until it starts popping next time.

The method I like has

get the bowls out first.

1 large heavy bottom saucepan
a splash of olive oil - about a teaspoon, but I never measure.  
popcorn to cover the bottom of the pan in one layer or less.
lid on the pan

Stove on high, shaking the pan until the popping starts and slows down (about 2 or 3 min on my current stove).  Before the popping stops, pour popcorn in the bowls and smother with sea salt.

turn off stove, enjoy popcorn.  

now I want to eat popcorn.  

I want popcorn, too.  And since I am on an indefinite hiatus from keto, I can have it.  I just have to wait for the household to wake up.  Stovetop popcorn is a noisy affair.

I am adding another vote for leaving the lid off.  We usually put the lid on after we stop seeing visible steam from the butter.

My mother-in-law used to sell popcorn at festivals and stuff. Her technique is as follows.
1)buy quality popcorn that hasn't been sitting around for years.
2) as mentioned above, have the place you are going to put the popped corn in ready
3) enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan to the depth of 1/2 a kernal of popcorn.
4)high heat, add enough popcorn to cover the bottom of the pan.
5)move popcorn continuously with a wooden spoon until the first kernal pops,
6) cover with lid.
7) shake pot at first sign of the popping slowing.
8 ) shake again when it begins to slow again.
9) pour popped corn into reception container before popping comes to a complete stop, like 1 pop ever second.
10)keep unpopped kernals in the pot if you want a larger quantity of popcorn you can immediately go back to step 3.

Regarding the lid/no lid question, I suspect that results might depend on the equipment and the fat being used.

My wok has high curves edges and a very high domed lid, so with the lid on I have a relatively high volume of hot, trapped air to corn. Also, the corn will not ever reach high enough to touch the lid. So I've never encountered any problems with steam affecting the corn, and I keep the lid on to maintain very high heat environment.

However, if you are using a shallower pan with a flatter lid, I can see how steam might build up in this smaller space and condensation on the lid might affect the popped corn.

Also, butter has water content that would create more steam than oil.

We use a stainless dutch oven pan with a domed lid for our popcorn so there is a lot of air space above the corn. Ratio of oil to corn is 1:4 by volume and we use high heat. The corn isn't always as crispy as we'd like so we've found that baking the salted/buttered popped corn at 225F for 20 minutes results in a crunchy, more flavorful corn. And for some reason, it tastes saltier after baking.

good quality popcorn that is less than 2 years old is a must for me.  It doesn't seem to pop right if it's back-of-the-cupboard popcorn.  

Popcorn doesn't last long enough to get old, here - even though we try to stick to a modified keto. I tend to use butter or bacon drippings, and probably more than most use, so I am not pouring the butter on the freshly popped corn, but high heat, and I have one of those stovetop popcorn poppers, with the baffle crank and hinged lid, that was a gift, ages ago. I crank it slowly at first, then pick up the tempo a bit, while it's popping hard, and start pouring it into the bowl(s), at the tail end of the popping, immediately adding whatever flavor we'rein the mood for - usually just salt, not always. Sometimes parmesan, sometimes cinnamon & monkfruit, I've tried cocoa & monkfruit, but the balance was off, so I'll have to try that again, sometime.

I entirely forgot about melted butter.

Funny, just using olive oil for popping and sea salt for garnish makes it taste a lot like butter.  I wonder why?  

The best tasting popcorn I’ve tried is
Black Jewel, but it’s expensive. I’ve purchased
some “blue popping corn seeds” that I’m going
to grow next year. I’m pretty sure it’s
the same thing.

I have one of those popcorn poppers with the crank on the side.
I cover the bottom with oil, put stove on med/high heat, add one (1) kernel of corn.
When that pops I add enough corn to just cover the bottom of the pan.
Popping starts I slowly turn the crank and within 1 to 1 1/2 minutes corn is done.
Then add the salt or whatever seasoning I want.

Watermelon popcorn sounds good to me:



This one was on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/realdariusmccrary/posts/pfbid0xZThMaHJApEnNXt2memo1LgDEuddcPTjQNvenaangFUDvQYgh87Ln23hDoB7jxtRl

Popcorn pops when steam builds up and it explodes. Therefore, getting the corn as hot as possible as quickly as possible is key, otherwise you lose steam and end up with lame not so fluffy popcorn. It pukes open more than explodes. I use refined sunflower seed oil since it has a high smoke point and relatively low in polyunsaturated fat. Medium high heat, put 5 kernel in pot, when they pop the oil is ready. I get it as hot as I can without burning the oil. I constantly shake the pot to prevent the popped corn from burning.

I popped popcorn about 4-5 nights per week when I was a kid. The popper was a thin-wall metal popper with the stirrer in the lid. It did a great job.

Now I have a Whirley-Gig popper and it works well, but beware of the lid falling off when trying to get the contents into your bowl. You need to keep the snaps on the side tweaked in so that doesn't happen. Mine, unfortunately is aluminum, well used with a few dents and dings,  but pops almost all of the kernels. It is just that stainless steel would be a better purchase as it would be sturdier - and it would clean up better.

For a better pop, yes, cold would be better, however, the best I ever popped came straight off the cob just before it hit the pan! I think that had to do with the moisture content in the kernels.

Have any of you ever eaten Hominy?  YUK!  Now I'm not hungry for lunch!!!
That is like wet popped popcorn with no kernels, although it is made with corn.

Yes, I had hominy many times while growing up -- and I liked it!  Different strokes for different folks! LoL

Popcorn pops when steam builds up and it explodes.


Just a quick addition. If you look at your kernels and see any cracks they won't pop as the moisture in the kernel has evaporated. And get your oil hot before adding the popcorn