How to make homemade popcorn

Popcorn Method: Stovetop Popcorn

About This Method: For this technique, Cook’s Illustrated tells you to heat 3 tablespoons oil and 3 popcorn kernels in a covered 4-quart pan over medium heat. When you hear a kernel pop, you then add 1/3 cup kernels, cover the pot, and wait 30 seconds before returning it to medium heat.

Briefly blanche the ears, softening them enough to allow you to slice the kernels away from the cob. Shake them onto kitchen paper and allow them to dry for an hour. Spread them evenly onto a shallow baking sheet and place them in the oven, wedging the door slightly ajar.

Can an ear of corn turn into popcorn? Yes, an ear of corn can be turned into popcorn. However, the husk must be removed and the ear of corn must be fully dried to pop the corn.

Some strains of corn (taxonomized as Zea mays) are cultivated specifically as popping corns. The Zea mays variety everta, a special kind of flint corn, is the most common of these. Popcorn is one of six major types of corn, which includes dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, flour corn, and sweet corn.

As it turns out, the corn that we typically eat is different than the kernels that become popcorn. There’s only one variety of maize that will make it – Zea mays everta. Though it looks like a typical corn kernel, this particular variety is the only one that has the ability to pop and turn into a delicious snack.

Premade popcorn often contains a high level of salt, or sodium. Eating too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health complications. Some brands also include a lot of sugar. Added butter, sugar, and salt can make popcorn an unhealthful snack.

Popcorn is high in several important nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and polyphenol antioxidants. Not only that, but it is also incredibly tasty and one of the world’s best sources of fiber. At the end of the day, popcorn is very healthy and consuming it in moderation may even help with weight loss.

Microwave popcorn has also been linked to a serious lung disease called popcorn lung. Diacetyl, a chemical used to give microwave popcorn its buttery flavor and aroma, is linked to severe and irreversible lung damage when inhaled in large amounts.

Popcorn?!

Healthy whole grains like brown rice, whole grain bread, oatmeal and even popcorn contain fibres and vitamins that improve blood flow throughout the brain and help memory function. They also improve blood-sugar stability, which can curb study-interrupting cravings.

Not that you need another reason to Netflix and chill, but popcorn is also a great way to help you poop. Unfortunately, that bag of Orville Redenbacher’s you‘ve had in your pantry for three years isn’t going to cut it. “Microwave popcorn has 30% less fiber and about 80% more sodium than air-popped,” Dr. Sachar says.

Microwave popcorn contains diacetyl, a chemical that may increase amyloid plaques in the brain. Research has linked a buildup of amyloid plaques to Alzheimer’s disease.