With all the fear (duly warranted) surrounding GMO foods, there is growing hesitation out there about eating that favorite of comfort foods: popcorn. Well that’s just…anti-American. But corn is the most common GMO food known to man-and it’s in everything. So while many of us will eschew our old childhood friend, even at the movies-in order to avoid eating Frankenfood, others like me, will create their own brand of “Smartpop.”
If you’re old enough to remember the days of stove-top Jiffy Pop where your Dad (or Mom) would swirl that coiled foil package with the wire handle endlessly over the burner flame while you waited at their elbow to watch the foil puff up, slowly at first, listening for that first kernel to pop…and then another…and then a few more, and then all at once, in rapid succession, even more-giving way to a flurry of popping, then you’re about to relive your childhood over the stovetop.
Making stove-top popcorn is really easy, but first I want to assure you that this recipe uses only certified organic popping corn which by definition, means it is NON-GMO. Pair it with a healthy fat like coconut oil (with a high flash point that is not prone to oxidation) and all you have to worry about is the ensuing carb orgy.
Here’s how to make perfect popcorn - crisp, tasty and light, every time.
Stove Top Popcorn
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
½ cup of Eden brand or 365 brand popcorn-
(available at Whole Foods Markets)
Sea salt or, vanilla flavored salt
Heat coconut oil in a large, heavy saucepan over a medium high flame. Choose a saucepan big enough to hold all the popped corn, (and remember that heavier pans are less prone to burning.)
While the oil is heating, add 2 or 3 kernels of popcorn to the oil. When these kernels pop, the oil is now hot enough to add the remaining popcorn.
Add the remaining popcorn and quickly cover the pan with a lid (so as not to be burned by hot oil “spitting” on you.) Shake the pot to make sure all the kernels are moving around and are being covered in oil. Keep the lid just slightly ajar to let the steam being created escape. It will make for lighter, fluffier popcorn.
Keep the pan on the heat, shaking almost constantly. The kernels will start rapidly popping. Keep shaking the pot until the popping slows to one every second or two. Remove from the heat and remove the lid as soon as you’re sure that popping has really stopped (the lid should face away from when you remove it so as not to get burned by the steam.) Don’t wait until every last kernel has popped before removing from heat or you run the risk of burning the popcorn–a few un-popped kernels never hurt anyone.
Quickly add the sea salt while the oil is still hot and even glistens on the popcorn, (so that it sticks.) Toss, and “pop” in that great movie you’ve been waiting to watch on a crisp autumn evening such as this.
Follow Jini Cicero a personal trainer with 20 years of experience
