EntranceIs it possible to make popcorn from fresh corn. Popcorn: benefits and harms
Popcorn has long been an integral attribute of cinemas. It's hard to imagine going to the movies without a bucket of crunchy treats. What children's session is complete without sweet popcorn. She is adored not only by kids, but also by their parents. Sometimes you want to get together in the evening with the whole family at the TV and watch a good family comedy. In order to recreate the atmosphere of a movie theater at home, popcorn is indispensable. Many people love salty popcorn, but if there are small children in the house, then, of course, the delicacy should be sweet.
Preparing sweet popcorn is quick and easy. This is a fun and exciting activity, so with some precautions, you can get the kids involved. They will love watching the corn kernels explode and turn into their favorite treat. There are many ways to make sweet popcorn.
1 way. sweet popcorn
Ingredients:Corn - 150 g
Vegetable oil
Powdered sugar - 100 g
How to make sweet popcorn:
Special corn is used to make popcorn. Don't buy ready-made formulas in microwave-safe bags. They contain many artificial additives, flavor enhancers, etc. Such corn should not be given to children.
For cooking corn flakes It's best to use a non-stick pot or deep frying pan with a glass lid.
Pour a little oil into the bottom of the pan, put it on fire. When the oil is hot, take it off the heat and sprinkle in the corn kernels in a single layer, just enough to cover the bottom.
Cover the pot with a lid, shake it to cover the beans with a thin film of oil, and return the pot to the heat.
Watch the process carefully, soon the grains will begin to explode. At first, individual clicks will be heard, then the crackling will intensify.
Shake the pan occasionally to avoid burning. When the clicks subside, immediately remove the pan from the heat, wait 10 seconds, and pour the finished popcorn into a large bowl.
Dust the cereal generously with icing sugar, cover and shake a few times to evenly distribute the icing.
2 way. caramel popcorn
Ingredients:Corn - 150 g
Vegetable oil
Butter - 150 g
Brown sugar - 2 cups
Honey - ½ cup
Soda - ½ teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon
How to make caramel popcorn:
The flakes themselves are prepared in exactly the same way as in the first method. Next, put the popcorn on a baking sheet covered with parchment, evenly distribute it and place in an oven preheated to 120 ° C.
To make caramel, melt the butter, add sugar, honey, salt. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved and a homogeneous mass is formed.
When the caramel begins to boil, remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add soda to it and mix the resulting mass until it begins to lighten and foam. This will increase the volume of the caramel.
Remove the popcorn from the oven and pour over the caramel mixture, stirring until it is evenly distributed over the flakes.
Place the tray back into the oven. Dry popcorn at 120°C for an hour. Take it out every 10-15 minutes and stir.
Pour the finished popcorn into a large bowl, turn on the cartoon and call the children. Happy viewing!
Recipes for making sweet, salty and caramel popcorn at home.
Popcorn is considered a traditional snack that is used while watching movies. In our country, the delicacy became known not so long ago, but the first mention of popcorn was found in 1492. When Columbus arrived in America, he saw popcorn beads around the neck of the locals.
What kind of corn is homemade popcorn made from?
Not every variety of corn is suitable for making popcorn. This is a special kind that contains starch and water droplets. Inside, corn grains are not hard, but quite soft, but the outer shell is strong and glassy. This prevents damage to the grain. When exposed to high temperatures, water droplets inside the grains boil, tearing the shell. The pulp is on the outside.
How to make salty popcorn at home: recipe
There are many options for cooking popcorn, it all depends on what kind of dishes you have available. Special devices for making popcorn have been created, which provide an optimal and uniform heating mode.
Popcorn options:
- Hot air machine. The principle of operation of the apparatus is very simple. Hot air is supplied, which affects the grains and they explode. The principle is similar to the operation of a hair dryer.
- Stove boiler. This is a kind of bowl with a handle that needs to be constantly rotated. It makes great popcorn. True, the risk of burning is high.
- Pan. The easiest option. Corn simply warms up in a pan with constant stirring. There is a risk of burning.
- Microwave. Ideal device for making popcorn. Now varieties have been created specifically for cooking in the microwave.
Recipe:
- Let's cook on our own simple recipe in a frying pan
- Pour some oil into the pan and heat it well.
- Add a handful of popcorn and stir constantly
- As the grains heat up, they will explode to form popcorn.
- Sprinkle the finished popcorn with fine salt and mix
How to make sweet popcorn at home: recipe
Perfect option low calorie dessert. Many consider popcorn to be a children's dish, and rightly so. He is absolutely harmless.
Recipe:
- Put the pan on the fire and heat it well
- Pour in a handful of corn and cover the container
- It is necessary to constantly shake the dish so that nothing burns.
- When all the grains explode, you can remove the lid and mix
- Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and shake the corn
How to make caramel popcorn at home: recipe
There is no difficulty in preparing such corn.
Ingredients:
- 250 g sugar
- Spoon of lemon juice
- 2 spoons of water
- Corn
- 40 ml oil
- 1/4 cup corn kernels
- pinch of soda
R recipe:
- Pour the grains into a frying pan with oil and sweat a little over the fire, stirring constantly.
- Cover with a lid and wait until all the grains open.
- Now take it off the heat and get on with the caramel
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar lemon juice and water, put on fire
- Stir constantly until the sugar melts.
- Cook until you get a viscous transparent mass with a characteristic smell of caramel.
- When everything is ready, spread the popcorn on parchment paper by spreading it on a baking sheet
- Pour soda into the caramel, the mass will begin to bubble and hiss, at this very moment pour it over the popcorn
- After hardening, you will get popcorn in a crispy glaze.
How to cook popcorn from corn in the oven, microwave, frying pan, slow cooker: cooking features, tips
A slow cooker is an assistant in the kitchen of modern housewives. It makes popcorn easy to make.
Instructions for cooking in a slow cooker:
- It is necessary to take a dry bowl and pour about 20 ml of oil into it, immediately pour in the corn
- Close the lid and turn on the “baking” mode for 7 minutes
- You need to control the crackling, as soon as it stops, remove the bowl from the device
And Microwave Instructions:
- Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a glass or ceramic container and add grains
- Shake the bowl well to distribute the oil in a thin layer.
- Add corn kernels and cover, cook 4 minutes
- Be careful not to burn the grains microwave oven it happens often
Instructions for cooking in the oven:
- Pour on a baking sheet 20 ml vegetable oil and throw out the popcorn
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and place a baking sheet in it
- Cook in a closed cabinet, turn down the heat
- When the grains stop exploding, remove the popcorn
As you can see, everything is very simple and fast. The cost of a snack is 10 times cheaper than in a cinema.
VIDEO: Popcorn at home
Popcorn in people is most often associated with a movie or a circus. What could be better than getting together with your family or loved ones to enjoy a good movie? Moments like these bring people together. But what if there is no opportunity to go to the cinema? Does watching a movie without popcorn seem like something unimaginable? Of course, there is always a way out - you need to cook it yourself! But how to make popcorn at home?
How did popcorn get into cinemas?
Everyone knows what popcorn is. This is a special variety of corn that explodes when heated. This property was discovered about three thousand years ago by the Indians. They used corn as amulets and jewelry, and also carried it with them to hunt, as popcorn is very light and quite satisfying. Of course, then it could not have occurred to them to add any spices to it. A certain fashion for popcorn started in America at the beginning of the last century, and during the Great Depression of the 30s, it entered the halls of cinemas and remains there to this day. In Russia, he appeared much later - only in the 90s.
It is curious that most often cinemas make most of their profits from the sale of popcorn, not tickets. In addition, the treat causes a strong feeling of thirst. At first, when popcorn had not yet become a mandatory attribute of the cinema, it was sold on the street in small mobile carts. Now every cinema has at least one popcorn maker, and salt, sugar, caramel, and so on can easily be added to the finished treat.
The easiest way to make popcorn
You almost never have to cook. The fact is that in the second half of the last century, cinemas began to be replaced by televisions, which were almost everyone in the house. Therefore, resourceful entrepreneurs thought and came up with a way to sell popcorn for cooking at home. The stores began to sell bags of grains, which, following the instructions, simply put in the oven. With the invention of the microwave oven, bagged popcorn began to be made for microwaves as well. Thus, the easiest way to make popcorn at home is to buy such a bag, put it in the microwave for 5 minutes and enjoy watching a movie. Of course, this is not as interesting as cooking yourself, but for lazy way ideal.
Briefly about other methods
Popcorn can be made at home in several ways. Firstly, you can use the microwave again, but on your own, without buying popcorn in a bag (semi-finished product). The second way is to cook popcorn on the stove using a frying pan or pot. Of course, each method has its own nuances and reservations, which should be given special attention.
Corn selection
Before making popcorn at home, you need to choose the right variety of corn. Of course, in theory you can use ordinary corn, but in practice the result will be much worse. First, there may be even more unexploded grains than broken ones. Secondly, the few kernels that burst are likely to be nowhere near as airy as specialty corn. Therefore, it is necessary to make the right choice even in the store.
The most successful varieties are Volcano, Lopai-lopai, Zeya and Ping-Pong. They are distinguished from other varieties by a thin but strong wall, which significantly affects the quality of the cooked popcorn. Before buying, you need to not only look at the variety, but also check the composition - there should be nothing but corn grains. Having made the right choice, you will not be disappointed in the prepared product and will not waste time in vain.
Preparatory actions
Have you chosen the desired variety and are eager to find out the recipe for popcorn at home? But this is not something that needs to be rushed. There are a few little tricks that can have a beneficial effect on the quality of the prepared treat. It is important to remember that corn kernels do not need to be washed. If you are worried about sterility, then you can not worry - processing at a high temperature will do the trick. Before cooking, it is better to remove the grains in the freezer for a couple of hours. The temperature contrast will make the popcorn airier.
While the grains are freezing, think about the dishes. You can make popcorn at home in a skillet or pot if you want to use the stovetop. Can be used for microwave plastic utensils. In both cases, you need to think about the lid. A heavy one is needed for the frying pan and pot, as popcorn explosions are quite intense, which not every lid can handle. For a microwave, you can pick up a container with a lid that closes it tightly, possibly with the help of some kind of fastening.
Sweet popcorn at home
It is sweet popcorn that is one of the most beloved and often chosen. Consider the first cooking method using the example of how to make sweet popcorn at home. You need a pot or pan with high walls and, as already mentioned, a heavy lid. You can preheat the selected dishes on the stove and remove from heat. Now pour the frozen grains into the pan. It is better to lay out no more than 1-2 layers, since the rise will be quite noticeable. Water the grains 1-2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, carefully but quickly mix with a spatula, making sure that each grain is covered with an oil film.
Then close the dishes with a tight lid, shake well several times and put on the stove. When the explosions start, the lid should never be opened. You can control the process by ear. Ready will mean an increase in the time between explosions to 3-4 seconds. As soon as this moment has come, you need to shake the pan again, let it stay on the stove for a few more seconds, and then put it aside. Try to remove the lid very carefully, without exposing your hands and face to a jet of hot steam. Pour popcorn into a large bowl and add powdered sugar or salt. Give it a couple more minutes for it to cool down. Now the treat is ready!
Cooking popcorn in the microwave
If the option with a stove for some reason does not suit you, you can use the microwave. This method makes homemade popcorn recipe even easier. The only drawback is the high calorie content compared to stovetop popcorn. The fact is that when cooking in the microwave, there will be no opportunity to shake the dishes with popcorn, so it becomes necessary to add more oil. Otherwise, the principle of action is similar to the first method.
We choose a suitable dish, pour the grains there, fill them with oil and mix thoroughly. We set the microwave power to 600-700 watts and send popcorn there, after closing the lid. Explosions will start almost immediately. Again we control the process by ear, waiting for the grains to explode approximately one at a time in 3-4 seconds. Carefully take out the popcorn, open the lid even more carefully. We choose an additive. By the way, in addition to salt and sugar, various spices are also used, for example, black pepper or nutmeg. Of course, popcorn with such a filling will be designed for amateurs, but sometimes you can experiment with different combinations. Add the desired spices, mix, now you can turn on the film.
Popcorn in a multicooker
For the happy owners of multicookers, there is another way. It's even easier here. It is enough just to fill the bottom of the multicooker with oil, put the popcorn grains in one layer and select the "Soup" mode. Cooking will not take much time, again, you can determine the degree of readiness by ear. Thus, making popcorn at home is quite simple.
caramel popcorn
For those who do not want to stick to traditional seasonings, there are many other recipes, for example, popcorn with chocolate, coconut, paprika. Among them, popcorn with caramel is very popular. It is also quite easy to prepare at home. To do this (simultaneously with the preparation of the popcorn itself), it is necessary to dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. When the resulting liquid acquires a golden hue, and the popcorn is ready, quickly pour it into the caramel and mix thoroughly. That's the whole recipe. For chocolate lovers, you can add a little cocoa to caramel to get a new one. pleasant taste and tint.
Everything is pretty simple. Now you know not only how to make popcorn at home, but also a bit of the history of this delicacy, as well as other interesting nuances. Watching movies at home is much more fun, but it's even more fun to get together early and make the perfect appetizer for any movie together!
Each of us has bought caramel popcorn more than once in a park or a movie theater, and at the same time, everyone is trying to choose for themselves corns that are as covered with caramel crust as possible. Sometimes there is a real struggle for them, because they are covered unevenly, some more - others less. And I have been preparing this delicacy at home for a long time, and I always have a lot of caramel, I don’t have to fight)). It turns out both tastier and much cheaper, since special corn grains for popcorn are quite inexpensive. There is nothing complicated in the cooking process: a few minutes - and now the family is crunching caramel popcorn.
On a note:
- both caramel and corn must be cooked at the same time, it is important that both of these components be hot;
- when preparing caramel, mixing is allowed only by rotating the pan, a spoon cannot be used for this, otherwise the crystallization process may begin, which will be irreversible;
- you need very little soda, it should only make the caramel more “loose”, which will help it to be evenly distributed.
Ingredients
- popcorn 1/2 cup
- sugar 1 stack.
- water 50 ml
- butter 50 g
- baking soda on the tip of a knife
How to make caramel popcorn
- I pour the corn into the pan, put it on medium heat and close the lid. I periodically shake the pan to turn the grains, but the lid should remain closed.
Soon, under the influence of temperature, the corn will begin to open, it will “shoot”. If you open the lid, the popcorn will scatter all over the kitchen. When the first “shots” begin, I reduce the fire to a minimum so that the grains do not burn. Over time, the pops will become less and less frequent, and after a few seconds they will stop altogether.
Pour sugar into a saucepan, pour cold water.
I put it on the fire and cook until a light caramel color. Pay attention to the amount of sugar: if you don't like classic sweet taste popcorn, reduce the amount of sand to 3/4 or half a cup.
I spread butter.
Then I add baking soda. Here you can already mix with a spoon. The mixture will immediately begin to actively foam, as it should be.
Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn.
Mix with a spatula to evenly distribute. If the corn itself is still warm, then the caramel will not harden too quickly.
I separate the cooled caramel popcorn with my hands.- Delicious homemade popcorn with caramel is ready.
The most companionable delicacy is 385 years old today! On January 22, 1630, English colonists in South America accepted a bag of popcorn as a gift from an Indian chief. Only two centuries later, Charlie Kritoz invented the Popper, a popcorn machine. And how about making popcorn at home and can you get better from it? We find out.
Having only once tried to cook popcorn on his own, the correspondent of the portal couldn't stop anymore. I cooked and cooked everything until I finally learned all the possible ways to make popcorn at home.
Not all corn can be popcorn
The first revelation was the fact that popcorn cannot be made from corn, which is grown and sold in Belarus. It turns out that you need a special variety that has a good “opening” (the ability to explode).
Why do corn kernels explode? The starchy tissue of corn contains bound water, which at temperatures above 200 ° C turns into steam - the shell expands, foams and bursts.
Where can I get popcorn grains?
On the shelves of Minsk stores you can find three types of grains for popcorn: those intended for the microwave, packaged in small bags and loose.
Grains for the microwave- the most expensive of all listed. But they already have certain tastes (honey, condensed milk, etc.) and special packaging for cooking.
Packaged in bags of 150 g unflavoured grains cost half as much. The package says to cook it in a pan.
The third type of grains - weighted. They are sold in shops with dried fruits. This is the cheapest option.
Master class from the correspondent
Grains for microwave cooking packed in paper bag. It cannot be opened. You need to put this very package directly in the center of the microwave. Make sure that the bag lies with the correct side down: the package will say which side is the bottom. The manufacturer indicates the cooking time: 3 minutes at a power of 800 W in microwave mode. We set the necessary parameters, turn on the microwave and watch: first, the package swells menacingly like a bubble, then micro-explosions are heard, which are heard more and more often, and then disappear. After three minutes, there are still many unopened grains in the bag - you can put it on for another half a minute or a minute.
You, of course, are concerned about the question, what will happen if you put the bag in the microwave a second time and try to fry unopened grains? Manufacturers do not write anything about this on the packaging. It has been experimentally established: nothing terrible will happen - the grains will be safely popped. In any case, we succeeded.
But an attempt to fry popcorn for the microwave in a regular frying pan was unsuccessful. The grains opened, but because of the presence of sweet syrup, they burned, and the whole room was filled with the smell of burnt corn. The grains themselves began to taste bitter. In general, do not try again.
Attention! Since you may encounter products different manufacturers, when preparing popcorn, carefully study the manufacturer's recommendations and follow the instructions on the package exactly.
Cooking popcorn in a pan took longer. First you need to add a little vegetable oil (you can melted butter). Pour the popcorn into the pan in a thin layer so that each grain warms up evenly. Cover with a lid and put on medium heat. Your next task is to observe. The grains will explode gradually; when the pops become very rare, you can remove it from the stove.
You can salt popcorn before and after cooking, but you need to add various seasonings and flavors only to ready-made popcorn. Otherwise, they will lose or change their taste and aroma.
According to my personal impression: microwave popcorn turned out to be more airy than packaged. Even in the photo you can see the difference in the size of the flakes. Here's the proof: the variety of corn matters a lot.
Large flakes come from Bulgaria (according to the information on the package), small flakes come from Argentina.
Preparing bulk popcorn in the microwave
In the microwave oven, you can cook completely ordinary grains. As we wrote above, they can be bought in packaged form and by weight.
We take a small handful of grains and place them in a glass dish for the microwave. In no case do not try to cook the whole package at once: the grains increase very much in volume. Add oil (vegetable or melted butter), mix and cover with a lid. Set to full power and cook for about 4 minutes.
If you see that there are a lot of unopened grains left, then add another half a minute (do not open the lid of the container).
How to make caramel popcorn
From ready-made popcorn, you can cook a wide variety of goodies. For example, on the Internet, we came across the following recipe:
“We take half a glass of brown sugar, half a glass butter and 100 grams of ready-made unsalted popcorn. Beat the sugar with the melted butter until the mixture brightens and increases in size. Then pour the popcorn into a baking dish and mix with the whipped mixture. Bake at 180 degrees for about 8 minutes (until crisp).
Can popcorn get better?
Whether popcorn is good or bad is still being debated. One thing is true: if you eat tons of it every day, then you should not expect anything good. But still, this option is better than all sorts of chips and snacks, after all, popcorn is a whole grain.
Popcorn is criticized for its high calorie content. But this applies to popcorn cooked in special machines. Homemade popcorn is low in calories.
We look at the packaging of microwave popcorn with the taste of condensed milk and are horrified: the energy value 500 kcal(proteins 8 g, fats 27 g, carbohydrates 60 g). Apparently, the reason for such a high calorie content is sweet syrup.
We take a package from regular popcorn: energy value of only some 99.6 Kcal(proteins - 3.2 g, fats 1.2, carbohydrates 19).
Conclusion: if you want to get dietary product, prepare pure grain popcorn (unflavored) and do not add to finished product sugar or syrup.
100 g of grains is enough for a large deep bowl of popcorn.
P.S. Popcorn is best consumed by a large company under an interesting spectacle. Gather your friends to watch a football match, prepare a huge bowl of popcorn and enjoy watching.
Olga Artishevskaya