popcorn

Ingredients

• 2/3 c popping corn kernels
• 5 tbsp neutral oil (canola, coconut, etc)
• 1 tbsp room-temperature butter
• 2 tbsp salt (or to taste)

Hardware

• Stock pot with lid (6 qt min)
• Pot holders
• Sealable 6 qt container (or size as appropriate for leftovers)

Instructions

1. Place stock pot on high burner and add in oil.
2. When the oil starts to shimmer, place in 4-5 individual corn kernels. There should be a little bubbling as the heated kernel gives off steam. Do not place the kernels in too early because they run the risk of not popping.
3. Don’t stare into the stock pot because those few kernels will (not can…WILL) cause oil to splash about!!
4. Once the first one pops put in the butter.
5. Immediately add the 2/3 c kernels then put the lid on the stock pot.
6. Every 10-15 seconds give the stock pot a good horizontal shake to make sure kernels heat evenly. Hold the lid in place while doing this.
7. When the kernels start to pop (10 seconds to almost a minute after adding kernels) increase the shaking to every 5-10 seconds. This will allow the heavier, uncooked kernels work their way under the lighter, popped kernels.
8. Continue to shake the container periodically until the popping sound slows down.
9. When the popping intervals range on several seconds between each pop, remove from heat and continue to shake for another 10 seconds.
10. Pour popcorn into serving bowls or sealable container. Don’t keep popcorn in the cooking vessel as it could start to burn.
11. Season with salt and/or a lovely popcorn topping.
12. Allow to cool for a 2-3 minutes before serving.
13. Left over popcorn stores for around a week in a well-sealed container.