In cinemas, popcorn is often sold before sessions. Salty, with a taste of cheese or sweet, caramel. It’s so delicious to watch an exciting thriller or melodrama for this cinema snack. Popcorn is also sold in parks. True, it is already cooled and therefore not so tasty. A logical question arises: "Is it possible to make popcorn at home?" So it will be hot (start frying it 5-10 minutes before sitting in front of the TV) and much cheaper. Indeed, in fact, popcorn is simply corn grains.
From prefabricated
I don’t know where, how, but in Ukraine there is such a good deal in bulk. A variety of tastes, and the price is low. We buy packaging and follow the instructions. Such popcorn at home is easy to prepare. There is a paper bag in a plastic bag. It must be shaken so that flavor enhancers, emulsifiers and stabilizers are evenly distributed between the grains of corn. Then put the paper bag in the microwave or preheated oven. Be sure to side with the seam down. We set the power and time indicated on the package. Then shake again and send for a minute to the oven.
In the microwave
Homemade Popcorn Cooking possible in two ways: in a pan or in a microwave. Let's start with the second, lighter. But first, make a reservation: not every kind of corn is suitable for popcorn. Mamalyga, banosh prepared from dry grain. And for a movie treat you need corn, in which there is water in a bound state. It is she who explodes with a deafening crash, which makes the small grain turn into a swollen air popcorn. I was surprised that corn was brought to Belarus for popcorn from Bulgaria and even ... from Argentina. Because the local grain does not want to explode. Very patient, probably.
Microwave popcorn at home cook like that. At the bottom of a glass pan with a lid, corn grains are poured. Count the amount based on the volume of your dishes: a liter of popcorn comes out of 25 g of seeds. Sprinkle with vegetable or melted butter, sprinkle with salt. Close tightly with a lid and put in the oven. With a power of 800 W, 4-5 minutes of cooking are enough. First, rare, then frequent pops are heard. When they subside, wait another minute.
Fry popcorn at home in a pan
This method will require more time and effort. Pour a little vegetable oil into the pan, salt and put on fire. When the fat warms up, pour the grains, quickly, until they start to shoot in different directions, close the lid. The fire must be strong, despite the deafening explosions of discontented corn. From time to time, we need to twist and shake the pan (the lid should be tightly pressed). When pops become rare, the dish is ready.
Give the taste
If everything went well, you got a simple, slightly brackish popcorn. How to give it a taste of cheese, mushrooms, etc.? Children, for example, love sweet popcorn. At home, if you do not use a semi-finished product, various flavors and seasonings are put into the finished product. However, if salt, herbs and black pepper with nutmeg do not affect the consistency of the product, then cheese and powdered sugar greatly reduce its crisp properties. For caramel popcorn, take brown sugar and butter (in a 1: 1 ratio), grind until smooth and mix with ready-made popcorn. Place on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, bake for eight minutes at 180 degrees.