Popcorn Supplies

16 billion quarts

Americans consume some 16 billion quarts of popcorn every year. That’s 140 quarts of this favorite snack per household, per year.

corn belt

Most of the world’s popcorn is grown in the United States corn belt of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska and Ohio.Popcorn comes in two varieties: snowflake and mushroom. Snowflake is usually used in movie theatres and ballparks because it is more fluffy. Mushroom is used for candy confections because it doesn’t crumble.

55 calories per cup

Oil-popped is only 55 calories per cup. Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup. Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories, so eat away.

maize

Popcorn is a type of maize (or corn), a member of the grass family, and is scientifically known as Zea mays var.

popcorn button

Most microwave ovens have a “popcorn” control button, since popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens.

popcorn high jump

How high popcorn kernels can pop? Up to 3 feet in the air.

popcorn trail

If you made a trail of popcorn from New York City to Los Angeles, you would need more than 352,028,160 popped kernels!

hull-less

There is no such thing as “hull-less” popcorn. All popcorn needs a hull in order to pop. Some varieties of popcorn have been bred so the hull shatters upon popping, making it appear to be hull-less.

popability

“Popability” is popcorn lingo that refers to the percentage of kernels that pop.

popcorn blues

The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall.

is all corn popcorn?

Many people believe the acres of corn they see in the Midwest during growing season could be picked and eaten for dinner, or dried and popped. In fact, those acres are typically field corn, which is used largely for livestock feed, and differs from both sweet corn and popcorn.

what is pericarp?

Popcorn differs from other types of maize/corn in that is has a thicker pericarp/hull. The hull allows pressure from the heated water to build and eventually bursts open. The inside starch becomes gelatinous while being heated; when the hull bursts, the gelatinized starch spills out and cools, giving it its familiar popcorn shape.

If you like your popcorn hot, try sriracha!

What you need:
1 cup coconut oil
½ cup popcorn kernels
¾ cup honey
3 tablespoons sriracha
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup honey roasted peanuts

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Line two pans with parchment or foil.

In a large pot, heat the ¼ cup of coconut oil and then add the popcorn kernels. Put the lid on and cook the popcorn over medium heat until all of the kernels have popped. Move the popcorn off of the burner, add the peanuts and set aside.

In a 2 quart saucepan, add the remaining coconut oil and the honey and bring to a boil. Let cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 4-5 minutes.

Turn the heat off and add the sriracha, salt, vanilla and baking soda. Stir rapidly as it will foam up.
Immediately add the syrup to the popcorn and peanuts and toss well, coating the popcorn as evenly as possible.

Divide the popcorn between the two sheetpans and bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes and rotating the sheet pans. The finished popcorn will be a deeper color and it will be crispy. When you first pull the popcorn out you can press clumps together or leave alone and it will be like caramel corn.

Let the popcorn cool completely and then serve to snack on or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Popcorn seasoning includes a variety of seasonings used to add flavor to popcorn.

There are several companies in United states, that manufacture popcorn seasoning for commercial and consumer markets.

Popcorn seasonings are mostly used to enhance the flavor of popcorn.
Some are used to add a buttery flavor to America’s favourite snack.
Most of them use salt as a ingredient, especially in so called popcorn seasoning salts.

Significant amounts are often used to ensure the adequate flavoring of popcorn, due to popcorn’s low density.
Sometimes, seasoning is used to add color to popcorn.
There are multitude of popcorn seasoning flavours, like:

Popcorn Seasoning – Jalapeno
Popcorn Seasoning – Nacho Cheese
Popcorn Seasoning – Kettle Corn
Popcorn Seasoning – White Cheddar

Dry popcorn seasoning may be finely granulated to enable even dispersion upon popcorn.

Some oils used to cook popcorn contain popcorn seasonings mixed within the oil.
They are usually referred to as popcorn seasoning oils or liquid popcorn seasoning.

Liquid popcorn oils, toppings and seasonings may require some dispensers to keep them hot and liquid.
Check this hot beverage/topping dispenser.
If you need a business grade, this ProStyle Warmer with Pump may do the job better.

Common homemade popcorn seasoning ingredients include salt and melted butter.
Some popcorn seasoning products may be referred to as popcorn salt.

Popping methods

Part of the “design” of popcorn is the method used to pop it.

The dry method consists of putting the unpopped grain in a basket or wire cage, agitating it over a heat source like the campfire or coal stove, allowing the corn to pop, and seasoning it with butter and salt.

In the wet-pop method, corn is placed in a container with a solid bottom. Oil is added (either before the corn or poured on top), and the oil helps to distribute the heat and cause more even and complete popping.

Commercial popping machines use the wet-pop method, and coconut oil is used for its aroma and lightness.

Microwave popcorn also uses the wet-pop method, although the moisture is present in a solidified form of oil, flavoring, and salt that melts when the microwaving process begins.

What do we do with poppind byproduct?

Well, they do not go to waste.
Cobs, husks, and stalks are sold for use as feed for cattle and other animals, so very little waste remains from popcorn cultivation and processing.
Popcorn is a real “green” king.

Have you ever wondered what’s going on inside your bag of microwave popcorn, when you actually put it into a microwave?

Let’s see what makes popcorn pop.

Popcorn belongs to a corn family, like wheat for instance with one signifficant difference – it pops, when heated.

Each kernel of popcorn has a tiny droplet of moisture surrounded by a hard shell called a hull.

As the popcorn is heated, the water turns into steam, which builds pressure inside the kernel.
Pretty much like inside of a steam engine.
You heat water, you build pressure and …. here your train goes.

When pressure inside of a hull reaches the point the hull cannot hold together any longer, kernel pops.
During pressure building, hot steam cooks inside of a kernel, so while it pops hot inside of it extends and cools creating that fluffy and very tasty content.

Americans consume more popcorn than any other country in the world today.
Popcorn came to what it is at the moment with a bit of a help of centerpiece of popculture – a tv set.
It was a marriage made in heaven as popcorn is a great salty snack to go with watching your favourite sports, or soap opera.

Popcorn was a part of American culture, long before era of couch potatoes. Some historians even suggest Native Americans introduced the Pilgrims to popcorn when they brought it to the first Thanksgiving feast.

As to history, archaeologists have found popcorn kernels in New Mexican caves they believe to be more than 4,000 years old, suggesting this savory snack has been a part of cultures around the world for centuries.

Of course, there is no better popcorn, than the one you make yourself.
Its fresh, hot and you can control quality.
You can serve it in a bowl, but also take a look at these quality bags.
If you plan a movie night, or a few friends come over to watch your favourite team, you may serve your popcorn in a special popcorn cups.

I know people, who can make just about anything with peanut butter.
That includes their peanut butter and whatever comes to your head sandwiches.

This receipe comes from such a person.

Here is what you need – of course, you can make more of it by multiplying ingredients:
100g Popcorn kernels
2 Tbs Peanut Butter
65g Brown Sugar
3 Tbs Maple Syrup
2 Tsp Salt
Cooking Oil

Now, if you’d like to experiment a bit with flavours, you can replace maple syrup with one of these flavoured syrups.

Standard salt can be replaces by some flavoured salt, just do not mix too many different flavours.

Cooking oil can be supplemented by special oil mix, just right for popcorn.

Now, lets go popping.
First you need a large saucepan
Pour in a thin layer of oil into it, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
Heat on a medium temperature until its hot, but do not burn it.

Add in the kernels, make sure they are all covered in the oil, then put on the lid and wait for cannonade!
A suggestion: do not lift the lid … you’ve been warned:)

Once all kernels have popped, move your popcorn to a bowl to cool down.

Get another pan and heat sugar and syrup together until completely dissolved.
Add peanut butter and melt it completely.

Now it is time to make it salty. Receipe calls for 2 table spoons, but you can add as much as you (and you taste buds) enjoy the most.

Once you have your syrup ready, take off the heat and immediately pour over the popcorn and start to stir and cover all the popcorn quickly as it sets fast.

And that is pretty much all.
Enjoy.

Microwave popcorn is cheap, fast to prepare and convenient.

However what you save at cash register you may have to leave in doctors office.

One of the most popular snacks in America is laced with diacetyl, a synthetic butter flavouring added to the product.
This additive is very harmful to your health, especially in gaseous state

People who work in the factories developed a problem called “popcorn lung” from inhaling the gases with the diacetyl in it.
Also people who make microwave popcorn frequently can develop lung problems.

Another problem is PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid), a chemical that lines the bag.

More 20 percent of this chemical in our bodies comes from microwave popcorn.
It greatly increases chances of developing thyroid issues, high cholesterol and bladder cancer.

Does that mean that popcorn is a bad choice?
Of course not!
Popcorn tops even fruits and vegetables in antioxidant levels.

There is a junk food and there is a good food.
Same applies to popcorn.

Just get a quality popcorn and prepare it the right way, preferably in purpose built equipment.

Many people cannot enjoy popcorn due to some health conditions.
If you suffer from digestive problems such as Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis or Irritable Bowl Syndrome, or dental restrictions like dentures, orthodontics or other fragile dental work, popcorn is not something you can freely enjoy.

Hulless popcorn could come to the rescue.

But you can say: “hulless” popcorn doesn’t exist.

All popcorn kernels have a hull (the skin that holds the kernel together), and without it popping corn would not exist either. The hulless variety is a special breed that has the smallest, thinnest, most fragile hull of all the varieties of popcorn.

Some popcorn has so thin hull, that it actually looks like a rice.
This variety of hulless popcorn has kernels that are miniature and white and it’s healthier and easier on the colon than regular popcorn.
For people who have digestive problems, it’s a great snack.

Hulless popcorn has much smaller kernels compared to regular popcorn which may provide smaller pieces, but they are easier to digest and won’t get stuck in your teeth like the hard, stiff hulls of regular popcorn. The hull is destroyed during the popping process so all that’s left is the center of crunchy goodness.

The hulless variety won’t cause breakage in orthodonture, become lodged in a denture bridge or break teeth, as some standard variety are known to do.

Compared to other snack foods, popcorn is healthy, nutritious and low in calories.

It has a high quality carbohydrate that’s high in fiber.
This means it takes longer to chew and makes you feel full longer.

Air-popped popcorn provides only 30 calories per cup. When popped in oil (such as coconut oil, which is widely used in popcorn machines), it contains only 55 calories.

Even with butter, it’s only 90 to 120 calories per cup.

So, popcorn away!

In general …

In the early days of 1912, almost 20 thousands of acres (some 8 thousands of hectares) of arable land was used to grow this “gold of prairie”.
With introduction of modern appliances like electric popcorn machine and microwave, which made popping corn easy and fast.

These 2 inventions turned America into a popcorn hungry “beast”, consuming 1 billion pounds ++ every year. This is a popping 70 something quarts every year per every person – including newborns, so actually it is much more per actually consuming popcorn person.
The states of Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio lead the field. Of the volume grown in the United States, 10% is used for seed and sold outside the United States.
Once sports and movie going culture established itself on North American continent some 30% of popped corn is being consumed by hungry fans and viewers. That makes a lot used up popcorn bags and cups in need of replacement.

Selection of the best variety or hybrid of popcorn to be grown and processed for the kind of popcorn to be sold is critical to the raw materials comprising popcorn. In some forms of popcorn, the corn itself is the only raw material. For other methods of marketing popcorn such as microwave popcorn, soybean oil, salt, and flavoring are also needed.

So try these great seasoning salts and toppings.

Let’s make some chocolate popcors.

Great, tasty … not too caries rich.
Is it possible?
Sure it is.

Chocolate Popcorn
Servings: 1 | Calories per serving: 170
Fat: 3.0 g (Sat Fat: 1.0 g) | Carbohydrate: 34.5 g | Fiber: 8.0 g| Protein: 6.0 g

 

Here’s what we need:

2 tablespoons unpopped popcorn kernels
½ tablespoon mini chocolate chips
1 packet Diet Swiss Miss hot chocolate (or other diet hot chocolate)
Now, what to do:

step 1:
Place the popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag and fold the edge over 3 times.

step 2:
Place the lunch bag down lengthwise in the microwave and set for 2-3 minutes. Remove the popcorn once you start hearing 3-5 second pauses between pops.

step 3:
Remove the popcorn from the microwave and while it’s still hot, add in the hot chocolate and chocolate chips. Shake the bag to distribute evenly.

Now you can enjoy great popcorn without your tummy getting bigger.