Popcorn, or puffed corn, is loved by both children and adults. According to nutritionists, homemade popcorn is healthier than store-bought popcorn. Especially if you use natural corn grains. To please your loved ones, you can prepare this delicacy yourself, at home.

What you will need

To make popcorn at home, you will need the following ingredients:

• 100 g natural corn grains
• powdered sugar or salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

You will also need dishes - a large-diameter deep frying pan or a thick-walled saucepan with a lid.

How to make popcorn at home

Place the corn kernels in the freezer in advance. Refrigerate them for at least 20 minutes. If possible, increase the freezing time of the grains to 2-3 hours.

After this, put a deep saucepan on the fire, the volume should be at least 2 liters. If you don't have a suitable pan, use a wide frying pan with high sides. A cast iron skillet is great for making popcorn. Although it warms up slowly, it retains the high temperature well.

You can cook popcorn not only on a regular stove, but also in the microwave

Heat a frying pan or saucepan over high heat without adding oil. To check the heat level, add a drop of water to the bottom of the pan. If the water begins to sizzle and evaporate quickly, the pot or pan is hot enough. Remove it from the heat and then place it on a trivet. Do not reduce the fire or turn it off.

Now remove the corn from the refrigerator. Carefully and quickly pour the grains into the pan. The corn should only cover the bottom of the pan in one layer, otherwise there won't be enough room for it to heat up. Pour vegetable oil over the grains. Use cold-pressed olive or refined sunflower oil.

Close the container tightly with a lid, then shake the pan thoroughly several times so that all the grains can be evenly saturated with oil. And put the dishes on the fire again. As a result of a sharp change in temperature from low to high, corn kernels will explode sharply and quickly. Almost all of them will burst, open, and also turn inside out.

After 30–40 seconds, the first pops from the pan will be heard: the corn kernels will begin to open. At first the explosions will be sporadic, and then more and more frequent. During this period, it is strictly forbidden to open the lid of the dish. Otherwise, you may get burned by corn kernels jumping out of the pan or hot steam. In addition, grains can suddenly spill out of the dishes onto the floor.

After about 3-4 minutes the explosions will finally stop and the corn will be fluffy. Its cooking time may vary slightly depending on more or less raw grains used. It's best to listen by ear: if the popping noises in the bowl stop, it means the popcorn is ready.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully open the lid to release any remaining steam. Sprinkle the popcorn with powdered sugar, salt, or other seasonings of your choice. Place the lid back on the product and shake thoroughly. As a result, the seasoning will be evenly distributed throughout the corn kernels. Transfer the finished popcorn into a wide glass bowl or serve it in portions in deep plastic glasses.

For children, you can make sweet popcorn by flavoring it with jam, syrup, melted chocolate or caramel

Popcorn is a low-calorie and very nutritious dish, but its main advantage is that it can be cooked at home. To do this, you will need a frying container, corn and a few ingredients to taste. And in just a few minutes the dish will be ready.

Corn for popcorn

They showed the world popcorn, which hundreds of years before the discovery of the continent heated the grains on stones. After this kind of frying, delicious crispy flakes were formed. In Europe, this dish originated in Ukraine. Local residents made popcorn from homemade corn and called it rams.

However, not all types of grains are ideal for roasting. Therefore, before you make popcorn from corn, you need to choose the right crop. Culinary experts advise frying only wild varieties, since their grains have a stronger and more elastic shell. Regular kettle corn is not suitable for popcorn. These types of grains quickly burst before they have time to roast properly.

It is recommended to make popcorn from the so-called “wild” popcorn. Uncultivated corn kernels have a tough shell that can withstand high temperatures. They also contain a large amount of fiber and starch. The advantage of wild varieties is that the water inside the grain has time to optimally heat up and turn into steam before the shell bursts. When the pressure reaches its maximum, the pulp is poured out and instantly fried. It is noteworthy that making corn popcorn at home is several times cheaper than buying it ready-made in a store.

Nutritional value

It is generally accepted that popcorn is a high-calorie food, which makes it unsuitable for diet. This is actually misleading, as 100 grams of roasted grains contain only 300 calories. As for nutrients, three quarters of them are carbohydrates, the remaining share is divided between fats and proteins.

Popcorn made from regular corn contains slightly more calories than popcorn made from wild corn. This dish is up to 520 calories. Popcorn also contains iron, riboflavin and thiamine, but the main component beneficial to the body is fiber, which makes up approximately 15 percent of the total mass of the product.

Popcorn in its traditional form does not contain harmful substances and is ideal for dieting. It’s another matter when spices or oil are added to a dish, then you definitely can’t expect any benefits, and it can hardly be called low-calorie. Some people make popcorn for dessert by mixing it with sugar or syrup. The energy value of such a dish can reach up to 900 calories per 100 grams.

It is allowed to fry grains in butter or as it withstands heat treatment well. It is important that the cooking utensils are always covered with a lid. To heat the grains evenly, shake the pan (saucepan) slightly, if possible. And don’t forget: the more oil, the higher the calorie content and the lower the vitamin value of the dish.

Harm or benefit

There are various rumors about the effect of popcorn on the human body. For example, Madonna herself has repeatedly claimed that it was he who allowed her to get into ideal shape after giving birth. In addition, nutritionists around the world unanimously say that fried corn kernels do not have many calories, but are very nutritious. They also contain a lot of fiber, which significantly reduces the risk of stomach cancer and various heart diseases.

On the other hand, before making corn popcorn, it is important to know the disadvantages of this dish. In itself, it is harmless, but not a single cooking option is complete without adding seasonings. For example, diacytyl flavoring is widely used, which is considered a very strong allergen and negatively affects the lungs. Another disadvantage is the chemicals that are used to fertilize the fields. This method of increasing productivity is especially in demand in a number of countries in Europe and America.

You should not risk eating popcorn on an empty stomach or in large portions at once. An excess of corn in the diet can worsen the condition of people prone to varicose veins. It is recommended to consume this dish no more than 2-3 times a week on a full stomach.

How is popcorn made?

You can fry grains in any heat-resistant container. Popcorn made from regular corn is typically popped in a skillet. To do this, heat it up, pour in a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, add a pinch of salt or sugar, and only then the grains. It is important that the lid is placed on the pan before the corn starts popping. Fry only on low heat. On average, preparing one serving takes up to 10 minutes.

Some people resort to using household appliances. How to cook with corn All you need is 2 teaspoons of oil. You should pour no more than a third of a regular glass of grains into the multicooker at a time. It is not recommended to use salt as it will corrode the coating of the bowl.

You can make popcorn even faster. It is important here that the container has high sides. This method produces the highest calorie product, since all the grains must be covered with oil, and shaking the container will not be possible. Two minutes is enough to prepare one serving.

How to make popcorn from corn in a saucepan? This is the most popular method among housewives, as it does not require additional equipment or special skills. The only downside is that it takes a lot of time to prepare. To fry, fill the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of oil. Here you can safely add salt directly to the pan. You won’t be able to fry a lot of grains at one time, but there will be fewer unopened ones.

Making popcorn

You can make a delicious, airy delicacy at home without much difficulty. A tall saucepan with a lid is ideal for this. Before making popcorn from corn, you need to dry the kernels well. Avid cooks also advise keeping them in the freezer for about an hour so that the pressure when opening over heat is stronger.

For 100 grams of corn use 2 tbsp. spoons of butter, preferably butter. Add seasoning or salt to taste. The grains are poured evenly onto the hot bottom of the pan, after which they are covered with a lid. Fry only on low heat. You need to shake the container slightly so that all the grains are saturated with oil. After 2-3 minutes, when the corn stops “exploding,” you can lift the lid and start frying a new portion.

Caramel popcorn

Many people prefer sweet treats to salty ones. But how do you make popcorn from corn so that it's caramelized and literally melts in your mouth? To do this you will need a small saucepan, or better yet a small cauldron. For a quarter cup of corn there are 4 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of water, 1/2 spoon of soda and a glass of sugar. It would also be a good idea to add a little lemon juice.

This popcorn is fried in the traditional way in oil with the lid closed. To make caramel, you will need another pan in which water and sugar are mixed. Cook the mixture until it becomes a homogeneous viscous mass, stirring constantly. As soon as the caramel is ready, you need to quickly add soda to it. Then foam forms from the sweet mass, which must be mixed with popcorn. The dish will cool for about 5-7 minutes.

Spicy popcorn

Its peculiarity lies in the long list of ingredients. The recipe includes corn kernels, syrup, vanilla, salt, sugar, oil and chili pepper. To begin with, it is recommended to make a spicy dressing. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 25 grams of butter, 50 ml, 2 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of vanilla and a pinch of pepper in a vessel. This whole mass is cooked over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Only after preparing the dressing can you start popping the corn popcorn. Before serving, pour hot syrup over the opened grains.

Exotic popcorn sweets

In the East, fried corn kernels are usually eaten with raisins or sweet nuts. Such dishes turn out to be very appetizing and satisfying. Before making oriental popcorn from corn, you need to prepare the icing and other ingredients.

For 1 cup of grains you need 1/2 cup of nuts and raisins, 300 grams of chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter. The corn is roasted at the same time as the nuts. Then the raisins are added and the popcorn is filled with melted chocolate. Served on small plates in the form of cakes.

To make popcorn from regular corn, you need to dry the grains well on a radiator and cool them in the freezer (about an hour) before cooking.

The lid of the saucepan (frying pan) should fit snugly against the edges of the container.

Popcorn cooks faster in the microwave, but on a regular stove it turns out fluffier.

You can season it with any spices and syrups, but all such additives will affect the calorie content of the dish.

Popcorn is one of the most favorite foods not only for children, but also for many adults. Let's find out how to grow popcorn corn yourself, what varieties are suitable for this and how to care for them.

Corn varieties for popcorn

Not all corn varieties are suitable for making popcorn. Such grains should open when heated, and not simply burst, like regular corn, so only those varieties are suitable whose grains contain little starch and, accordingly, have a thinner shell. When frying, the moisture inside them expands and at the moment of bursting, the resulting steam fluffs the pulp of the grains. Information on the best corn varieties for popcorn is provided below.

Did you know? Corn is the only one among all plants whose fruits contain gold. By the way, this valuable microelement has a beneficial effect on brain activity.

• ripening: early (80 days);
• plant height: 2–2.2 m;
• cob length: 20–23 cm;
• grains: yellow, medium;
• resistance to drought and lodging: high;
• Suitable for hot, dry places.

Main characteristics of the variety:

• ripening: early (80 days);
• plant height: up to 1.8 m;
• cob length: 18–20 cm;
• grains: burgundy or dark red, wide, pointed tip.

Main characteristics of the variety:

• ripening: medium-early (100–110 days);
• plant height: 1.8–2 m;
• cob length: 12–15 cm;
• grains: small, yellow.

Main characteristics of the variety:

• ripening: early (80 days);
• plant height: 1–1.2 m;
• cob length: up to 15 cm;
• grains: small, neat, mahogany shade;
• taste: excellent;
• highly decorative, used in flower arrangements.

Main characteristics of the variety:

• plant height: 1.5–1.7 m;
• cob length: 18–21 cm;
• grains: yellow, wide, elongated;
• productivity: high.

Main characteristics of the variety:

• ripening: early (80 days);
• plant height: up to 1.6 m;
• cob length: 10–12 cm;
• grains: pale orange;
• productivity: high;
• drought resistance: low;
• disease resistance: good;
• requires well-fertilized soil.

Main characteristics of the variety:

• ripening: medium-early (85–90 days);
• plant height: up to 2 m;
• cob length: 20–22 cm;
• grains: yellow, oval, rice-shaped;
• drought resistance: high;
• resistant to cold and disease.

Corn cultivation

Although corn for popcorn is sold in almost all stores, it is much more pleasant and cheaper to grow it yourself. Moreover, it is quite simple, you just need to comply with some conditions.

Did you know? Corn grains contain a large amount of fiber, which improves the functioning of the digestive system and reduces cholesterol in the blood.

Landing

The crop is planted in well-warmed soil, so the timing of its planting depends on the climate of the area. This usually happens in May. Since all varieties of puffed corn love warmth, they are grown in steppe and forest-steppe climatic zones. Such areas are often characterized by strong winds, therefore, to prevent lodging of plants, they should be planted on any type of soil, except sandy and loose. Since the crop does not tolerate excess moisture well, it is also better to avoid planting it in lowlands on alumina soils.

There are several other features of growing puffed corn:

• You should not plant a crop in one place for two years in a row;
• good predecessors of corn are tomatoes, potatoes, beets, carrots and other root vegetables;
• the yield of a crop planted in 1 row will be quite low;
• the optimal number of rows of plants is 4–5;
• The root system is severely inhibited by weeds, weeding is required.

After choosing a suitable site, you should loosen the soil on it to a depth of about 10 cm and, one day before planting, add nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 150 g per 10 m² of area. Next you need to prepare the grains. First, they should be sorted, removing all the bad and damaged ones. Good seed should be soaked in a slightly warm, weak solution of potassium permanganate for about a day. During this time, the grains should swell.

Important! Unnecessary pollination can be avoided by planting popcorn corn as far away from sweet corn as possible.

2–3 corn grains are planted in a hole to a depth of 2–3 cm. The next hole is placed at a distance of 50 cm from the previous one, the step between rows should be about 50 cm. Depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations, planting patterns of 40x60 cm and 30x70 cm are allowed. The first ones Plant sprouts can be expected after 10–12 days.

Cob care

Caring for the crop consists of watering, fertilizing and weeding. The frequency of watering depends on the climate, usually 1-2 waterings per week are enough for plants. Water only at the roots. High crop yields are impossible without fertilizers. 3-4 weeks after the emergence of seedlings in the 5-6 leaf phase, organic fertilizers or liquid urea should be applied. Before the appearance of “tassels”, corn is fed with nitrophoska or azofoska, and during the formation of cobs - with potassium and nitrogen.
One of the main enemies of a crop is weeds, which take up a lot of the plant’s resources and weaken its root system, so the area should not be allowed to become overgrown. Weeding in and between rows should be done approximately 3-4 times during the growing season. If your plants are bothered by pests, then special products from stores for gardeners and gardeners will help fight them.

Important! The flowering of the crop is accompanied by the appearance of panicles and ears in the leaf axils. Since corn is wind pollinated, when it is completely calm, you should shake the stem of each plant a little.

How to tell if corn is ripe

Corn cobs can be harvested when they are completely dry on the stalks and have almost reached the “seed” stage. Then the shell of the grains becomes hard and glassy. The timing of full ripening depends on the time of planting and can range from late summer to mid-autumn.

Harvesting

Corn cobs are broken off the stalks right in the “clothes”, which are removed only before being sent for storage. Raw cobs should not be broken, because if they reach condition outside the plant, this will have a bad effect on the opening of the grains. To grow really light popcorn with minimal losses, you should wait until the heads of corn are well dry. This will ensure grain opening at 95%.

How to dry corn for popcorn

In order for the corn to reach the desired condition, the harvested crop is kept in a dry and cool place for about a month. After this, you should place the heads of cabbage in bags made of fabric or thick paper and send them to a room where it will be dry and cool. Corn is stored directly on the cob. Proper storage of grains ensures their moisture content is 15–20%.

Making popcorn

Making popcorn is not very difficult. To do this, you don't need a lot of time or a full set of kitchen utensils. Moreover, you can cook this aromatic puffed corn both in the microwave and on a regular stove. Let's look at both methods.

Did you know? People owe the appearance of microwave ovens to popcorn. American Percy Spencer discovered that corn kernels “explode” when exposed to microwave radiation. After making sure that it worked on other products, Spencer received a patent for his invention in 1946.

Microwave preparation:

1. Pour a little sunflower oil into the container.
2. Pour corn kernels into it and mix well.
3. Distribute the grains over the bottom of the container in an even layer.
4. Cover with a lid and place in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.

Video: making popcorn in the microwave

Cooking on the stove:

1. Heat a deep container with a small amount of sunflower oil on the stove.
2. Pour corn kernels into it, mix, spread in an even layer and close tightly with a lid.
3. When the grains begin to “explode,” turn off the heat and leave the covered container on the stove until all the grains open.
4. If desired, you can add a little salt, powdered sugar, vanilla, pepper or caramel to the finished hot popcorn.

Video: Making popcorn on the stove

Now you know how easy it is to make popcorn from corn you grow yourself. This process is real creativity, because with the help of different additives you can come up with new flavors of puffed corn: sweet, salty, hot or piquant. At the same time, the advantages of the product remain unchanged - excellent taste and low calorie content.

Do you like popcorn? I love it very much, and this is one of the most compelling reasons to go to the cinema. Previously, I always bought only the finished product, so imagine my surprise when I found out that it can be easily made at home from a special variety of corn called “Vulcan”.

This corn can be grown in your garden if you live in a private house, bought in a supermarket (it turns out that it is sold in bags in the form of hulled seeds) or from grandmothers at the market on the cob (the latter is preferable).

I’ll tell you further how to get an airy delicacy from small grains, but for now I’ll share my impressions of the finished dessert.

It happens that you tried a dish in a cafe or restaurant, and liked it so much that you wanted to cook it at home. In the end it turned out very tasty, but a little different from the restaurant. So, in our case, the opposite happens - homemade popcorn turns out much tastier.

After all, at home we use only high-quality oil and corn grown in the garden without pesticides and other harmful substances. In addition, you can eat popcorn immediately after cooking, which means it will be fresh and still hot.

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Quantity: 1 serving

Ingredients

• Corn seeds on the cob: 150 g
• Vegetable oil: 3 tbsp. l.
• Powdered sugar: 4 tbsp. l. with a slide

Cooking instructions

First, make sure the corn kernels are dry. If they are even slightly damp, dry the raw materials. To do this, spread the grains on clean paper and leave them in a dry, ventilated place.



Heat 1 tbsp in a frying pan. a spoonful of butter. When it starts to crackle a little, add a third of the corn and reduce the heat to medium.

Popcorn should be cooked in small batches so that the kernels are evenly heated and popped.



Cover the pan with a lid. Soon the seeds will begin to “shoot” strongly (I advise you to use a glass lid, it will be convenient to monitor the process, and it will be an interesting sight).



When the process comes to an end, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the popped corn into a dry container, pour the vegetable fat back into the frying pan and repeat the procedure with a new portion.



When all the grains become airy, mix them with powdered sugar.



By the way, making popcorn at home allows you to experiment from the heart and add to it only sugar, but also salt, various spices and herbs.

Today everyone knows what popcorn or puffed corn is. The name comes from the English words corn - “corn”, pop - “to burst with a bang”. The honor of discovering this dish belongs to the Indians, who were the first to discover the fact that a grain of maize, when thrown into a fire, explodes, turning into delicious, airy white flowers.

IMPORTANT! Corn explodes due to the presence of a drop of starch and water in it. When heated, this water boils, and the hot steam ruptures the shell, causing the grain to increase in volume.

There are many different types of popcorn:

• Sweet.
• Salty.
• With butter.
• With cheese.
• Color.
• Caramelized.

What variety do you need?

So how do you make popcorn at home? Before you begin production, you need to purchase the right variety of corn.

For popcorn, grains of a separate variety, the so-called popcorn, are used. It differs from ordinary cobs in having a thinner and at the same time stronger shell, and is rich in proteins and fats (read about what can be prepared from corn on the cob).

A strong wall guarantees that the grain will not crack immediately, but will first warm up thoroughly and open beautifully, greatly increasing in volume. In this variety, up to 99% of the grains open when cooked!

There are the following varieties of corn for popcorn:

1. Volcano.
2. Gobble, gobble.
3. Zeya - the variety is also interesting for its burgundy color.
4. Ping pong.

REFERENCE! You can buy special grains for popcorn at the supermarket, and if you plan to grow it yourself, it will be enough to plant some of the above varieties next to regular corn.

People often wonder whether popcorn can be made from regular corn. Yes, theoretically this is possible. But in practice this is not worth doing. Corn grains can simply burn - this is what most often happens to inexperienced housewives, and it’s good if they don’t burn anyone.

And even if the experiment succeeds, conventional varieties of corn will have far fewer kernels exploding, and those that do pop will be very different from the popcorn you are used to in appearance and size.

So purchasing special raw materials will save a lot of time, nerves and eliminate the waste of products.

Fodder varieties of corn are definitely not suitable for popcorn, but it makes sense to experiment with a wild plant. It will look like a smaller copy of a regular plant - a cob about the size of your palm, not only yellow, but also black, white or even multi-colored.

Instructions

Traditionally, popcorn is cooked on a hot frying pan or in a saucepan with a lot of oil. In public places, this delicacy is made in an air-heated machine (popper), which reduces the risk of the dish burning to a minimum. But there is no point in buying such equipment at home; it is better to use a saucepan or frying pan with high sides. This is even better than a saucepan - it’s easier to grease it well with oil.

Microwave cooking

The advantage of this method is that the delicacy can be easily and quickly prepared in any microwave and is guaranteed not to burn or burn you. But at the same time, it will come out significantly higher in calories than on the stove: the grains will have to be poured with oil very generously, because there will be no opportunity to shake or stir them during the cooking process.

The cooking technology is as follows:

It's even easier to make popcorn, sold in special microwave bags. To do this, simply place the bag correctly in the microwave and press “Start”.

Watch a video on how to make popcorn in the microwave:

On a frying pan

Advice: It is best to mix popcorn with spices and butter in a closed plastic bag, shaking it vigorously several times.

Flavoring additives

Any recipe for making popcorn itself contains advice to improve the taste of the treat with butter and salt or sugar. But there are many more flavors of this dish. You can experiment by adding a variety of spices as desired:

• cinnamon;
• coconut flakes;
• powdered sugar;
• nutmeg;
• paprika and even mixed spices from a bag.

Recipes

Caramel

Kids should love caramel popcorn, which you can also make at home:

Watch the video with the recipe for caramel popcorn:

With chocolate

You can also improve the recipe by preparing caramel with chocolate - to do this, melt the sweet bar or add cocoa powder to the butter and sugar.