I followed the recipe with some old cheap kernals,

/process
like 3 Tbps of oil and 1/2 cup kernals. We put 1 "test" kernal to check the temp while the oil was heating, when it popped we poured the rest in and moved the pan around(circular motion moving the oil and kernals together) because that is what my girlfriend said we needed to do. It was covered the whole time with a glass lid that has a small hole to let steam excape.
/process

It was stale.

We got a brand new bag of cheap kernals, repeat process.

It was stale.

We got a brand new container of Orville Redenbacher's most expensive kernals, repeat process.

It was stale.

Now, after all this, I have decided I HAVE to be cooking it wrong. How do you cook popcorn on the stove in a pan? Someone troubleshoot my process and let me know where I fucked up.

9/9/2007 3:39:05 PM

Are you sure by "stale" you don't just mean that it wasn't drenched in butter like most popcorn is?

I never really measure if I make it that way, but what you're doing sounds right. What kind of oil are you using? Did you put anything on it after it was popped or just eat it plain?

9/9/2007 3:42:56 PM

you could try cutting back a little on the oil---also, you have to add salt/butter/other spices to it because it's gonna taste really plain (which you could mistake for stale) unless you do.

9/9/2007 3:43:18 PM

"stale" is not the right word.

plain popcorn cooked on the stove top (or in a popcorn popper) is definitely BLAND.

you need to get butter, salt and/or seasoning if you want it to be something more than what it is naturally.

movie theater popcorn uses massive amounts of artificial flavorings in the popping process. obviously microwave popcorn does too, you see it in the bag.

my dad always made homemade popcorn using a "popcorn popper" (it looked like a little kettle with a handle and a lid, and had electrically operated heating elements).... but he always put melted butter on it and enough salt to kill a horse.






[Edited on September 9, 2007 at 4:17 PM. Reason : ]

9/9/2007 4:14:58 PM

Problem solved. When I cook it, the little air hole did not let enough air/moisture out, I sat the lid on all woppyjaw and let more air get out and it tasted crisper like it should.

9/9/2007 4:18:39 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_EmX9RVMEw

9/9/2007 4:44:13 PM

Quote :

"woppyjaw"

nice.

9/9/2007 5:04:39 PM

^word of the day

9/9/2007 6:43:13 PM

Is it Chintzy Pop?

9/9/2007 8:34:24 PM

Quote :

"woppyjaw"

haha, love it

9/10/2007 10:06:36 AM

btw - making your own microwave popcorn is incredibly easy too. Just take a normal paper lunch bag, pout in 1/4-1/2 cup of kernals, a tsp or two of (olive) oil, fold the top of the bag and put it in the microwave.

9/10/2007 10:35:37 AM

Quote :

"movie theater popcorn uses massive amounts of artificial flavorings in the popping process."

hahaha, no we don't

we use three teaspoons of salt for one big kettle

that's hardly "MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ARTIFICIAL FLAVORING!!!!"

9/10/2007 12:49:12 PM

yeah, too much moisture

9/10/2007 12:55:33 PM

^^ yeah, but what kind of oil do you pop it in?

when i worked at one of those MegaMcTheaters we poured a buttload of some syrupy orange crap in the kettle to pop the corn.





[Edited on September 10, 2007 at 1:33 PM. Reason : ]

9/10/2007 1:30:50 PM

Yeah - moisture is what I was thinking and if loosening the lid helps then rock on, but I have also found that it's a lot better if you pour it out of the pot and into a serving bowl. This lets it air out I guess. Just be sure to season it while its still a little oily(?) so the salt sticks.

Also, I personally like a coarser salt, so I use table salt, but if you want that theatre super saturated salt taste you can go with a pickling salt. It's much finer so it coats more evenly.

What are the feeling on salting the oil in the popper? This is how we did it at the theatre but I've read that the kernals get chewy if you do that at home.

Oh yeah--- I started using peanut oil and I think it makes a big difference.

[Edited on September 10, 2007 at 3:57 PM. Reason : nuts]

9/10/2007 3:55:40 PM

ftw

9/10/2007 4:53:34 PM

Quote :

"yeah, but what kind of oil do you pop it in?"

Canola

no syrupy orange crap, just clear oil

people sprinkle all those flavored salts on it after the fact

Quote :

"What are the feeling on salting the oil in the popper? This is how we did it at the theatre but I've read that the kernals get chewy if you do that at home."

Well that's mostly from the difference in scale: I mean, if you scale the batch down to home-size, you'd be adding so little salt that it probably doesn't matter.

[Edited on September 10, 2007 at 5:45 PM. Reason : .]

9/10/2007 5:43:44 PM

Most movie theaters DO put some pretty rank shit on the popcorn.

9/10/2007 5:57:21 PM

yeh, i think Furshia works at one of those "hip" movie theatres. not your typical McMegaComplex

9/10/2007 6:43:10 PM

o rly?

9/10/2007 6:43:52 PM

^^

well yes, spookyjon's theater is special

also hip

9/10/2007 8:27:27 PM

Alton Brown says it's better to salt the kernels before popping

9/10/2007 8:39:16 PM

Alton Brown did a really good episode on making popcorn. give me a little bit I'll see if I can find anything on foodnetwork.com



okay here you go

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34838,00.html?rsrc=search

I didn't see a video, but it's definitely the recipe from his show...
he also added that the next day, it makes a good breakfast cereal (kinda like corn pops only healthier)

[Edited on September 10, 2007 at 11:18 PM. Reason : ]

9/10/2007 11:15:20 PM

Problem solved.

9/11/2007 9:32:01 AM

Quote :

"btw - making your own microwave popcorn is incredibly easy too. Just take a normal paper lunch bag, pout in 1/4-1/2 cup of kernals, a tsp or two of (olive) oil, fold the top of the bag and put it in the microwave"

reminds me of that microwave popcorn-on-the-cob you rub with butter and put in a brown bag


mmmmmm

9/11/2007 2:11:08 PM