Community Pick
Popcorn (Stove Top)
"Back in the Dark Ages when I was a little girl there was no microwave popcorn. There weren't even microwaves (gasp)! Mom actually used to make popcorn on the stove. Here's how, courtesy of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook."
photo by Anonymous
- Ready In:
- 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 4
- Yields:
-
3 quarts
- Serves:
- 4
ingredients
directions
- Put the oil in a 4 quart heavy pot and let it heat over medium heat for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the kernels, turning with a spoon so that they are evenly covered with oil, then spread them in one layer on the bottom of the pot. (I just shake them around a bit).
- Cover the pot, leaving a small space at the edge for escaping steam. As soon as the first kernel pops, move the pot gently and continuously back and forth over medium-high heat until the popping stops.
- Turn into a warm bowl. Toss with melted butter, if desired, and salt to taste.
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
I've done this before and it is really good. Lately, however, I have been adding butter in with the oil. It browns and adds a nutty and buttery flavor. Since it mixes with the oil it isn't as susceptible to burning as it is by itself but there is definitely still a risk of burnage. So, be extra sure to keep an eye on it! *Note that browning the butter does impart a different flavor than simply melting it. -
Now this takes me back to being a little girl! Momma made popcorn like this before a good movie came on TV (the Wizard of Oz was my favorite!). My husband and I make this popcorn on our home "Movie night" too: it's become our tradition. The microwave could NEVER make popcorn this GOOD, and this is much cheaper too! I use canola oil with just a bit of butter for flavor, then just some salt. Thanks for sharing a classic. It's simple recipes like these we need to pass on to the next generation. -
Yes this is the way to do it. I use coconut oil, (refined so no coconut flavor)and since this oil is so light, it give the popcorn no oily taste. Movie theaters use coconut oil exclusively and in recent years coconut oil has been redeemed as an actually healthy product. I also skip the lid, and use a splatter screen instead to let all of the steam escape, because a tight fitting lid will yield tougher popcorn, and it seemed that I always got some soggy pieces from my lid catching the steam. -
Like another said, this is the only way I have ever made popcorn since I was a young girl. It's really important to let the steam escape. I only use Orville Redenbacher Popcorn. I keep the lid off until the first kernal pops. -
LOVE THIS. This the only way we make popcorn at our house now. Smells like a movie theater, but not greasy. Light and fluffy but not as tough as air-popped. YUM-YUM
see 32 more reviews
Tweaks
-
Let me just start by saying that we eat so much popcorn in our family. I bought a popcorn machine but it was such a pain to pull it out & clean it afterwards that we would just buy the microwave popcorn instead....that is until I discovered how easy it is to pop on the stovetop. I use natural butter flavored grapeseed oil that I purchased from wildtree (wildtree.com) and I also purchased some popcorn seasoning from them as well. I wish I had discovered this method sooner. This is so much healthier than those microwave bags of popcorn that have so many yucky ingredients compared to the popcorn kernels. This also counts as a whole grain serving =0)
-
Fantastic! This is just how my Mom made it... And she was was a real Fanny Farmer fan. Thx for posting! As someone said, those were the days... I can't wait to try some of the olive oil, herb and garlic topping folks came up with. I would really suggest to other posters to try cooking the corn in canola oil instead of say coconut or palm oil if you want to keep this healthy. Read the labels before you choose your oil to stay heart healthy!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
LonghornMama
United States
