Did you know that popcorn is considered a whole grain? And that plain unbuttered popcorn is a healthy, relatively high-fiber snack? And that you can eat cups and cups of it for very few calories?
Did you also know that those stupid tiny bags of single-serve microwave popcorn are full of nasty chemicals and cost like five times more than they should, given the ingredients?
I promise I am not one of those crazy DIY-types who insists that spinning your own thread and weaving it into cloth is easy! And Satisfying! And you should never buy a convenience product ever! But let me tell you, when I learned how easy and cheap it is to make your own microwave popcorn, I felt DUPED.
To wit:
• Take some popcorn kernels. You can buy a whole big bag of these for like a buck.
• Drizzle some oil on the kernels- not too much. Sprinkle with a generous sprinkling of salt. Stir the whole mess up until the kernels are coated with the oil and the salt is well-distributed.
• Dump the kernels into a brown paper lunch bag. Fold over about an inch from the top and seal with some scotch tape. (In my old house, we could use one staple and the microwave didn’t seem to mind; however, I nearly burned my new house down this way, so proceed with caution if you want to try the staple method.)
• Lay the bag down in the microwave on its side. Press “popcorn” button, or just set the timer for 2 and a half minutes.
• Listen carefully, and when you count two full seconds between pops, stop the microwave. Carefully open bag, avoiding steam, and serve.
There- your own chemical- and additive-free popcorn, made for pennies. Wasn’t that fun?
Popcorn kernels, $1.00 for a bag; Paper lunch sacks, $2.99 for 100, walmart.com
Pocklock
I am TOTALLY trying this! I LOVE popcorn, but you’re right. There’s something totally artificial about the microwave kind.
Can’t wait!
July 6th, 2009 @ 10:07 am
Candace
I can’t wait to try this! Have you tried it? Is it really that good? Sounds incredibly easy!
July 6th, 2009 @ 11:12 am
Kate
Whoa! I also feel duped. I am SO trying this!
July 6th, 2009 @ 11:51 am
Lisa G.
Hey, would those of you who try it post your results, how it tasted, etc. here in the comments after you try it? I’m a klutz who could somehow mess this up, so I want to see how it goes for everyone and then I’ll probably try it. It sounds easy, better for you than the store-bought microwave popcorn, and super cheap!
July 6th, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
Kristin C.
It’s like you’ve been sent from heaven.
July 6th, 2009 @ 5:52 pm
el-e-e
Are you serious? You R So SMRT! I am psyched to try this at home.
July 7th, 2009 @ 9:59 am
Tracey
I am so glad I found this. I’ve been wanting to find an alternative to the microwave bag popcorn precisely because of the chemicals. One question though – exactly how much popcorn should you put in the bag? I guess I can do some experimenting to figure it out…
July 16th, 2009 @ 11:06 am
Alessandra
I tried this last week and it worked BEAUTIFULLY! I felt SO cool.
I put as much popcorn in the bag as I would put in a pan — so, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I do have to warn everyone that the brown paper bag does become pretty oily, though; next time around, I’ll probably place the bag on a paper towel in the microwave to avoid having to wipe up all the oil.
And the scotch tape wasn’t a problem– I was afraid it’d melt! :)
Thanks for posting, Katie!
July 30th, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
Samantha Jo Campen
Yeah–we have our first try-at-home review and it was a huge hit! This of course means everyone is invited over to Alessandra’s house Saturday for movie night–holla!
July 31st, 2009 @ 12:24 pm