I know what you’re thinking. “What on earth is THAT, Tracy?” (Pardon the poor shot quality – my dad was helping his girl out and took this for me.)
Well, friends, that is the best popcorn pot on earth. You see, popcorn was a staple in our house when I was a kid. And this is the pot that my mom has used for as long as I can remember.
This pot has likely cranked out millions kernels of deliciousness over the years. I’m not sure what we ingredients we used before I had memory, but when Orville Redenbacher came out with his specially-formulated butter-flavored popcorn oil, that became our go-to. Combined with his big ole tub o’ corn, we were a full-on Redenbacher house.
Ah, fond, GMO-free memories. So beautiful…
And then there was the great topping debate. Redenbacher’s butter-flavored salt or McCormick’s Season-All? I was always on team butter. I think as time passed, I became its lone member.
After I left the nest, I married a man who does not share my love of the popped corn. I would make it and he would nibble here and there, but he just wouldn’t eat it by the handful – as it is truly meant to be eaten. There’s something about the popcorn experience that requires someone with whom to share it. And so, my popcorn eating days waned. And over time, they disappeared altogether.
Makes me a bit sad, really, to consider my sacrifice. All those years with no popcorn. Years, friends, that I can never get back…Sniff…Sniff.
When my children arrived, they fell in love with the bagged cheese popcorn. Smartfood (a puzzling moniker as it is in fact, not smart food). It wasn’t a regular thing, though. No matter how far we fell down the processed food hole, there was always something about powdered cheese that didn’t sit well with me. I mean, think about it, how do you turn a brick of cheese into powder? It just isn’t right, friends. But my kids loved it. Mr. Selective could probably have eaten an entire Costco-sized bag in one sitting, had I let him. And he flat refused to eat any popcorn that wasn’t fully cheesed-up.
Until, that is, I formulated this most awesome, deliciously perfect, you-could-eat-an-entire-potful-in-one-sitting recipe for popcorn. Mr. Selective can’t get enough. And even He Who Doesn’t Like Popcorn has been known to indulge when I make it. Which is, sadly, not as often as it used to be.
And fortunately, it is ever so simple.
- ½-1 Tbsp ghee
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- ½ c. non-GMO, preferably organic, popping corn
- Drop oil and a few kernels into the bottom of a heavy-duty stock pot (I use a 6qt) .
- Heat on medium to medium high, with pot lid cracked to let out steam. I have read that some cover the pot with aluminum foil and poke holes in the top. You can if you want, but that makes the next step a bit trickier.
- When the few kernels start to pop, dump the rest of the popping corn in and shake the pot so that the kernels evenly cover the bottom of the pan and are fully coated in oil.
- Make sure that you lift the lid slightly and leave it cracked for the duration of popping.
- When the popping begins to slow, turn the stove off. I usually leave the pot on for about 30 more seconds and then move it to a cool burner until the popping stops.
- Dump popcorn into a bowl and season as you like. We like ours served simply, with just a little pink salt.
No go forth and pop some corn!
And try to resist the temptation to keep the whole bowl for yourself.
Because the popcorn experience really is meant to be shared.