I'm trying to come up with a more creative title for this post because it does not do this popcorn justice. I want to make another batch right now. Making a big batch is a good thing in this case because it tastes just as good the next day. I've always just made popcorn in a big pot with enough oil to just cover the bottom and then some. The kernals are not fully submerged in oil. Just about halfway. I crank the heat up to high and wait a few minutes until it seems hot enough and I add a test kernal or two, and then I throw in enough kernals to cover the bottom in a single layer and then a bit more so it's tight in there. Grab your lid immediately and watch the popping party begin. It is kind of fun if you have a clear lid as I do. Scroll down to read a short article from whole foods on the benefits of eating popped corn that you make at home rather than microwave popcorn.
If you are not comfortable with my method go to this site for a more guided explanation with exact measurements as well as other awesome popcorn topping ideas.
This guy in a chef jacket really has no clue- you can tell from what his popcorn looks like at the end.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-do-popcorn
You will need:
about 1/2 c to 1 c grapeseed oil or coconut oil, etc.
about 1 c-1 1/2 c of organic popcorn
healthy sprinkle of spike, parmesan, garlic powder
touch of salt but not necessary
Once you hear the popping sound slow down take off the stove and stir the popcorn around. Add half of your ingredients starting with the butter (so all the rest of it will stick to the popcorn). Then stir the popcorn well and add the other half.
Is popcorn a healthy snack?
Popcorn can be a healthy snack depending upon how it's prepared.Some people have written me asking if making popcorn with extra virgin olive oil is a good technique. Unfortunately, I don't think it's good to prepare popcorn with oil, even healthy oils, since I strongly believe in avoiding the heating of vegetable oils, including olive oil. Heating olive oil can cause it to oxidize and damages its delicate polyphenol antioxidants.
A more nourishing way to prepare this same snack would be to air-pop the popcorn in an air popper and then to add extra virgin olive oil and, if you want, a little sea salt after the popcorn was popped. How many calories you end up with depends on how much olive oil you use. One cup of air popped popcorn, for example, contains only 30 calories or so. Olive oil contains about 250 calories per ounce (2 tablespoons). Still, even with two tablespoons' worth of olive oil, most people would have little trouble fitting this type of healthy snack into their Healthiest Way of Eating.
As for microwave popcorn, I have my concerns. I don't think that microwaving of popcorn presents a risk-free alternative. That's because there has been some evidence that the Teflon-like coating of some bags used for microwave popcorn can get broken down with heat into unwanted substances, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The chemical, which appears to be potentially carcinogenic in lab animals, is partially released onto the popcorn when the bag is heated up and can then be absorbed, once again in partial amounts, into the blood stream. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently studying the effects of this chemical in more detail. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is studying potential problems associated with the artificial butter flavoring used in microwave popcorn.
When purchasing the popcorn itself, I'd encourage you to consider organic popping corn. It's often not much higher in price than non-organic popping corn, and the potential health benefits here are important. Organic popping corn will not have the pesticide residues or other toxic residues commonly found on conventionally grown corn, and it will not have been genetically engineered (as genetic engineering is not allowed in production of certified organic foods).
Source http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=76
