Last week I had this sudden urge to make popcorn. No microwaves, no pre-popped bags, just fresh and guilt-free popcorn. A little backstory, I’ve become a little obsessed with popcorn. Since going paleo it’s not something I eat everyday but I so look forward to when I can! As of recent I’ve been getting my fix when we head to the movie theaters. Man is the unhealthy stuff so good!! But it also makes my body feel so bad after. So last week, I decided I needed real fresh popcorn in my life!
It may seem odd that I was randomly thinking about popcorn (trust me I thought I was being weird!). But behind this super simple act of popping kernels actually lies something so much more meaningful. Someone else also loved popcorn and that person was my dad. Almost every night I could find him parked on the couch with a bowl full of popcorn and a glass of Diet Pepsi. He was such a LOUD eater and it used to drive me nuts! I can still hear him ruffling through the bowl for handfuls of popcorn.
That’s Funny
This weekend marked the 6th Father’s Day without him, and although I feel more “normal” than I used to it still stings not having him here on such a special day. I’ve concluded that I must have been subconsciously reminiscing on those memories of loud popcorn eating that used to drive me crazy. Life is so funny that way. I never would have guessed I could miss experiencing something that used to be the annoyance of my life. What I wouldn’t give to share a bowl of popcorn with my dad again, obnoxious ruffling and all! So today, I’m dedicating this recipe to the best guy I’ve ever known… this one’s for you daddy.
The Deets
There are so many details about homemade popcorn that gets overlooked with ready made popcorn. For example, the act of making it is so much fun! The kids and I have made popcorn EVERY day since we learned how to do it last week. Watching and hearing those kernels bouncing around in the pot never gets old! And not only is it fun to make, but I can say with complete honestly I may never eat any other popcorn again because homemade tastes AMAZING. The taste of fresh roasted kernels, seasoned perfectly to our liking has made popcorn snobs of us all. Bonus, I get to buy super high quality and organic ingredients that will yield loads of popcorn goodness, for CHEAP!
A Little Trick
When it comes to seasoning, I discovered a little trick. Because I wanted to keep the popcorn dairy free, I knew I would use a healthy fat like coconut oil instead of butter. (No shame here, if butter is your thing, you do you! I may splurge on butter once in a great while but since this is a snack I plan to eat often, I’m keeping my options on the lighter side so I can enjoy it more.) So the question was, how can I season the popcorn without using butter? My first thought was to use coconut oil spray… to my surprise it worked! By coating the popcorn with spray then seasoning, it gave the toppings a fighting chance to “stick” to it. *Side note: spraying popcorn is ridiculously fun and addicting. I’m convinced you’ll be hooked once you try it!”
Onto the Fun
Let’s get to it! Here’s what you will need:
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 1/2 tbsp refined coconut oil
1 tsp Fine sea salt (table salt works too but doesn’t stick as easily)
coconut oil spray
That’s it, just 4 ingredients!
One More Thing…
This is important! You will need a 3 qt stockpot with lid. I find the 3 qt to be the perfect size to make 6 cups of popcorn comfortably.
Get Poppin
First, set heat to medium. Do NOT go higher as this will burn the popcorn. Warm oil in pan and heat for an additional minute before pouring in the kernels.
Throw the kernels in then immediately cover with pot leaving a tiny opening to let steam escape (see photo below).
This is the fun part! In a minute or so the kernels will start to pop open. They will continue popping for approximately 2 mins. Shake pot two separate times during the popping process to ensure all kernels are being heated.
When popping has slowed down to 3 seconds between pops, remove from heat.
Next up is seasoning! This part is totally customiz-able as there are so many variations in popcorn toppings. (Think kettle corn, garlic, parmesan, caramel, cinnamon sugar, the list is endless!) I’m keeping things simple because a little salt is my favorite way to enjoy hot fresh popcorn.
Pour the popcorn into a large bowl large enough to hold all of the popcorn.
Next, get your spray on and spray the popcorn all over! Quickly sprinkle salt directly over sprayed area and let sit for 5 seconds before stirring and repeating the process. I do this 5 times and start with 1 teaspoon of salt.
And that’s wrap! Now it’s just to decide what to watch on Netflix…
I can’t believe it took me this long to make homemade popcorn!! I’m already dreaming up delicious new toppings I want to try. And also trying to figure out how to sneak in our own popcorn at the theaters..! I know my dad would love this popcorn and that he is smiling down on this post!! Let me know how you like it and as always, be sure to share your photos and experiences with me. Thanks friends!! I’m off to eat all this lovely popcorn I made for these photos… Until next Tuesday!
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X o X o ,
