How do I sweeten or add salt to popcorn?

Question

I've got a popcorn maker, but it makes plain boring popcorn. How do I add sugar or salt to make it like the popcorn you get at the cinema?

Answer 1

You can sweeten the popcorn by generously sifting icing sugar over the just cooked popcorn in the bowl and give it a good toss to coat all the popcorn well.

If you want a caramel popcorn you need to make caramel (castor sugar and a tiny bit of water, just a few drops) and bring to the boil and simmer until it is a rich caramel colour. From there you need to make sure the caramel is still runny enough to coat your freshly cooked popcorn. The popcorn is best laid out on a flat tray which has glad bake or grease proof paper already on it and drizzle the caramel generously over the popcorn to coat it.

To make the popcorn salty and or buttery coat the freshly cooked popcorn with the salt from a shaker and or melt some butter in the microwave (enough to generously coat it) and poor over the popcorn.

All of the above are great. I especially like the icing sugar popcorn and the buttery and salted popcorn (the caramel is quite sweet although it does set hard so it has a nice texture, slightly chewy).

I hope my answer has been helpful.

I forgot to add, check what sort of popcorn maker you own. Some have a compartment/slid which allows you to melt the butter you put into the lid/scoop. The heat from the popping of the popcorn actually melts the butter. From there you can drizzle it over the popcorn. Make sure you add the salt straight after they have been popped so that it is warm enough for it to dissolve. Also use a finer salt (salt shakers usually have fine e nough salt granules).

Answer 2

My stepfather grows his own popcorn. And, I own a devise called a Detonator. It is a stove top cooker with a crank on the top. When you turn it, a hook in the bottom rotates the kernels while you heat it. Once they start to pop, the whole thing is over in just seconds with no uncooked kernels in the bottom. When I'm done I put the whole lot in a giant bowl. I take butter that has been melted and put in a spray bottle, and spray the top of the corn, Then I put on popcorn salt. This stuff is available in the grocery store. It is ground to a fine powder, not granulated like table salt. I take the huge bowl and flip the corn in the air to coat with the butter and salt. I repeat the process three or so times. This ensures that all of the popcorn is covered throughout the bowl. I find this to be the best method to showcase the best popcorn you can get. It is the closest thing to movie theater popcorn, and better. If you want to try a couple variation, try putting some Tabasco sauce in the sprayer with the butter, or, just before serving, sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese. The latter smells kind of funky, but it tastes really good.

Answer 3

I've wondered this too - you could switch to microwave popcorn (which is yummy), or another idea is to sprinkle some salt on the popcorn before it's popped. I've found that just putting salt - even popcorn salt - on regular popcorn, just ends up leaving kernels of salt in my mouth (because they don't get hot enough to "dissolve"). If you try this, e-mail me and let me know how it came out!! You could also consider melting some real butter and putting the salt into it and then pouring it over the cooked popcorn, mixing it really well.

Good luck!

Oh, and for an *amazing* treat, throw a couple of handfuls of M&Ms in your salted popcorn - it's wonderful!

Answer 4

This is quite difficult because the popcorn poppers use air so the corn is dry and nothing sticks. I used to have one and I too got bored with tasteless boring popcorn so I did the following:

a) Spray popcorn as it comes out of machine with spray oil and quickly dust with salt while its still slightly damp
b) Mix paprika or chilli powder with salt that has been very finely ground (normal salt granules are too big and don't stick well) sprinkle this all over - it gives a nice spicy flavour
c) melt butter in a pan and add salt then pour this all over (defeats the healty option object though!)

In the end I got rid of it and went pack to a big heavy pan with oil and butter with salt to pop the corn in the first place.

PS I only like salted popcorn, but Im sure that the methods above would work with sugar (I recommend icing sugar as its already finely ground!)

Answer 5

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/axims

Not really... the sugar in kettle corn has melted and gives the popcorn a light coating. Adding sugar and salt to cooked popcorn will only make it sweet, but you don't get the light sugar glaze. If you're looking for sweetened popcorn, you might want to use powdered sugar instead of regular granulated sugar. At least the powdered sugar will better coat the popped kernel. Edit... Mike L Kettle corn is a popular fair/carnival food item. It's just popcorn popped with oil, sugar and salt which gives the popcorn a fainly sweet and salty flavor. Sugar is added to the oil before the kernels are added. The heat melts the sugar so when the kernels start popping they get a very very light coating of sugar.

Answer 6

How To Salt Popcorn

Answer 7

I use a hot air popcorn popper that pops the corn so dry that salt won't stick. I melt butter in the micro wave and add salt to the butter and pore the butter over the popcorn. I use 1/4 stick of butter to 1/4 cup of unpoped popcorn and add 1/4 tea spoon of salt. This is not exactly like cinema popcorn but I like it better.

Answer 8

Try some Chocolate popcorn:

With chocolate,you just melt 11/2 cups of chocolate chips, and add
1 cup of corn syrup , and 1/4 cup of butter in a sauce pan.
Pour the chcolate mixture over 12 cups of popcorn mixed with 21/2 cups of
crushed salted peanuts.Mixed together and let cool.it's delicious.

Answer 9

The most natural and healthy diet for humans is an omnivorous diet, and not a plant based diet, or a meat-based diet per se. The Paleo Diet can be very widely varied and omnivorous for the most part, but the most important thing is that it’s unprocessed, and avoids the worst foods that agriculture brought mankind… refined inflammatory vegetable oils, refined grains (some are worse than others), and sugar! Learn here https://tr.im/H9e5h

As you can see, the benefits of adopting a Paleo way of eating can be incredible! I’ve been eating 95% Paleo for the last 5-6 years and I’ve never felt better. I have dozens of friends that have adopted a more Paleo way of eating too, and have seen all sorts of health problems disappear, including eliminating acne and other skin problems, digestion problems, improving brain clarity, and of course, losing a lot of body fat!

Answer 10

The Paleo diet isn't a fad or another weight loss gimmick. It's the way humans were meant to eat.

The Paleo Cookbook is a comprehensive collection of recipes from across the globe.

Paleo Recipe Book - http://paleorecipebook.healthyaz.co

Whether you're looking for Paleo-friendly breakfasts, dinners, desserts, or international favorites, you'll find dishes for every taste.

The Paleo Cookbook is your guide to a new, healthier way of eating:

For both meat-eaters and vegetarians.

Enjoy over 370+ healthy Paleo recipes that are very easy and fast to cook, not to mention they are incredibly delicious.

Prepare easy and healthy meals with the Paleo Recipe Book. Over 370+ recipes covering just about anything you'll ever need on a Paleo diet.

Transitioning to the Paleo lifestyle is the natural way to increased vitality, weight loss, and overall better health.

Prepare Easy And Healthy Meals - http://paleorecipebook.healthyaz.co

With The Paleo Cookbook, you'll discover just how easy, delicious, and nutritious the Paleo diet can be.