By Joan Hershberger
jhershberger@eldoradonews.com
Inexpensive, natural and full of fiber, popcorn provides a healthy, quick snack. In honor of National Popcorn Day this Friday, consider the following recipes for variations of stove top popped popcorn from the Joseph Hershberger household.
Popcorn became the family snack food during the years that their sons, Randy, Tim and Mark had to sell at least 10 five-pound bags of popcorn as a fundraiser for their local Cub Scout troop. “Every year the freezer held about 50 pounds of white popcorn,” said Joseph Hershberger.
White popcorn because, “one year we bought both yellow and white popcorn. I popped up a pan of white and a pan of yellow. The yellow makes a larger kernel of popped corn but not as crisp. The white is a smaller, crisper kernel. We have eaten both. Each member has their own favorite. My wife, Joan, prefers the white,” said Hershberger.
Popcorn nights provided a salty treat without the expense or calories of store bought chips. “Since one cup of unpopped corn makes up to six quarts of popcorn, we had popcorn to eat while playing games. When we learned that the American Sign Language sign for popcorn was to flick your index fingers off the thumbs one higher and higher into the air, that became our signal to request popcorn,” he said.
Many years ago a family vacation trip included a tour of the Tabasco operations at Avery Island, La. That visit changed popcorn making at the Hershberger home forever. “I bought a large bottle of Tabasco sauce at the gift shop. Once we got home we wondered, ‘now what do we do with all that Tabasco sauce?’” Hershberger said.
His answer was to try a few drops of the sauce in his weekly batch of popcorn. Spicy popcorn quickly became a family favorite.
Later, as he watched folks making caramel corn, “I thought you should be able to pour maple syrup right into the popcorn,” Hershberger said.
So he tried. He admits the recipe is a bit trickier for timing the addition of the syrup so that it does not burn the popcorn, but once the trick is learned, it offers a crisp, sweet taste.
“Before my daughter, Sharon, married, she insisted that I show her how to make popcorn,” Hershberger said. “I walked her through the steps pointing out the subtle signs such as the color changes in the popcorn just before it begins to pop,” he said.
Once she had a house of her own, Sharon Schulte developed her own specialty “Kettle Corn” made with sugar instead of maple syrup, which she often takes to gatherings with her friends.
Although the following recipes use a stick of margarine or butter, they can also be made with half a stick.
Cajun Corn
2 tablespoons of oil
1 stick of margarine or butter
1 cup of popcorn
1 capful (about a teaspoon) of Tabasco sauce
In a six quart pan, put butter in the oil to heat over a hot burner until the butter melts. When the butter is about melted, add one cup of popcorn. Keep stirring it with a wooden spoon so that all of the kernels heat evenly. When the first kernel pops, add the Tabasco sauce. Continue stirring, until it starts to pop again. Then cover the pan with a fitted lid and shake the kettle across the burner until the popping stops.
Quickly pour into a cool pan, add a teaspoon of salt. Add garlic salt to taste, if desired. Shake to distribute the seasoning. Serve hot, makes about 6 quarts of popcorn.
Yankee Corn
5 quart pan.
A scant cup of popcorn.
Put in 2 tablespoons of oil
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1 stick of margarine or butter.
(Although a half a stick can be used, the popcorn does not burn as quickly with a whole stick)
Melt the butter in the oil, add the popcorn. When the first kernel pops, add 1/3 cup of maple syrup. Continue to stir until it starts to pop. Put on the fitted lid and shake until it slows in popping. Because this will burn quickly, remove from heat and stop popping it just before you think it is done. Pour into a large cool container. Makes about 5 quarts.
Add salt to taste.
Kettle Corn
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of oil
1 cup of popcorn kernels (”I always use yellow,” Sharon said, “that might make a difference.”)
A scant half-a-cup of white sugar
Salt to taste.
Using a heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter in the oil. Add the popcorn, stir constantly with a heat- resistant spoon. When the first kernel pops, add the sugar. Stir vigorously. When more popcorn kernels begin to pop, cover with a fitted lid and shake the pan back and forth across the burner.
As soon as the popcorn starts to slow down in popping, take it off the heat. (You start to hear a difference in the rhythm. Do not try to pop all the kernels, the popcorn will burn.) Quickly dump out the popped corn and add the salt while it is hot. It takes a bit more than you might think to get the right ratio of salt and sugar. Season to taste.
If you want colored popcorn, add food coloring to the oil and butter. Makes a festive dish of about 6 quarts of popped corn.