Popcorn is a family favourite snack around here and there are times where we’re eating it everyday. It’s the perfect after-school snack, great to include in the kids’ lunches, late-night snacks, to cuddle up and watch a movie with, and it’s friendly for our diet. We used to purchase those big boxes of microwave popcorn, always having to be careful to check the ingredients and make sure there was no butter or dairy products (as well as gluten), which was difficult since it seems most people love their butter or extra butter flavored popcorn. “Natural” popcorn was available for the microwave, but it was always far more expensive and well, hardly “natural”. I continued to buy it out of convenience and well, a little fear of how else to do it a better way.
This weekend I tried it though, finally — stove top popcorn — and it was so much easier than I had anticipated! It’s not only crazy cheaper to buy the kernels vs the microwave bags, but I also get control over what’s in it — from the oil used to the seasoning (and no butter!). It wasn’t as scary as I had built up in my mind and well — tasted just as good!
- 3 tablespoons oil (coconut is the best, but any will work)
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- salt to taste
- Place oil in a saucepan with lid over medium heat
- Once heated, pour in kernels in a single layer, shake to cover all kernels, and cover with lid.
- Stay with your popcorn as it pops and occasionally give it a light shake to make sure all kernels are getting heated
- Once the popping slows down, remove from heat, stir, and add optional ingredients (like salt and/or butter)
Photo credit: adapted from eddie.welker | Flickr