Popping Popcorn

Eating popcorn can satisfy your craving for those "dry carbohydrates" that you sometimes just have to have. When you buy your popcorn buy the bulk or air pop popcorn and not the type in the microwave bags. Microwave bag popcorn generally has more calories and "junk" which make it taste good but may not be good for you.  Hot air popped popcorn is the best way to go. If you don't have a hot air popcorn popper just use your microwave as follows.

Bag of Yellow Popcorn	Yellow Popcorn Nutritional Facts	Ingredients Needed for Microwave Popcorn
Microwave Popcorn Toppings	Line Popcorn Container with Paper Towels	Add Popcorn to Microwave Container
Place Top on Microwave Popcorn Container	Microwave Popcorn Toppings	Popcorn Popped in the Microwave
Microwave Popcorn Ready to Eat

 

   

How to Pop Popcorn in a Microwave

1. What you need: bulk popcorn, microwavable container with cover, paper towels

2. If you use a plastic microwavable container line the bottom of it with a double layer of paper towels. (sometimes the heated  popcorn kernels get so hot that they melt the plastic of the container. The paper liner prevents this.)

3. Place a measured amount of popcorn inside the container on top of the paper towel liner.

4. Place the cover on the container (leave it loose). Leaving the cover loose will allow the popcorn to pop freely.

5. Place in the microwave and microwave until popping slows to 2 second intervals.

6. Caution: container may be hot. Use care when handling and removing lid.

 

advertisement

 

  

Tips to make the Popcorn Taste Good

• Sprinkle lightly with popcorn salt

• Spray popcorn with butter flavored cooking spray

• Sprinkle with Equal artificial sweetener.

 

Calories in Popcorn: Air-popped
Air-popped popcorn has 31 calories, 0.4g of fat and 6.2g of carbs in each cup (0.3 oz).

 

Nutrition Facts of Popcorn (1 cup popped)
Calories 31 (129 kJ), Total Fat 0.4g, Sat. Fat 0.1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 1mg, Total Carbs. 6.2g, Dietary Fiber 1.2g, Sugars 0.1g, Protein 1g, Calcium 0.6mg, Potassium 26.3mg

 

The Benefits of Popcorn:

• Popcorn is high in dietary fiber (0.9 grams per cup).

• Hot-air popcorn is very low in calories and fat.

• Popcorn is available in several varieties, and is very inexpensive.

 

What Not To Do with Popcorn:

• Don't add a lot of salt to popcorn

• Don't add a lot of additives like butter

• Don't eat a diet of all popcorn. While popcorn is very low in calories it is also low in other nutrients that our bodies need.
  

 

Popcorn Facts:

• Plain popcorn by itself is pretty bland.

• Too much popcorn may block the absorption of Vitamin B leading to skin rashes, depression, anemia, memory loss, and low energy levels.
  Corn is a very common allergen.

• Some individuals lack the ability to digest corn.

• Popcorn became popular during the Great Depression because it was a cheap source of food.

 

What is Popcorn?
Popcorn or popping corn is a type of corn which explodes when heated.

Who Discovered Popping Corn? Where Does Popcorn Come from?
Popping corn was originally discovered thousands of years ago by Native Americans.

Why Does Popcorn Pop? Why Popcorn Pops?
Corn pops because its kernels contain a certain amount of moisture and oil and have a hard moistureproof shell or hull and a dense starchy filling. As the oil and the water inside the kernel are heated past the boiling point, they turn into a superheated pressurized steam which is contained by the moisture-proof hull. The starch inside the kernel gelatinizes, softens and becomes flexible. The pressure increases until it bursts through the hull (at approximately 135 psi) exposively pushing the soft and flexible outward expanding into an airy foam-like substance. As it rapidly cools the starch filling sets into the familiar looking popcorn puff.

What is the Nutritional Value of Popcorn?
Air-popped popcorn is high in fiber, low in calories, low in fat, contains no sodium and is sugar free.
Popcorn, air-popped, no additives
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 380 kcal 1600 kJ
Carbohydrates 78 g
Dietary fiber 15 g
Fat 4 g
Protein 12 g
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.2 mg 15%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.3 mg 20%
Iron 2.7 mg 22%
One cup is 8 grams.
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database

What are the Dangers and Health Risks of Popcorn?
Popcorn is not recommended to be served to children under four year of age because of the risk of choking.
Prepackaged microwaveable popcorn may contain an artificial butter flavorant called diacetyl, which has been implicated in causing respiratory ailments.

Why do some Popcorn Not Pop? Whey do some Popcorn Kernels Not Pop?
Kernels that don't pop are known as "old maids". They may not pop because they have a leaky hull or they have insufficient moisture inside their kernel to create enough steam to cause an explosion.

What are other uses of Popcorn?
Popcorn when threaded onto a string is used as Christmas tree decoration.

Does Popcorn Have an Expiration Date? Does Popcorn Expire? Does Popcorn Spoil? Does Microwave Popcorn Go Bad?
Popcorn packages usually have an expiration date. Old or "expired" popcorn may still pop depending on how it was stored, the packaging, the brand, etc.. The longer it is stored the greater the tendancy for the moisture inside the kernel is to dry out. The moisture is needed for popping.

Why does Microwave Popcorn Burn?
Once the popcorn pops, if the microwave is still on it is still heating the kernel until the white puffed starchy substance burns. Even after you remove the burning popcorn from the microwave it may continue to burn from the inside. To quickly stop it from burning, try dousing it under water.

Is Popcorn a Vegetable?
No. Corn is a Grain and is commonly misclassified as a vegetable.