How to cook popcorn in a frying pan. What is popcorn? How to make sweet caramel popcorn at home

Popcorn has long been an integral attribute of cinemas. It's hard to imagine going to the movies without a bucket of crunchy treats. What children's session is complete without sweet popcorn. Not only kids, but also their parents adore her. Sometimes you want to gather with your whole family in front of the TV in the evening and watch a good family comedy. To recreate the atmosphere of a movie theater at home, you can't do without popcorn. Many love salted popcorn, but if there are small children in the house, then, of course, the treat should be sweet.

Getting ready sweet popcorn fast and easy. It's exciting and fun activity, therefore, taking precautions, you can involve children in it. They will love watching the corn kernels explode and turn into their favorite treat. You can make sweet popcorn in different ways.

1 way. Sweet popcorn

Ingredients:
Corn – 150 g
Vegetable oil
Powdered sugar – 100 g

How to make sweet popcorn:

    Special corn is used to make popcorn. Do not buy ready-made mixtures in microwaveable bags. They contain many artificial additives, flavor enhancers, etc. This corn should not be given to children.

    For cooking corn flakes It is best to use a non-stick saucepan or deep frying pan with a glass lid.

    Pour a little oil into the bottom of the pan and place it on the fire. When the oil is hot, remove from the heat and add the corn kernels in a single layer to just cover the bottom.

    Cover the pan with a lid, shake it to coat the grains with a thin film of oil, and return the pan to the heat.

    Watch the process carefully; soon the grains will begin to explode. At first, individual clicks will be heard, then the crackling will intensify.

    Shake the pan occasionally to avoid burning. When the popping noise stops, immediately remove the pan from the heat, wait 10 seconds and pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl.

    Sprinkle the cereal generously powdered sugar, cover with a lid and shake several times to distribute the powder evenly.


Method 2. Caramel popcorn

Ingredients:
Corn – 150 g
Vegetable oil
Butter – 150 g
Brown sugar – 2 cups
Honey – ½ cup
Soda – ½ teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon

How to cook caramel popcorn:

    The flakes themselves are prepared in the same way as in the first method. Next, place the popcorn on a baking sheet lined with parchment, distribute it evenly and place in an oven preheated to 120°C.

    To prepare caramel, melt butter, add sugar, honey, salt. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved and a homogeneous mass is formed.

    When the caramel begins to boil, remove it from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Add soda to it and stir the resulting mass until it begins to lighten and foam. At the same time, the caramel will increase in volume.

    Remove the popcorn from the oven and pour the caramel mixture over it, stirring until it is evenly distributed throughout the cereal.

    Place the pan back in the oven. Dry popcorn at 120°C for an hour. Every 10-15 minutes, take it out and stir.

    Pour the finished popcorn into a large bowl, turn on the cartoon and call the children. Enjoy watching!

How great it is to go to the cinema, sit on a comfortable chair and immerse yourself in watching interesting film, eating it with airy popcorn.

But you can have a good time in front of the TV at home; in this article we will tell you how to fry popcorn in a frying pan so that you can enjoy the crunch of delicious grains. Fried houses Corn grains are absolutely harmless, moreover, they are low in calories, so those who are watching their figure can eat them without fear.

About the benefits and harms of popcorn

Corn grains contain a lot of fiber, vitamins B, A, and useful microelements, such as: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and other components. Fiber helps the body absorb valuable substances, perfectly “cleanses” the intestines and stimulates its work.

Flakes prepared without any additives (sugar, salt, spices) contain only about 80 kcal per 100 g of product. At the same time, popcorn is very filling; just one serving of grains can satisfy your hunger for a long time.

As for the harm of popcorn, it is only in the product that we buy from manufacturers. They usually roast grains in a manner that is dangerous to the body. palm oil, to which they also add the most harmful synthetic substance - diacetyl, which gives sweetness and various flavor shades to corn grains.

This method of preparation and added chemical substances cause a number of dangerous and sometimes incurable diseases, so it is extremely undesirable to get too carried away with the industrial product.

Cooked own hands popcorn is a clean and harmless product that can be given to children. Those who are on a diet or simply watching their weight can treat themselves from time to time with small portions of the airy treat.

How to fry popcorn in a frying pan: classic recipe

Ingredients

  • — 100 g + -
  • — 30 ​​ml + -

How to make homemade popcorn in a frying pan: step-by-step recipe

The frying pan for frying popcorn can be anything, the main thing is that it has a lid, otherwise your grains will “jump out”.

The oil should be vegetable and odorless. You need to fry the flakes in small portions, otherwise there will be a lot of unopened grains left.

  1. Place the frying pan over medium heat, pour oil into it and heat it up.
  2. Pour the corn kernels into the container and immediately close the lid. Don't turn down the fire.
  3. In just a minute you will hear the grains begin to “explode” and turn into white flakes. Without opening the lid, shake the pan a little. Do this a few more times until you hear clicks.
  4. As soon as the “explosions” begin to subside, turn off the heat, open the lid and make sure that all the corn has opened. If there are any whole corn kernels left, simply remove them, cool the finished popcorn and pour it into a convenient container.


That's the whole secret of how to properly fry popcorn in a frying pan. But you probably noticed that the recipe does not include flavoring additives.

The fact is that some people like salty flakes, some like them sweet, and some like them spicy. You can make popcorn the way you want. Next, we will tell you how to sweeten and salt it correctly.

Flavorings for homemade popcorn

Add salt

To obtain salty snack- put it down fine salt straight into the oil. While it is heating up, stir it until completely dissolved. For 100 g of grains, 0.5 tsp is enough. salt.

Add sugar

For sweet popcorn, prepare syrup in advance: 50 ml. stir 3 tsp water Sahara. Place the bowl with the syrup on low heat and boil it for 5-7 minutes, until the granulated sugar is completely dissolved.

When the flakes in the pan open and stop cracking loudly, reduce the heat, remove the lid and use a spoon to pour the syrup over them. Increase the heat again and, stirring constantly, fry the popcorn for another 5 minutes.


Spicy popcorn

You can add anything to your cereal spicy spices to your taste. For this, seasonings must be well ground into powder. Sprinkle them on the popcorn at the very end of frying, when all the corn has popped. Stir with a spoon, fry the popcorn for a couple more minutes and remove from heat.

There is nothing complicated about how to fry popcorn in a frying pan. And it will only take 15-20 minutes. That's how easy and simple you will get a wonderful, useful, hearty snack, which the whole family will enjoy eating while watching another action-packed fantasy thriller or heart-warming melodrama. What's more, cereal can be filling a quick snack and even breakfast.

Today everyone knows what popcorn or puffed corn is. The name comes from English words corn - “corn”, pop - “to burst with a bang”. The honor of discovering this dish belongs to the Indians, who were the first to discover the fact that a grain of maize, when thrown into a fire, explodes, turning into delicious, airy white flowers.

IMPORTANT! Corn explodes due to the presence of a drop of starch and water in it. When heated, this water boils, and the hot steam ruptures the shell, causing the grain to increase in volume.

There are the most different types popcorn:

  • Sweet.
  • Salty.
  • With butter.
  • With cheese.
  • Color.
  • Caramelized.

What variety do you need?

So how do you make popcorn at home? Before you begin production, you need to purchase the right variety of corn.

For popcorn, grains of a separate variety, the so-called popcorn, are used. It differs from ordinary cobs in having a thinner and at the same time stronger shell, and is rich in proteins and fats (read about what can be prepared from corn on the cob).

A strong wall guarantees that the grain will not crack immediately, but will first warm up thoroughly and open beautifully, greatly increasing in volume. In this variety, up to 99% of the grains open when cooked!

There are the following varieties of corn for popcorn:

  1. Volcano.
  2. Gobble, gobble.
  3. Zeya - the variety is also interesting for its burgundy color.
  4. Ping pong.

REFERENCE! You can buy special grains for popcorn at the supermarket, and if you plan to grow it yourself, it will be enough to plant some of the above varieties next to regular corn.

Common people often wonder whether it is possible to make popcorn from... regular corn. Yes, theoretically this is possible. But in practice this is not worth doing. Corn grains can simply burn - this is what most often happens in inexperienced housewives, and it’s good if they don’t burn anyone.

And even if the experiment succeeds, conventional varieties of corn will have far fewer kernels exploding, and those that do pop will be very different from the popcorn you are used to in appearance and size.

So purchasing special raw materials will save a lot of time, nerves and eliminate the waste of products.

Fodder varieties of corn are definitely not suitable for popcorn, but with wild plant It makes sense to experiment. It will look like a smaller copy of a regular plant - a cob about the size of your palm, not only yellow, but also black, white or even multi-colored.

Instructions

Traditionally, popcorn is cooked on a hot frying pan or in a saucepan, with big amount oils In public places, this delicacy is made in an air-heated machine (popper), which reduces the risk of the dish burning to a minimum. But there is no point in buying such equipment at home; it is better to use a saucepan or frying pan with high sides. This is even better than a saucepan - it’s easier to lubricate it well with oil.

Microwave cooking

The advantage of this method is that the delicacy can be easily and quickly prepared in any microwave and is guaranteed not to burn or burn you. But at the same time, it will come out significantly higher in calories than on the stove: the grains will have to be poured with oil very generously, because there will be no opportunity to shake or stir them during the cooking process.

The cooking technology is as follows:


It's even easier to make popcorn, sold in special microwave bags. To do this, simply place the bag correctly in the microwave and press “Start”.

Watch a video on how to make popcorn in the microwave:

On a frying pan


Advice: It is best to mix popcorn with spices and butter in a closed plastic bag, shaking it vigorously several times.

Flavoring additives

Any recipe for making popcorn itself contains advice to improve the taste of the treat with butter and salt or sugar. But there are many more flavors of this dish. You can experiment by adding a variety of spices as desired:

  • cinnamon;
  • coconut flakes;
  • powdered sugar;
  • nutmeg;
  • paprika and even mixed spices from a bag.

Recipes

Caramel

Kids should love caramel popcorn, which you can also make at home:


Watch the video with the recipe for caramel popcorn:

With chocolate

You can also improve the recipe by preparing caramel with chocolate - to do this, melt the sweet bar or add cocoa powder to the butter and sugar.

Popcorn, or popcorn, loved by both children and adults. According to nutritionists, homemade popcorn is healthier than store-bought popcorn. Especially if you use natural corn grains. To please your loved ones, you can prepare this delicacy yourself, at home.

What you will need

To make popcorn at home, you will need the following ingredients:

  • 100 g natural corn grains
  • powdered sugar or salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

You will also need dishes - a large-diameter deep frying pan or a thick-walled saucepan with a lid.

How to make popcorn at home

Place the corn kernels in advance freezer. Refrigerate them for at least 20 minutes. If possible, increase the freezing time of the grains to 2-3 hours.

After this, put a deep saucepan on the fire, the volume should be at least 2 liters. If you don't have a suitable pan, use a wide frying pan with high sides. Great for making popcorn Cast-iron pan. Although it warms up slowly, it retains the high temperature well.

You can cook popcorn not only on a regular kitchen stove, but also in the microwave

Heat a frying pan or saucepan over high heat without adding oil. To check the heat level, add a drop of water to the bottom of the pan. If the water begins to sizzle and evaporate quickly, the pot or pan is hot enough. Remove it from the heat and then place it on a trivet. Do not reduce the fire or turn it off.

Now remove the corn from the refrigerator. Carefully and quickly pour the grains into the pan. The corn should only cover the bottom of the pan in one layer, otherwise there won't be enough room for it to heat up. Pour vegetable oil over the grains. Use cold-pressed olive or refined sunflower oil.

Close the container tightly with a lid, then shake the pan thoroughly several times so that all the grains can be evenly saturated with oil. And put the dishes on the fire again. As a result of a sharp change in temperature from low to high, corn kernels will explode sharply and quickly. Almost all of them will burst, open, and also turn inside out.

After 30–40 seconds, the first pops from the pan will be heard: the corn kernels will begin to open. At first the explosions will be sporadic, and then more and more frequent. During this period, it is strictly forbidden to open the lid of the dish. Otherwise, you may get burned by corn kernels jumping out of the pan or hot steam. In addition, grains can suddenly spill out of the dishes onto the floor.

After about 3-4 minutes the explosions will finally stop and the corn will be fluffy. Its cooking time may vary slightly depending on more or less raw grains used. It's best to listen by ear: if the popping noises in the bowl stop, it means the popcorn is ready.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully open the lid to release any remaining steam. Sprinkle the popcorn with powdered sugar, salt, or other seasonings of your choice. Place the lid back on the product and shake thoroughly. As a result, the seasoning will be evenly distributed throughout the corn kernels. Transfer the finished popcorn into a wide glass bowl or serve it in portions in deep plastic glasses.

For children, you can make sweet popcorn by flavoring it with jam, syrup, melted chocolate or caramel

Today the most sociable delicacy turns 385 years old! On January 22, 1630, English colonists in South America accepted a bag of popcorn as a gift from an Indian chief. Only two centuries later, Charlie Kritoz invented the “Popper” - a popcorn machine. What about making popcorn at home and can you get better from it? Let's find out.

Having only once tried to make popcorn on his own, the portal’s correspondent I couldn't stop anymore. I cooked and cooked until I finally learned everything possible ways making popcorn at home.

Not all corn can become popcorn

The first revelation was the fact that popcorn cannot be made from corn, which is grown and sold in Belarus. It turns out that you need a special variety that has good “openability” (the ability to explode).

Why do corn kernels explode? The starchy tissue of corn contains bound water, which at temperatures above 200°C turns into steam - the shell expands, foams and bursts.

Where can I get popcorn seeds?

On the shelves of Minsk stores you can find three types of popcorn grains: those intended for the microwave, packaged in small bags and loose.

Microwave grains- the most expensive of all listed. But they already have certain flavors (honey, condensed milk, etc.) and special packaging for preparation.

Packaged in 150 g bags unflavored grains cost half as much. The package says to cook it in a frying pan.

The third type of grains is hanging. They are sold in dried fruit shops. This is the cheapest option.

Master class from a correspondent

Microwave grains packed in paper bag. It cannot be opened. You need to put this very package directly in the center of the microwave. Make sure that the bag is placed with the correct side down: the packaging will indicate which side is the bottom. The manufacturer specifies the cooking time: 3 minutes at 800 W in microwave mode. We set the necessary parameters, turn on the microwave and watch: first the package swells menacingly, like a bubble, then micro-explosions are heard, which are heard more and more often, and then fade away. After three minutes, there are still a lot of unopened grains left in the bag - you can leave it for another half a minute or a minute.

Of course, you are wondering what will happen if you put the bag in the microwave a second time and try to finish frying the unopened grains? Manufacturers do not write anything about this on the packaging. Experienced way it is established: nothing terrible will happen - the grains will be safely finished. In any case, we succeeded.

Here's an attempt to pop popcorn for the microwave on regular frying pan was not successful. The grains opened, but due to the presence of sweet syrup, they burned, and the whole room was filled with the smell of burnt corn. The grains themselves began to taste bitter. In general, don't try to repeat it.

Attention! Since you may encounter products different manufacturers When preparing popcorn, carefully read the manufacturer's recommendations and strictly follow the instructions on the package.

Cooking popcorn in a frying pan took longer. First you need to add a little vegetable oil (you can use melted butter). Pour the popcorn into the pan in a thin layer so that each kernel is heated evenly. Cover with a lid and place on medium heat. Your next task is to observe. The grains will explode gradually; When the pops become very rare, you can remove them from the stove.

You can salt popcorn before and after cooking, but you only need to add various seasonings and flavorings to the finished popcorn. Otherwise, they will lose or change their taste and aroma.

From my personal impression: microwave popcorn turned out fluffier than packaged popcorn. Even in the photo you can see the difference in the size of the flakes. Here's proof: the type of corn is very important.

The large flakes come from Bulgaria (according to the information on the packaging), the small ones from Argentina.

Cooking bulk popcorn in the microwave

You can also cook completely ordinary grains in a microwave oven. As we wrote above, they can be bought pre-packaged and by weight.

Take a small handful of grains and place them in glassware for microwave. Do not try to cook the whole bag at once: the grains will increase in volume very much. Add oil (vegetable or melted butter), mix and cover with a lid. Set to full power and cook for about 4 minutes.

If you see that there are a lot of unopened grains left, then add another half a minute (do not open the container lid).

How to make caramel popcorn

You can make a wide variety of delicacies from ready-made popcorn. For example, on the Internet we came across the following recipe:

“We take half a glass brown sugar, half a glass butter and 100 grams of ready-made unsalted popcorn. Beat the sugar with the melted butter until the mixture lightens in color and increases in size. Then pour the popcorn into the baking dish and mix into the whipped mixture. Bake at 180 degrees for about 8 minutes (until crispy).”

Can you get better from popcorn?

Whether popcorn is healthy or harmful is still being debated. One thing is true: if you eat tons of it every day, then you shouldn’t expect anything good. But still, this option is better than all sorts of chips and snacks; after all, popcorn is a whole grain.

Popcorn gets scolded for high calorie content. But this applies to popcorn prepared in special machines. A homemade popcorn Not high in calories at all.

We look at the package of microwave popcorn with condensed milk flavor and are horrified: energy value 500 Kcal(proteins 8 g, fats 27 g, carbohydrates 60 g). Apparently, the reason for this calorie content is sweet syrup.

Take a bag of regular popcorn: energy value is only 99.6 kcal(proteins – 3.2 g, fats 1.2, carbohydrates 19).

Conclusion: if you want to get dietary product, make popcorn from pure kernels (unflavored) and do not add to finished product sugar or syrup.

100 g of grains is enough for a large deep bowl of popcorn.

P.S. Popcorn is best to eat big company for an interesting spectacle. Gather your friends to watch a football match, prepare a huge bowl of popcorn and enjoy watching.

Olga Artishevskaya

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