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| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 214 | calories |
| 18g | Fat |
| 13g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
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| nutritional information | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 2 to 4 | |
| amount per serving | |
| calories | 214 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 18g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% |
| 0mg | 0% |
| 360 mg | 16% |
| 13g | 5% |
| dietary fiber 1g | 4% |
| total sugar 6g | |
| 1g | |
| Vitamin C 0 mg | 0% |
| Calcium 3 mg | 0% |
| iron 0 mg | 1 % |
| Potassium 30 mg | 1 % |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) indicates how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories per day is used for general nutritional advice. | |
(Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Most of us remember freshly popped, crispy kettle corn with a hint of lightly caramelized sugar as a nostalgic snack only known at county fairs or carnivals. But there's no reason you can't enjoy fresh kettle corn snacks at home. With just 4 cupboard ingredients and 5 minutes of effort, homemade kettle corn can be the star of your next movie night or late night snack.
What type of pan is suitable for kettle corn?
Though the stuff at the show is made in huge cauldrons, the home versions need to be made in smaller batches to allow the corn-sugar mixture to move around the bottom of the pan and prevent burning. A large, sturdy-bottomed stock pot that is about 10 to 12 inches wide at the bottom and at least 8 inches high is ideal. Do not use a heavy cast iron casserole dish. They retain too much heat and can result in burnt corn.
Steps to make kettle corn
- Start with hot oil. To test this, place 3 popcorn kernels in the saucepan with the oil, cover and set over medium-high heat. As soon as you hear the kernels popping, the oil is ready. The rest comes quickly, so make sure you have the rest of the ingredients handy by the stove.
- Once you add the popcorn and sugar to the pan, stir, cover the pot and put on oven mitts to protect your hands. Then begin to swirl and shake the pot continuously until you hear the popping slow down, slowing down to 1 to 2 seconds between pops. (Waiting too long on the stove will burn the sugar, so use caution and remove the pot from the stove sooner rather than later.)
- Immediately remove the pot from the heat and wait a few seconds for the popping to stop.
- Sprinkle the popcorn with salt and let cool for a few minutes in a large, wide bowl. This cooling step ensures that the sugar cools down into a crispy glaze.
There may still be a few unbroken seeds in the bowl. Fish these out and throw them away if you're worried about devouring one. Boiler corn tastes best when eaten straight away. Store in an airtight container for a few days if needed.
After all this action, the pot will have a thin layer of caramelized sugar and oil. Just soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes, then the glaze will dissolve and make cleaning easier.
“Head over, microwave popcorn, this stovetop kettle corn is just as quick and even more delicious, and it contains no additives! The popcorn is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I used an 8 liter stainless steel stock pot. Easy to clean after a short soak. 2 minutes was perfect on my gas stove. – Diana Rattray
1/4 Cup vegetable oil or any high temperature neutral oil
1/4 cup (50 grams) Popcorn cores
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine Salt
Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer
In a large (6 quart) stock pot, add the oil and 3 popcorn seeds, cover and heat over medium-high heat, until you hear the popping of the popped seeds, about 1 minute.
The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer
Once you hear the kernels popping, add the remaining popcorn kernels and the sugar. Stir once or twice with a wooden spoon.
The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer
Cover the pot. Put on oven mitts and cook, tossing the pan constantly, until the crackling subsides to about 2 second intervals, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand, covered, for about 5 seconds, until the popping stops.
The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer
Sprinkle the popcorn with salt, cover and shake the pot to mix evenly. Immediately pour the kettle corn into a large, wide bowl. Before serving, let the popcorn cool for 2 minutes to crisp up.
The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer
recipe tips
- Using a heavy-bottomed stockpot, toss the pan constantly and remove from heat when the crackling subsides to a pop every 2 seconds.
- Note that unpopped corn kernels may not fall to the bottom of the pan like they do with regular popcorn. Therefore, bite carefully on all grains.
- To double the recipe to 12 to 14 cups of popcorn, use the same amount of oil, 1/2 cup corn on the kernel, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt.
- If you have burnt-on sugar that is difficult to remove after soaking, try one of these methods.
recipe variations
- Substitute light brown sugar for white sugar for a more caramelized flavor.
- Substitute truffle salt, smoked salt, Old Bay seasoning, or garlic salt for the regular salt for a sweet and savory flavor.
- Add a pinch of chili powder to the corn on the cob along with the salt.
- For a warm spice flavor, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the corn on the cob along with the salt.
How to store it
- The kettle corn is best served immediately, but you can store it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Try storing it in the container with a food-safe desiccant bag (like the one that comes with nori seaweed sheets) to keep the kettle corn crispy.
- To revive stale popcorn, spread on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and heat in a preheated 250 F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Use leftover popcorn as a side dish for soups or salads.
- Make zebra popcorn with melted chocolate chips, brown sugar, and butter.
- Make this Salted Caramel Popcorn Cheesecake.
