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General => General Technical Chat => Cooking => Topic started by: vivi-d on October 15, 2024, 02:48:47 pm

Title: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: vivi-d on October 15, 2024, 02:48:47 pm
I've recently started making popcorn at home vs buying bags of prepopped corn. What is the best way to have salt stick to the kernels? It just bounces off of them and collects at the bottom of the pan. I'd like to avoid butter if possible.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: reboots on October 15, 2024, 03:12:41 pm
Supermarkets usually carry so-called "popcorn salt", a finely powdered salt which does a better job of clinging to the kernels.

I've also used a squeeze of lemon juice as a flavor enhancer, which helps the salt to stick.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: globoy on October 15, 2024, 03:16:17 pm
Great question!  ;D  Looking forward to hearing what people say.  The best we found was a popcorn salt/flavor powder that was very fine (but don't have any at the moment and I can't remember the brand) that would stick better than plain salt.  But even with that there was always plenty of powder at the bottom of the bowl!

I wonder if a small amount of salt brine could be used.  Probably it would get absorbed by the first pieces it encountered and leave them soggy and everything else unsalted.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: David Hess on October 15, 2024, 04:12:09 pm
I butter my popcorn with salted butter, and then add low sodium salt.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: Stray Electron on October 15, 2024, 07:52:05 pm
Supermarkets usually carry so-called "popcorn salt", a finely powdered salt which does a better job of clinging to the kernels.


  x2.  Popcorn salt is surprisingly more expensive than regular salt!  And some of the stuff that I've bought looks like regular salt so I had to shop around to find the fine stuff.  IIRC Publix is the only store that found in my area that carries it.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: K5_489 on October 15, 2024, 09:37:20 pm
Step 1 - obtain regular every day cheap salt
Step 2 - add mortar and pestle
Step 3 - profit!
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: Stray Electron on October 15, 2024, 10:04:26 pm
Step 1 - obtain regular every day cheap salt
Step 2 - add mortar and pestle
Step 3 - profit!

   I was thinking of the same.  But also I've used small blender style coffee grinders made by Bosch to grind other powders and they did an outstanding job so they would probably work for grinding salt as well.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: David Hess on October 15, 2024, 10:53:46 pm
We used to buy "popcorn salt" which sort of melted onto the popcorn giving it that movie theater flavor, but I do not recognize it online now.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: JDubU on October 15, 2024, 11:17:33 pm
Flavacol (Gold Medal product #2045) is what is commonly used in movie theater popcorn.  It's finally powdered salt that sticks to everything.  The difficulty would be to disperse it evenly since you only use about a quarter of a teaspoon for about three quarts of popped corn.  It does contain artificial flavor and coloring that adds to the "movie theater experience".  Amazon sells a 35oz. carton of it for $10 (pretty much a lifetime supply).
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: Halcyon on October 15, 2024, 11:17:58 pm
Step 1 - obtain regular every day cheap salt
Step 2 - add mortar and pestle
Step 3 - profit!

Yep. I just use a spice grinder.
Title: Re: how to salt air popped popcorn
Post by: BrianHG on October 15, 2024, 11:48:01 pm
I actually like cinnamon mixed with high contrast stevia (no added calorie solution) or if you want the extra calories, sugar.
Butter on top of that makes it really fattening...