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Making popcorn at home with a large saucepan is easy and cheap, will save you a bundle on a popcorn maker or microwave popcorn, and is also a lot of fun!
Ingredients
- A pack of maize/corn kernels
- Oil or butter
Steps
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1Buy a bag of dry maize kernels. You can get this from most supermarkets nowadays, and it's easy to find at ethnic stores too. The bigger bag you buy, the more money you'll save in the long term.
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2Select your biggest saucepan with a lid (a see - through one makes all the difference!), put it on the stove and drizzle a small amount of oil on the bottom. If you have an oil spray pump, spray the sides too.[1]Advertisement
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3Work out how many kernels you'll need. Remember how big your average piece of popcorn is and use that to work out how many will comfortably fit in your pan.
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4Add your kernels to the pan (about 2 small handfuls is usually about right) and turn the stove to medium heat.
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5Put the lid on quickly.[2]
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6You will soon begin to hear the kernels popping and hitting the sides and lid of the pan. DO NOT TAKE OFF THE LID WHILST THE HEAT IS ON AND POPCORN IS POPPING. When the noise dies down to only 1 or 2 pops every few seconds, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the stove.[3]
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7Carefully take a peek under the lid. Your popcorn should be good and done, so take off the lid. You will smell the buttery aroma.
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8If you want sweet popcorn, take sugar or Splenda and sprinkle it over the popcorn (still in the pan). Put the lid back on and give it a gentle shake. The oil should allow the sugar to stick well to the kernels.[4]
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9If you prefer cheddar flavoring, do the same thing as you did with the sugar!
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10Serve.
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11Finished.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I make the popcorn yellow?
Community AnswerMelt some butter and pour it on top of the popcorn. -
QuestionWhat can I do about unpopped kernels?
Community AnswerYou should just avoid eating them and throw them out. If they didn't pop the first time around, they most likely won't pop if you try again. -
QuestionWhy do my kernels sometimes burn?
Community AnswerThe pan may be too hot, which has resulted in some scorching. It may help to turn down the temperature down.
Warnings
- If you take the lid off whilst the pan is on the hob, hot, oil - covered popcorn will fly all over the place.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Hot oil and hot pans and cooker hobs are hot. Be especially careful if you're making the popcorn for children.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Don't try to make toffee popcorn at home. Chances are you will not succeed in anything but setting the kitchen on fire.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Don't make a second batch in the pan if you put sugar or salt in there.⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- A big pan
- A big pan lid
References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGT9-20iH4U
- ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_popcorn/
- ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-make-stovetop-popcorn
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kettle-corn-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-192917
- https://www.thekitchn.com/5-fabulous-ways-to-flavor-your-popcorn-227616
About This Article
If you want to make popcorn in a pan, drizzle a small amount of oil on the bottom of a large saucepan with a lid. Add 2 small handfuls of dried popcorn kernels to the pan and turn the stove to medium heat, then quickly cover the pan with a lid. Soon, you’ll begin to hear the popcorn popping, but do not lift the lid to check. When the noise dies down to 1 or 2 pops every few seconds, remove the pan from the heat, uncover the pan, and enjoy! Keep reading to learn different ways to season your popcorn, like how to make it sweet!
