popcorn help?
i had a fantastic bunch of popcorn made by a vegetarian friend who somehow got a fair amount of nutritional yeast to adhere to the popcorn. AWESOME. Can anyone give me some pointers about how you get this stuff to taste so great?
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23 Comments:
Are you looking for tips on popping corn, or on getting the yeast to adhere? I've never used that, so I can only help with popping hints. I love real popped corn and have been making it stovetop my whole life. Although I've tried different toppings, I prefer butter (which I splurge on very occasionally) and always salt. My daughters like parm cheese on theirs. We've even done garlic and thyme.
I usually use Orville Redenbacher's jarred corn, but it's become hard to find - I guess most people use microwave corn. I have a big ol' pot turned to the low end of medium high. Heat 3 Tbl. canola or veg oil. Drop in a couple of kernels, cover and wait for them to pop. Then add enough corn to cover bottom (about 1/2 cup), cover. I shake the pot the whole time the corn is popping and remove it immediately and take off the cover when the popping just about stops. If you leave the cover on, the corn gets tough from the moisture. Then add salt and whatever else you want and put in a large bowl and enjoy. If it's just me, I use a smaller pot and half the "recipe". Still plenty for the next night! I'm sure some will advocate air popped corn, but it changes the texture and I don't think a little oil will hurt you.
PerkyMac at 4:05PM on 01/06/09
I luv me some stovetop popcorn with a bit of oil and butter and throw alittle bit or Mortens hot salt.....but I don't like kettle corn can't seem to get around sweet popcorn
Markbb at 4:28PM on 01/06/09
Make sure to leave the lid off...oh, wait, never mind.
I think the key is to add the flavor as soon as the popcorn is done, otherwise you've got a dry ingredient trying to stick to dry popcorn. Or, if you're using butter, you can add the dry ingredient to the butter.
dbcurrie at 5:14PM on 01/06/09
You might want to try spraying on the oil (either butter-flavored Pam or olive oil in a spray thingie) before sprinkling on the nutritional yeast. Drizzling the popcorn with melted butter won't cover enough of its surface area to make much of a difference when it comes to getting the yeast to stick.
annatr at 5:20PM on 01/06/09
Yeah, when I make popcorn I often wish I had one of those tumbler drums with the fine mister on the side, like they use to put the orange stuff on Cheetos. Then my popcorn would be perfectly buttered.
BangieB at 5:33PM on 01/06/09
Lately I drizzle a little bit of melted Earth Balance while tossing the popcorn, then toss in loads of nutritional yeast and some salt. A lot of it sticks, but there seems to be a limit to how much can adhere. Last batch we overdid it and there was a lot on the bottom of the bowl.
renzata at 7:00PM on 01/06/09
Perfect popcorn is made on the stove top. With Coconut oil. Once cooked add a little butter and some salt..
thepirateking at 7:25PM on 01/06/09
I wish I had some stovetop-able kernels right about now. Got a free sample of some lime Orville Redenbacher today, and now my apartment smells like lime. And feet. =/
kfarrel3 at 8:58PM on 01/06/09
LIME Orville Redenbacher?!? Tell us more, please, kfarrel!
Curlz at 9:02PM on 01/06/09
@BangieB, what you want is a "panner". I've been having this same discussion with the ex, who uses an air popper, for the health benefits, but cant' get anything to stick. I say as others here have, butter flavored Pam is the answer. I thought about using a Misto filled with salt water too, but that may make it soggy.
Lime ?!?chanterelle at 9:41PM on 01/06/09
I use a Misto to spray my stovetop-popped popcorn with oil, then toss with salt/spices, then spray again, salt again, and toss. Do this maybe 4 times and I bet you'd get a good amount of nutritional yeast coverage.
producestories at 11:12PM on 01/06/09
I really wish I could say more, but that's all there is to tell. My friend and I went on a free-sample-spree a couple of months ago and are still reaping the, ahem, "rewards." The popcorn was just what I said -- lime and salt flavored "natural" popcorn. It smelled awful and tasted nearly as bad. Good thing it was just a single-serving sample.
kfarrel3 at 11:15PM on 01/06/09
Yes, hobcat, what method are you using to make the popcorn? I cook mine in a pot on the stove with a slick of canola oil (just because it's what I have). An air popper might be more difficult to work with.
Whatever you do, do not put any water into the mix (granted there is probably some trace of it in the Earth Balance I used). I left some crumbs of nutritional yeast in the bowl and put it in the sink with some water and forgot about it. 15 minutes later, I was desperately trying to figure out where the stink was coming from. I thought the kitten had peed somewhere. Water and nooch are not friends.
renzata at 11:57PM on 01/06/09
Best popcorn ever:
Orange kernels. Stovetop cooked with safflower oil. Butter. Sea salt. Roughly crushed rosemary.
Nutritional yeast = good. Rosemary = Ambrosia
smallkitchen at 7:51AM on 01/07/09
hobcat here- i use a whirly-gig popper that is several years old, therefore fairly well seasones so i don't have to add much oil to the popper- i usually use canola or corn oil. I tried the pam-type spray last night and it seemed to work ok-- i suppose i need to use a finer ground salt; i really don't care for those "popcorn" designated products like yellow popcorn salt, etc. I am seriously hungry for good popcorn with nut. yeast and maybe some gumbo file on it-- reminds me off Jazz Fest one year when a local popcorn vender had about 10 different kinds of flavored corn-- Tabasco, gumbo, roasted pepper... Lime? Have yet to see lime around these parts- don't care for the "kettle corn" sweet-salty thing, either. Guess I'm just a savory popcorn lover. (well, there is that once a year Cracker Jack binge...)
hobcat57 at 10:24AM on 01/07/09
ugh! I got the lime-flavored popcorn sample, too, and couldn't eat more than a foot-flavored handful. Glad I'm not the only one! What a bizarre idea... And I think when I ordered the sample, they neglected to disclose its flavor.
(although...I really like lime Tostitos. So why tortilla chips and not popcorn? Anyway.)
littlestcapy at 4:19PM on 01/07/09
I think lime popcorn is sacrilege.
izatryt at 4:22PM on 01/07/09
I think using a whirly pop is key to good popcorn. I use peanut oil, dump in the kernals, cover and cook. Then toss with Sazon Goya. Ummmm. Or old bay seasoning.
I've never even heard of yeast and popcorn. How does that work?
chisai at 10:43AM on 01/08/09
I don't have a microwave and don't want one, so I cook popcorn the old fashioned way. I use Orville Redenbacher from their plastic bottle in a regular sturdy pot over medium heat. Shake the pot occasionally. My favorite oil for this is Mazola corn-canola combination. And lots of sea salt. Best when hot and just popped. I never heard of the yeast thing.
SavtaShayna at 5:36PM on 01/14/09
Yeast in popcorn has been a major hippie food combo for ages. Personally, I think its gross, especially when you put on soy sauce like my parents do. I've noticed everyone here has been calling it "nutritional yeast"- I've never heard this term. I've always called it brewer's yeast- am I crazy?
Embackus at 5:46PM on 01/14/09
OH HEY -- NO way soy sauce!!!! Thanks greatly for calling the nutritional yeast popcorn "hippie food"-- my 21 yr old son went nuts! " See Mom, I told you so! You are such an old hippie!" Well, yeah, yeah and groovy, dude! I might add that popcorn and lime just sounds gross but tortilla chips and lime are great-- and for the uninitiated, nut. yeast on popcorn is very, very good! Thanks to all! hobcat
hobcat57 at 4:50PM on 01/19/09
To my way of understanding it, brewers yeast and nutritional yeast are the same thing, but that's not what comes in the Fleischmann's or Red Star packages. I'm sure we have a microbiologist out there who can be more specific about which yeast beasties we're dealing with where, but I'm not him/her.
lemons at 5:12PM on 01/19/09
Brewer's yeast and nutritional yeast are definitely not the same thing. Totally different flavors. Yeast used for baking is a totally different animal, as well. My secret to getting the nutritional yeast to stick is to sprinkle it on the SECOND you are done popping it so it still has some steam to adhere to. I love, love, love popcorn with salt and nutritional yeast.
blackwdw at 5:52PM on 01/19/09