When I was teaching kindergarten we taught the letter “p” as one of the lip popper letters. If you put your hand in front of your mouth and say, “Popping popcorn pleases pilgrims,” you’ll see what I mean.
And the Indians shared bowlfuls of the stuff on the first Thanksgiving, right?
I hate to be a Grinch (and mix my holidays), but that’s part of the great Thanksgiving Myth. There was actually no popping corn on that day in what is now the state of Massachusetts.
There was parched corn to be sure, but the Indian corn growing in the region was not very pop worthy.
But this is not a history lesson. This is about grains–and fiber, vitamins and minerals. This is about snacking on popcorn. Which, if you don’t get it at the movie theater, turns out to be a darn good snack.
Especially if you air pop it.
Back in the 90s I actually owned an air popper. It went the way of my George Foreman grill (both of which I wish I’d kept). But it can be done–at home–in your microwave–without oil. And without resorting to those bags of microwavable popcorn from the store which utilize chemicals that have been linked with cancer.
So if you’re interested in a really healthy, fun snack to make at home try this:
Pour 1/4 cup of popcorn into a paper lunch sack. Fold the top of the bag a couple of times to keep it closed but leaving lots of room for expanding corn. Stick in your microwave on high for about 3 minutes.
There’s a lot of difference between microwaves so the thing to do is use your ears. Listen to the popping.
Pull the bag out before all the popping stops (this could lead to burnt popcorn)–until just when it slows to a few seconds between pops.
Careful! Open the bag cautiously–away from your face. Hot steam can burn.
If you’re so inclined, drizzle on some butter, add salt. Other suggestions include:
- My favorite, add nutritional yeast (not baking or brewers yeast). This adds a “cheesy” taste as well as vitamin B-12.
- I haven’t tried this myself but plan on doing so. Spray corn lightly with an oil mister. I’ve seen them at home/kitchen stores. Then add salt or other spices so some of it will stick to the popcorn and not end up in the bottom of the bag.
- Other add-ins might be sugar and cinnamon, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and chili powder, or a new and exciting combination of whatever pleases you.
Enjoy. And Happy Thanksgiving!
Table Talk 