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About a month into quarantine, I began to wonder if it was possible to get popcorn that was actually movie theater quality at home. A few short weeks and no shortage of self-doubt later, tonight I finally succeeded.
What's the secret? Thread incoming
TL;DR: just watch this video and repeat every step with every product exactly. For a step by step of my magical journey to Popcorn Land, what I learned along the way, and maybe a tastier recipe? follow along...
A ways back, I was gifted one of these popcorn thingys. Pour in some kernels, throw it in the microwave, add salt n' butter, all good. But that kind of popcorn was just so... lame. So my gf and I tried adding oil, salt, before popping, after, powders, yet nothing really did it.
So with homemade quarantine aspirations on the brain, I took to YouTube and found the aforelinked video and a few more, all of which insisted the key ingredient was this magical concoction of Heart Attack in powdered form, and you can find it cheap on Amazon.
Ordered.
Next thing. Everyone said combine Coconut Oil with a little bit of Flavacol and that the only thing separating "popping" coconut oil from regular is that it just has a yellow coloring in it. So we used our Organic Coconut Oil for our first test.
Next thing. Everyone said combine Coconut Oil with a little bit of Flavacol and that the only thing separating "popping" coconut oil from regular is that it just has a yellow coloring in it. So we used our Organic Coconut Oil for our first test.
We still used the microwave because we had the... thingy, and didn't have a stove popper (apartment kitchens are only so big). And...
It was pretty good. Solidly landing between microwave and theater popcorns.
This combo remains my girlfriend's favorite so far. I personally think the coconut flavor is a little strong, but she likes the touch of sweet over an excess of salty.
This combo remains my girlfriend's favorite so far. I personally think the coconut flavor is a little strong, but she likes the touch of sweet over an excess of salty.
I'm a salt-fiend tho. And it still wasn't Theater quality. Theater, after all, doesn't have a coconut taste. Stewing on this, I took to Amazon, considering an official popping oil when I saw that this butter-oil that I knew was at my local store could be used for the popping oil.
A two-for-one, I decided, since this butter-oil is also suggested as the "would you like to add butter?" topping.
So Butter oil, Flavacol, Microwave...
This combo tasted more or less the same as a "Butter Lovers" microwave bag or something of the sort.
So Butter oil, Flavacol, Microwave...
This combo tasted more or less the same as a "Butter Lovers" microwave bag or something of the sort.
At this point, I'm starting to doubt whether you can truly get the same flavor at home. I mean, all I was missing was a stove popper and an oil that was just, what, yellow and branded? Would that really make a difference?
So by now, fuck variable control, I went for both.
So by now, fuck variable control, I went for both.
I ordered a popping oil from Amazon and pulled out a mixing bowl to do the Alton Brown method (aluminum foil with holes poked atop an oft-shaken mixing bowl on the stove).
And it was nothing short of a revelation.
That was tonight.
It's not quite perfect yet. I think our cheap organic popcorn is a bit, what do you call it? Shelly? Kernelly? The flakes that get stuck in your teeth -- they're a little too... prevalent.
It's not quite perfect yet. I think our cheap organic popcorn is a bit, what do you call it? Shelly? Kernelly? The flakes that get stuck in your teeth -- they're a little too... prevalent.
And despite the bowl's shape a few were still burned at the bottom (I probably didn't shake it enough), but still FAR better than the... thingy... which had by now taken to either burning in the microwave or leaving half the kernels unpopped, classic bag style.
The stove was a huge win. Indeed, like the theater quality, the overcooked ones didn't really ruin the batch.
And for whatever reason, the coconut flavor of the non-organic popping oil wasn't noticeable.
Check and check.
And for whatever reason, the coconut flavor of the non-organic popping oil wasn't noticeable.
Check and check.
To the point that I'm now genuinely interested in one of those 30 dollar stove-stirrer-popcorn-poppers used in the YouTube video for full burn control.
Which is to all say, everything in the YouTube video, beat for beat, seems to be the genuine, real-deal, theater experience.
Which is to all say, everything in the YouTube video, beat for beat, seems to be the genuine, real-deal, theater experience.
Unless you're my girlfriend and you like a little hint of coconut oil and a couple extra decades on your life.
The end.
