Cheap, Low Waste Popcorn

I love popcorn. It's easily my favorite snack. I'll eat it plain or topped with salt, butter, or cheese (anything but kettle corn, really). But pre-made popcorn is expensive around here - 3 or 4 dollars for a bag of 10-12 cups of popcorn. Microwavable popcorn is cheaper, but I felt awful throwing those plastic-lined bags in the microwave since I'd given up cooking leftovers in plastic. And unfortunately, microwave popcorn has a lot of added preservatives/chemicals. (Some boxes even have warnings not to breath in the fumes when opening the bag!)
Then I noticed my farmer's market sold popcorn kernels and the bag even had instructions on making it at home on the stove. I followed the instructions with disappointing results - the oil splattered in my face when I added the kernels, the popcorn launching itself out of the pot, unpopped kernels, burned kernels. Ugh. I tried this process about 5 times before giving up and looking for other options. Nothing jumped out at me, and I ended up going back to microwavable popcorn.

Until last summer. Mr. G and I were at the mall (I think this may have been the vacation where I was freezing and had to buy a hoodie to make it through the day) and I saw a hand-crank popcorn pot in the cooking store window. A-ha! 


When we got home, I found one I liked with great reviews on Amazon and bought it. I've been using it once or twice a week since August, and I adore it. You dump in the oil and kernels, lock down the lid, give it a crank or two to coat the kernels, and wait 2-3 minutes for the popping to begin. Continue cranking the handle until the popping stops, then pour into a bowl and enjoy! So easy, so tasty, and virtually no waste - woohoo :)


It's even better now that popcorn is sold in bulk - my jars are already labeled with their tare weight and I just leave the popcorn label on (no need to wash a container that's going to be refilled with the same thing, right?).


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So the final count comes down to this:

heaping 1/3 cup organic popcorn - 16¢

1 tablespoon organic canola oil - 20¢
salt - 1¢ (if that)

So, for 37¢  (and a little stirring) I get 10-12 cups of popcorn without plastic or chemicals! I'll count that as a win :)


Do you like popcorn? What's your favorite snack?


And I couldn't resist this guy: 
Popcorn reminds me of the movies too. 

Comments

  1. I have a stovetop popper similar to yours and we just LOVE it! I got mine for about $3 at the thrift store and have repaired it 3 times over the years. CatMan and I do movie night once a week and we always have to have 2 enormous bowls of freshly popped hot buttered popcorn to go wit it.... yum!

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    1. So cheap - that's awesome! There's nothing like fresh popcorn with butter, mmm! :)

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  2. Great savings! I love popcorn with lashings of butter. The microwave popcorn has so many additives that make it irresistible - sugar, butter flavouring. On the stove popcorn just doesn't have to same appeal to me. I will have to re-educate my taste as, like you say, the microwave stuff has so much that is not good.

    Interesting cooking tool! Does it really stop the corn burning?

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    1. Well... if you want further incentive to curb your microwave popcorn habit, check this out!
      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-chameides/the-chemical-marketplace_b_1943728.html
      Yikes!

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    2. Lucinda - It doesn't taste quite like microwave popcorn, but I've grown to like it more than the microwave stuff. I haven't had any burned kernels since the first batch (and since I had the heat on high, I'd say the blame lies with me). As long as you leave the heat on medium low and then stir at a steady pace, I think you'll be good. :)

      Cat - Thanks for the link! It's so scary that food companies are allowed to add chemicals and not even include them on the label - eek!

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  3. I love this! I realise now how lucky I am that buying bulk, we just tell them what it is, and they look it up. It means lines move slower, but saves the shopper! I also like that you thought to use tape for your tare - i just write it straight on things. Love that this was about popcorn, and I'm all taken by the low waste side!

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    1. Interesting how even buying in bulk can be different in other places! I like the idea of looking things up rather than labeling the products - fewer stickers that way :) What do you use to write on glass?

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    2. A permanent marker - I use them a lot lately, as I'm trying to lower my weight, so I'm weighing foods to get a better idea of the calorie count - so I weigh in whatever container, than later weigh the empty container. Nutso I tell you, but I enjoy it!

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    3. Oh, nice! I do have a marker with a thin tip that would probably be perfect. Good luck with your weighing strategy - I hope it works for you :)

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  4. lucky find! I'll have to keep my eyes out for one of those. the fume-factor worries me. we tend to top with a custom mix of some fat/oil/butter/margarine that the minced garlic cooks in, nutritional yeast, chopped herbs, sometimes hot peppers.

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    1. I hadn't thought of nutritional yeast - I'll have to try that.

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  5. I have also given up microwave popcorn for health reasons, and have just been making it in a pot on the stove top. It took me a couple of tries to get it right (temperature, shaking, etc.) We probably have it once a week.

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    1. I'm glad the stove top works for you - definitely cheaper that way than buying a special pot! :)

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  6. I learned how to make stove-top popcorn when I was probably too young to be operating a gas range on my own. Or eating an entire pot of popcorn on my own. It's so much better than microwave, too.

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    1. haha, I've eaten the entire pot alone too!

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