It takes a special type of corn to make popcorn. That’s because not all corn pops so not all corn is popcorn.
Popcorn is also known as popping corn and what makes this corn variety special is a tiny drop of water that is contained within the kernel. When this tiny drop of water is exposed to heat, it begins to expand eventually forcing the kernel to explode outward into a good snack food.
A microscope is able to show the bubbles formed when the water expands and pushes the kernel to flip inside out.
Let’s see what else is interesting about popcorn.
- A staple American snack food, popcorn is thousands of years old and existed for millennia before other corn.
- The oldest popcorn was discovered in New Mexico in 1948 and has been found to date 5,600 years ago.
- The Aztec Indians used popcorn to decorate clothing and ceremonial embellishments and to ornate statues of their gods.
- In the early 17th century, Iroquois Indians made popcorn by using heated sand in pottery vessels.
- In Colonial times, popcorn was served as breakfast cereal with sugar and milk or cream.
- Story goes that popcorn was included in the first Thanksgiving feast held in Plymouth Colony in 1621.
- The first popcorn machine was invented in 1885 by Charles Cretors. The invention popularized popcorn, now more widely available through fairs and at expositions.
- Most of the popcorn available at the movies and fairs today is produced with Cretors’ machines.
- Popcorn was one of the cheapest snack foods during the Great Depression.
- Microwave popcorn produced commercially was introduced in 1981.
And lots more could be added to the history of popcorn. This simple yet worldwide beloved snack is consumed nowadays in all sorts of popcorn variations and hardly anyone pops corn using the traditional method of frying pan and heating oil over fire.
Colonists first used molasses to make a variation of popcorn, but commercial popcorn varieties became available in the late 1890s with Cracker Jack, which was invented by Louis Ruckheim. He made this variety from popcorn, molasses and peanuts. A big success, Cracker Jack is still sold today as exceptionally good popcorn in stores across America.
Because of the mass appeal, more varieties were created and popcorn became a popular ingredient in snack recipes. Caramel corn is a classic variety available in most supermarkets, but a type of popcorn that can also be made at home.
You can make caramel popcorn using ready-popped corn or store bought popcorn, or alternatively you can start from scratch and pop corn at home yourself. Here’s what you’ll need:
- About 10 cups of popcorn; 1 cup melted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla; ½ teaspoon baking soda.
And here are the instructions:
- Add the sugar to the melted butter, stir until thoroughly mixed and bring to a boil, then cook for about 5 minutes without stirring. One minute before removing off heat, add the vanilla, then just before turning off heat, add the baking soda.
- Don’t worry about the caramel changing colors. That’s natural and so is the foaming, which will make it easier to coat the popcorn.
- Next step is to gently pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and fold until kernels are smoothly covered.