Homemade Popcorn

If you haven't made homemade popcorn before... you are missing out. That microwave stuff is terrible. I have wasted too many years eating it and thinking it was good.

Now if you are thinking it is too hard to make it from scratch, you're might be surprised. Here are simple instructions for you. (Sorry the picture quality is horrible - I need to learn how to use my camera!)

Start with a bag of popcorn. I got this bag from Kroger (Ralphs on the west coast) for $1.00.

You need one cup for a HUGE pot.

Pour a little vegetable oil in the bottom of the biggest spaghetti pot you have (and make sure you have a lid that fits tight on it!). Just enough to cover the bottom...maybe 2 tablespoons???

I like butter for my popcorn. Before you turn on the heat, cut the butter into tiny cubes to toss in the hot popcorn to melt it ~or~ you can melt the butter in the microwave and pour the melted butter over the hot popcorn. I use about 1.5 tablespoons of butter for 1 cup of popcorn.

Toss one lonely popcorn kernel into the oil.
Then put the lid on tight and turn the heat to medium high. Grab your hot pads and shake the pot back and forth over the flame.
Once you hear the kernel pop. Dump the rest of the popcorn in!
Put the lid back on and shake, shake, shake. It will take a minute or 2 to start hearing the kernels pop. Keep shaking and remove it from the heat once you hear the popping stop.

Now you can add your butter (tiny cubes and toss to let the hot popcorn melt it ~or~ your melted butter from the microwave) and salt. And now you have yummy...MUCH better than microwave popcorn. :)