Po' Papa Joe's Perfect Kettle Corn - Fresh Hot and Delicious for Pennies!

Popcorn is just plain cool.  That fact that you can take a grain seed, heat it and make it explode into a delicious light puff of whole grain is almost magical!

History of Popcorn

Popcorn is another amazing indigenous food from the Americas that has spread all over the world.  It was first discovered thousands of years ago by the Meso-Americans. It is one of the oldest forms of corn: evidence of the cultivation of popcorn dating to perhaps as early as 4700 BCE was found in Peru.  The Europeans who first came to the Americas (e.g. in 1519 Hernán Cortés documented its use among the Aztecs) learned about popcorn from the Native Americans who used it for food and in their ceremonies.

The Nahuatl word for popcorn is "momochitl" but it seems that every country in Latin America adopted one or more regional names for this remarkable food (e.g. some are onomatopoeic such as "poporopo", and others are whimsical such as "palomitas" meaning "little doves").  There are over 40 words for popcorn in Spanish depending on where you live.

A sweetened version of popcorn called "kettle corn" was introduced to the United States in the 18th century--it is referenced in the diaries of Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania circa 1776. It was a treat sold at fairs or consumed at other festive occasions. Popcorn as a breakfast cereal was consumed by Americans in the 1800s, and generally consisted of popcorn with milk and a sweetener.

During the Great Depression, popcorn was comparatively cheap at 5–10 cents a bag and became popular. Thus, while other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived and became a source of income for many struggling farmers. During World War II, sugar rations diminished candy production, causing Americans to eat three times as much popcorn as they had before.

About Kettle Corn

Kettle corn is a sweet-and-salty variety of popcorn that is typically mixed or seasoned with a light refined sugar, salt, and oil. It was traditionally made in cast iron kettles, but in modern times other types of pans are used.

The corn, oil, sugar and salt together is cooked in a cast iron kettle, or possibly a Dutch oven, this produces a noticeable sweet crust on the popcorn, however this method requires constant stirring or the sugar will burn. The combination was widely popular in the early 19th century but fell from wide usage during the 20th century.

In the early 21st century, kettle corn has made a comeback in America, especially at 19th-century living history events. As of the 21st century, it is cooked and sold at fairs and flea markets throughout the United States, especially art and craft shows. In typical practice, a cast iron cauldron is used to publicly cook the corn and mix the ingredients.

You can buy bagged Kettle Corn at the supermarket, but you pay a lot of money for cold stale popcorn.  But you don't have to go to the county fair to get great Kettle Corn.  You can make your own fresh, hot, delicious Kettle Corn at home for just pennies.

Here's how to make your own delicious Kettle Corn

• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 2/3 cup Popcorn Kernels
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste (fine grain popcorn salt sticks better but table salt will do)

Put a large pot on the stove and turn the burner on to setting between medium and medium-high (that's 7 out of 10 on my stove).  Add the oil and three kernels of popcorn and then cover with a lid.  In a bowl mix together the remaining kernels, the sugar, and the salt.  Stay nearby and when the three kernels start popping remove the lid and pour in the kernels/sugar/salt mixture.  Stir this to mix with oil, replace the lid and, using two hot pads, shake the pot vigorously.  Do this every 15 seconds until the corn is finished popping so the sugar won't scorch.  You will know it's done when you count 2 or more seconds of silence between pops.  Quickly to take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl.  Let it cool a bit and then break up the clumps with your fingers so you have individual popped kernels.

Now crank up a movie or throw a party and enjoy!