By Tracey
Homemade Kettle Corn
from Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- kosher salt, to taste
Directions:
Set a large stock pot (a big pot is key here, don’t sub a smaller one) over medium to medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pot along with 3 kernels of popcorn. Cover the pot and wait – once the oil gets to the right temperature, those first 3 kernels will pop. That’s your cue to add the remaining kernels to the pot.
While you’re waiting for those first 3 kernels to pop, stir together the remaining kernels and sugar in a small bowl. Once the first 3 kernels pop, add this mixture to the pot. Using a wooden spoon, immediately stir, scraping the sugar from the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot.
The key to this recipe is making sure to shake the pot frequently to ensure the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot as the kernels pop. Use a dish towel or pot holders to grip the handles of the pot and the cover at the same time and aggressively shake the pot up and down and from side to side. You’ll want to do this about every 10-15 seconds as the kernels pop (to be clear, you want to start shaking as soon as you add the kernels to the pot – don’t wait for them to start popping).
Continue shaking the pot frequently until you can hear that the kernels have nearly finished popping. Remove the cover and stir the popcorn immediately. Season to taste with kosher salt and continue stirring. You can serve the popcorn warm or at room temperature once it’s cooled.
