Kettle corn is a kind of popcorn which features a sweet and salty flavor. It was first introduced to the United States in the 18th century, and back then it was served only on special occasions. Due to its unique flavor, many people favor it more than any other type of popcorn. It is now possible to make kettle corn at home, and below are a few tips on how to make this delicious snack at home.
First of all, you need to make a bag of microwavable popcorn. The type of the popcorn is not a deciding factor in this case, so just use whatever popcorn kernels - whether it is low or high in fat or plain or butter-flavored - you have at hand to make the microwavable popcorn. If you do not have a microwave oven or it happens to be broken, just use a pot instead. To make popcorn using the pot is equally simple: first you apply some corn oil to the bottom of the pot and then turn on the hot plate or gas. After a few minutes the popcorn would be ready.
Second, prepare a large pot whose size should be enough to contain 8 full cups of popped popcorn. If you do not have a big pot, you can use a smaller one and make kettle corn in two to three batches. Usually a bag of microwavable popcorn is just about 8 cups in volume.
Now, add a few ingredients to the pot. You need to add first 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (olive oil would be the best) and then 2 tablespoons of water, followed by ⅔ cups of brown sugar or unrefined cane sugar. Remember not to add fine sugar to the pot which would spoil the flavor of the popcorn. If you are making kettle corn in several batches, remember to reduce the amount of oil, water and sugar proportionally.
The next step is to heat up the pot with all the ingredients inside it. Wait for a few minutes until the water comes to a boil, which will not take too long time. When the water starts to boil, immediately remove the pot away from the heat. Add the 8 cups of popcorn to the sugar mixture which is boiling in the pot and stir the popcorn without stopping until all of the corn is covered evenly with oil, water and sugar. Whether you should add salt into the mixture depends on which type of popcorn you have used. If it is plain popcorn you will need to add some salt; if there is already salt, then omit this step. Anyway, it boils down to a question of your personal taste. If you like salty popcorn of course you can add some salt.
Now, let your kettle corn cool down for a while and then you can start to enjoy!