Kettle Corn Recipe
Kettle Corn is that perfect lightly sweet and savory combo of salt and sugar – with the wonderful crunch of popcorn. Kettle Corn is a perfect fair or festival food – hand stirred popcorn with sugar, salt. Unlike other treats, kettle corn isn’t too sweet. Its got a delicate crunch and just a hint of sweetness. Kettle corn isn’t just fair fare though. :-)
This popcorn is easy – and delicious to make at home. When made in big batches, kettle corn is made in a large iron kettle over an open flame, stirred with a large wooden paddle. But it’s easy to make easy batches of this popcorn at home.
According to White Mountain Kettle Corn, immigrant farmers popped corn in the large cast iron kettle used to render out lard from hogs. ”The corn popped very quickly in the hot kettle, and farmers often added a sweetener such as molasses, honey or sugar to the popcorn.”
Kettle Corn Recipe and Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Kettle Corn
For my family, 1/2 teaspoon of the chipotle powder is plenty. You be the judge, though for yours!
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle poweder1 teaspoon coarse salt
In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the popcorn. When the oil sizzles, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels.
Cover and shake the pan until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes. Remove
from the heat and toss with the salt.
Sweet Kettle Corn
Leave out the chipotle powder and add 1/3 cup sugar
Cinnamon Sugar Kettle Corn
If you use salted microwave popcorn, you may want to decrease the salt a bit, but I don’t as I like the combo of sweet & savory.
4 quarts popped popcorn
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Place popcorn in a very large bowl or pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the sugar, water, cinnamon and salt; cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour over popcorn and using a sprayed spatula or spoon, toss to coat. Bake on cookie sheets or in roasting pan, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Serve ASAP.
