Adults love this delicacy, and children are simply delighted with it. We can say that Sunday rest in the park with children cannot be imagined without a bucket of popcorn, however, as well as watching films in the cinema.
To be sure of the quality of the product, it is better to make it yourself. To do this, you need to know all the features of the process and, in particular, which corn is most suitable for popcorn.

Making popcorn itself is not difficult. Purchased or selected grains are heated in a large and deep frying pan until their shell breaks. The main thing here is not to overexpose and not burn the dish.
For popcorn lovers who cook it constantly and in large quantities, special devices have been created to facilitate this process.

What is needed

You can cook corn in different ways using different equipment.

  • Popcorn machine. It is equipped with a plate that controls the temperature inside by constantly stirring the grain. As a result, the product is homogeneous and does not burn;
  • A machine whose operating principle is based on the supply of hot air. It is fed into the bottom holes. For finished grains, a drain is provided into an attached container;
  • Long-handled boiler. This is a fairly old device that has been used by chefs from time immemorial. Of course, cooking in it requires skills, otherwise the grains will burn. In addition, it requires a lot of vegetable oil, which is not very healthy.

Popcorn machine

How to cook

Sugar corn

A couple of hours before cooking, you need to put the grain in the freezer. It should be removed when the pan is already preheated. The sudden change in temperature will cause the corn to burst rapidly.
A little oil is poured into the pan, which is distributed over the entire surface of the dish so that all the corn is covered with a small layer of oil.
Homemade popcorn should be quickly poured into bowls so it doesn't burn.

Important! You must act carefully, because bursting corn can scatter throughout the kitchen.

It is a very economical product. Indeed, from a small handful of grains, a whole mountain of airy delicacies is obtained. The corn is ready, just sprinkle it with fine salt or powdered sugar and you can enjoy its taste.
The calorie content of such a dish is quite high, so you should not get carried away with it, especially for people who monitor their health.

Benefit and harm

Popcorn

Silage corn

The corn from which popcorn is made contains a large amount of nutrients, such as:

  • Fast carbohydrates.
  • Vitamins of groups B1 and B2.
  • Microelements.
  • Antioxidants

They have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract, the condition of the skin, hair and nails, as well as the heart and blood vessels. However, this dish should not be overused. This can lead to breathing problems, weight gain.

Most Popular Popcorn Corn Varieties

Corn in Siberia: planting and care

To make a really high-quality dish, you need to know what kind of corn is needed for popcorn. Compared to regular grains, these varieties should be high in fat and protein and low in starch. The shell of the grains is thinner and easily bursts when heated. And there is also a lot of moisture in them, which, when heated, is converted into steam, breaking the grain structure into a foamy mass.
The most popular varieties of popcorn are:

  • Pop-pop.Medium early variety. It has elongated yellow grains.
  • Hotel. The plant is tall with large ears, resistant to sudden changes in temperature and lodging. It is a medium early variety.
  • Ping pong. It has small ears with small grains. Refers to mid-early cultures.
  • Grandmother's joy. Early maturing plant with small ears. Differs in high yield, but grows poorly on poor soils and in dry weather.
  • Red popcorn. The grains are very beautiful, deep red in color with excellent taste. Even the name of the variety says that this crop has high decorative data.

Pop-pop

Important! To understand which corn is suitable for growing popcorn, you need to study the composition of its grains. If the content of fat and protein in the grain is more than 21%, it is suitable for cooking this dish.

Features of growing and caring for the crop

The basic steps of growing popcorn corn are identical to those of a conventional crop. However, there are still some features:

  • slow development of the root system;
  • the need for constant weeding;
  • the right choice of soil.

Planting of such corn is carried out in early May. It is like a seed or seedling method. The distance between adjacent plants should be at least half a meter. Another condition for obtaining a good harvest is compliance with the rules of crop rotation. You cannot plant it in one place for several years. The best predecessor is nightshade crops.

Important: to avoid cross-pollination, you cannot plant two varieties of corn next to each other: for popcorn and for regular use.

  • To grow corn for popcorn, several conditions must be met:
  • Harrow the site before planting.
  • Cultivate row spacings at least three times per season.
  • Water regularly if necessary.
  • Periodically feed the plants with mineral fertilizers.

Grandchild's joy

In retail, you can find popcorn in the form of a semi-finished product. It is enough to throw it into a frying pan and fry it. This is an absolute advantage. However, very often it contains many harmful substances. Therefore, it is best to grow such corn on your site.
Harvesting begins after the ears are fully ripe. At the milky stage, popcorn will not come out of it.
After harvesting, the grain is dried for about a month in a dry and cool place and then stored in cotton or paper bags.
As well as raw, over-dried grains, it is difficult to break apart when frying. The problem can be solved by leaving them in a damp room for a week.
These are the main features of choosing and growing corn for popcorn in a subsidiary farm. If you take them into account, you can get an excellent harvest of ripe ears and feast on popcorn all winter.