Popcorn Flavour Explosions!

Popcorn Flavour Explosions!

By Ilaria Catizone

We recently bought some popping corn from the Co-op and we had a great time making popcorn and experimenting with different flavours as a healthy, cheap and package-free snack for the whole family.

What you’ll need:

  • A wide pan with a lid (bonus points for a clear lid so you and the kids can enjoy the show… plus it takes the guess work out of the process.)
  • Your oil of choice (we use olive oil but any oil will do)
  • 1/4 cup of Popping corn kernels
  • Your choice of flavours – check out my suggestions at the bottom!

To make this quick, lunchbox-friendly treat, start with your pan drizzled with oil and on high heat.

You need to make sure you have a good lid for this pan or you’ll be eating popcorn off your ceiling! Drizzle the oil, just a little, you don’t want to deep fry your corn!

Add your kernels, pop on the lid and wait a few minutes.

At this point, the kernels should start to pop. Leave the lid on and shake the pan a few times. Wait a minutes or so then lower the heat, just a little. Shake the pan and monitor the popping.

Once the popping has slowed, take off the heat and leave the lid on. If the popping stops, you can cautiously open the lid.

The trick is to leave the pan on long enough to pop most of the corn – but not so long that the popped ones burn. Sounds difficult? Seriously, it’s not. It just took me longer to write this, than to actually make the dish so have a go and have fun!

And once you have your delicious, warm popcorn, it’s time to try a few different toppings. If you look online, most toppings involve butter and butter with something. You can certainly try that, but here are some other options if you want to give them a go:

  • Honey drizzle (the favourite vote for the 4-year-old in our house)
  • Chocolate sprinkle (the close second for her!)
  • Nutritional yeast (the favourite of both our 10-year-old and me!)
  • Sea salt (hubby’s favourite)
  • Cinnamon sugar
  • Your favourite mix of spices with salt – the Co-op has an excellent range of spices to choose from!
  • Grated hard cheese
  • In all cases, just sprinkle, mix and eat!

We like to make a big batch and store it plain in an air tight container for maximum efficiency and versatility. A winner!

You can browse the full range of products the Co-op has to offer through this page – popcorn, spices, salts, and sweets – the Co-op has it all and more!