Secrets to the Perfectly Fluffy Popcorn

While there are many strategies that can be helpful with the preparation of popcorn, not all kernels will pop, some require oil, some need butter or salt, many people wonder how they can get their popcorn to have perfectly fluffy centers without burning it. 

The following are seven tips for keeping your popped corn as fluffy as possible.

Use a good pot.

The first step to perfectly fluffy popcorn is to use a well-made pot. A high quality, thick bottomed pan will ensure that the kernels are heated evenly for maximum popping potential. 

If you have an old, thin-bottomed pot in your kitchen then it’s time for a replacement. Even if you don’t have a new pot, the next few techniques will help you get the best results.

In case cooking popcorn at home is not possible, but you want to eat some, many services for  popcorn delivery in Singapore are just one click away.

Keep your eye on it.

One mistake many people make is to walk away from the popping corn while it’s cooking, trusting that it is still popping or that they can hear when each kernel has finished popping. 

The problem with this is that the popping kernels have a lot of extra steam inside them which can cause them to explode and leave a crushed, scorched center in the pan. For maximum fluffiness, stay by your pot until you hear it slowing down or until between two and four seconds have passed from one kernel’s pop.

Oil sparingly.

Many people believe that a little oil is necessary to ensure a fluffy popcorn, but this isn’t true. 

In fact, leaving too much oil on the popped corn can actually make it less fluffy as the extra lubrication between the individual pieces means that they won’t clump together as tightly. A thin coat of oil is all you really need to get the most out of your kernels.

Salt after cooking.

It is very important to salt evenly throughout the popped corn, rather than before or during cooking, as this ensures that each kernel will be coated with the seasoning evenly. 

Salt also has a tendency to absorb into food more quickly when it’s added later in the process of cooking, which means it will be less likely to leave a gamey aftertaste in your mouth.

Toss with butter last.

Unless you want your popcorn to taste like buttery-flavored cardboard, then you should wait until the very end before adding any kind of sauce or other flavoring agents to the pan. 

This allows the kernels to absorb as much of the flavor as possible and means that each kernel will have a coating rather than just one or two.

Have butter ready.

If you want your popcorn to taste like movie-theater popcorn then it is important that you have butter waiting by the stove and begin adding it immediately after removing the pan from the heat source. 

Waiting even a few seconds can cause the butter to begin solidifying and for it to cool too much before evenly coating each kernel.

Stay near your stove at all times.

The secret ingredient which separates great popcorn from okay popcorn is attention, so you should never walk away from your pan until after it has cooled enough that you can handle it.

Use the oven if necessary.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you might notice that bits of your popcorn are turning out dry and overcooked. If this happens then you need to act quickly. 

Place all of the cooked kernels on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil (or a similar type of oil if you don’t have any on hand), and bake them at 400 degrees for five minutes. This will pop the bad kernels without drying out the good ones.

Store with care.

You should always store your leftovers from any food preparation in an airtight bag or container to keep it as fresh as possible. Stored properly, you can keep popcorn for several weeks without it losing flavor or getting stale.

Enjoy!

After all of that work your final product should taste amazing and be noticeably fluffier than regular popcorn. You deserve to sit back with a bowlful and enjoy the fruits of your labor! 

Also, if you crave for fluffy pops but cooking isn’t possible at the moment, you can resort to  popcorn delivery in Singapore for a quick kernel fix.