After trying several recipes, cleaning up a few disasters, and reading up on tips, tricks, and techniques, this method we’ve come up with produces the salty sweet goodness we love best! All the shaking and swishing and stirring (“dancing the popcorn dance”) are worth it, we promise.
1/4 C oil (vegetable, canola, corn, etc.)
1/4 C sugar
1/2 c popcorn kernels
1/2 tsp popcorn salt
2-4 Tbsp melted butter (to taste)
You will need a very large pot with at least one handle – two is best – and a matching, tight-fitting lid (a glass lid makes your job a whole lot easier). Place oil in pot over high heat with 3 kernels. As soon as all 3 kernels have popped, remove pot from heat and quickly whisk in sugar (it will probably turn golden brown, and that’s ok). Stir in popcorn kernels just until evenly coated. Lid pot and alternate a couple of seconds on the high heat, and a couple of seconds in the air, shaking and swirling to keep things moving (this is for an electric stove, to prevent scratching or cracking; on a gas stove, you can just leave the pot right on the range and shake it continually). Listen closely to the rate of popping! Once the pops peak and then slow to 2-4 pops per second, remove pot from heat. It may take a practice batch or two to get the hang of the timing here. Shake for a few seconds more, then when popping has stopped, remove lid and pour/scoop popcorn into a large bowl. Gently stir in salt & butter. Enjoy!
Time to make: Less than 10 minutes
Yield: Two of us can finish off one batch without much trouble, but it could comfortably serve up to four… though, you’ll wish you had made more!
Source: Kathy, James, & Angela Hoffman