Be careful. Once you make this, I guarantee you will never look at microwave kettle corn the same way again. In fact, if you have a particular affinity for the microwave version, maybe you should stay far far away from this stuff. Kettle corn made like this, on the stove, is unbelievable. This is the perfect sweet treat when I don't have any baked goods in the house to enjoy. I tell myself this is a "healthy" dessert thanks to the fiber in popcorn and whatnot. Hey, whatever works, right?
The best part about this is that it literally takes 10 minutes to make. So, a little bit longer than in the microwave, but so much better!
Here's what you need:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
salt
And here's how easy it is:
1. Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
2. After a minute or two, add the popcorn kernels.
3. Immediately pour the sugar on top of the kernels and put the lid on your pot.
4. Holding the handles of the pot, shake back and forth for 10 seconds to evenly distribute the sugar.
5. Place the pot back on the burner and wait for the pops!
6. When the popcorn has finished popping (you'll know because the popping will slow), turn off the burner and allow the popcorn to sit for a minute.
7. Be careful when you remove the lid as hot pieces of popcorn love to jump up in your face!
8. Pour your freshly made popcorn into a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
kernels & sugar, ready for popping
freshly popped
ready for munching
**Again, be careful with the hot popcorn...I've burned my fingers many times because I get too excited to dig in!
I usually make 2 batches in a row of this because we can too easily finish off one batch. This is great for days, just put it in large ziploc bags and store in your cupboard!