Kettle Corn

Who doesn't love kettle corn?  We get it every time we go to a fair or other fun event where they have a booth and tend to eat most of it with none left to take home.  I never thought that I could make it at home with the stuff that I already had until I saw this recipe on Tracey's Culinary Adventures.  How exciting!!!  I couldn't wait to try it but I had to wait until the right occasion.  My husband and I had a busy weekend and we were sitting on the couch wanting a yummy treat while watching television after our son had gone to sleep (sick again).

I pulled out the ingredients to make sure that I had enough of everything.  Might even have enough for a second batch :)

Then, found the biggest soup pot that I had and put it on the stove.  Measuring the canola oil into it.

I mixed the sugar and popcorn kernels in a bowl while I was waiting for the first three kernels to pop.  They popped and I poured in the sugared popcorn.  Quickly stirring my wooden spoon and mixing it all up.  I started shaking the pot immediately and just kept shaking.  If you want a work out, this was a little aerobic to get you started before you eat the whole pot.

No picture can do the taste justice but the kernels of popcorn are covered in a sugary-salty mixture of heaven.  I hope that you try it soon because it just like the fair but at home in one pot!  It was amazing and it didn't even have a chance to cool off before my husband and I ate it all. 

We have been through a ton since then and I am craving it right now.  If you have visited me recently, you have probably had some too but if not, pick a really big pot and make some right now :)  I have tried a smaller pot like a dutch oven instead of the tall soup pot but this was the perfect mix of room for the popcorn and air to let everything pop.  I highly recommend using the largest pot you have available and this is mine. 

Make sure that you check out the original post too for her details too.

Homemade Kettle Corn
from Our Best Bites and Tracey's Culinary Adventures

3 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons sugar
kosher salt, to taste

Set a large stock pot (a big pot is key here, don't sub a smaller one) over medium to medium-high heat (not too hot or everything will burn). Add the oil to the pot along with 3 kernels of popcorn. Cover the pot and wait - once the oil gets to the right temperature, those first 3 kernels will pop.

While you're waiting for those first 3 kernels to pop, stir together the remaining kernels and sugar in a small bowl. Once the first 3 kernels pop, add this mixture to the pot. Using a wooden spoon, immediately stir, scraping the sugar from the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot.

The key to this recipe is making sure to shake the pot frequently to ensure the sugar doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot as the kernels pop. Use a dish towel or pot holders to grip the handles of the pot and the cover at the same time and aggressively shake the pot up and down and from side to side. You'll want to do this about every 10-15 seconds as the kernels pop (to be clear, you want to start shaking as soon as you add the kernels to the pot - don't wait for them to start popping).

Continue shaking the pot frequently until you can hear that the kernels have nearly finished popping. Remove the cover and stir the popcorn immediately. Season to taste with kosher salt and continue stirring. You can serve the popcorn warm or at room temperature once it's cooled (if you can wait that long).