Bagged popcorn has become too mainstream these days—it’s convenient to buy marked up bags of popped-a-while-ago stuff when you’re craving a warm, movie theatre-esque snack. But if you have 15 minutes and the foresight to buy some kernels, you will be rewarded.

First, kernels.

Yellow Popcorn Kernels
The most popular kernels around. They’re inexpensive and widely available—you can find them at almost all supermarkets. They pop in big, dense pieces and have a slight yellowish buttery-looking hue—which I am guessing is a big part of why they’re the kernel of choice at movie theaters.

White Popcorn Kernels
As the name suggests, these kernels pop more white in color and have the most neutral flavor—a true blank canvas for toppings and flavorings. They’re also a bit more tender than yellow kernels.

Red, Blue, and Black Popcorn Kernels
These are the heirloom strains. My fave! Unlike yellow and white popcorn, these have a thin hull that mostly disintegrates when they’re popped and although they pop white, they have hints of beautiful color and are a smaller size that yields big flavor and lots of crunch.

Next, Fat.

The best popcorn popping oils are those that work well under high heats and yield a yummy flavor at the same time. When the kernels explode in your hot pot, the first flavs they’re exposed to is the oil they were popped in. So make sure you pick a good one.

Ghee
Arguably one of the best options because of it’s high smoke point and flavor. Ghee is simply butter that’s had its water and milk solids removed, so it doesn’t brown and burn at high heats.

Refined Coconut Oil
Be ready to commit to a slight coconut aroma. Refined is important, as unrefined has a lower smoke point and more intense coconut flavor.

Any neutral oil
Opt for canola, veg, sunflower, grapeseed, avocado etc.

Olive oil
Proceed with caution as olive oil has a low smoke point and if your pot gets a little too hot it’ll get smoky and turn bitter in flavor. Olive oil is a great popcorn finishing oil.

HOW TO MAKE STOVETOP POPCORN:

The most successful vehicle for stovetop popcorn is a big pot with a lid. The rule of thumb: for every ½ cup popcorn kernels you plan to use, you will need to add roughly 3 tablespoons of your desired oil to the pot. The high oil quantity helps produce extra heat and steam, and without those two things, there’s no popping. Like mentioned above, remember that whatever oil you choose will coat the just-popped kernels and give your toppings and flavorings something to cling to.

1. Add your oil to the pot, off heat (3tbsp for every .5 cup kernels). Then, add 2 or 3 single tester kernels to the pot, cover it and place it over medium heat. The key here is listening as your ‘corn will burn if you neglect it!

2. Once those tester kernels pop, carefully remove the lid, use tongs to pull them out, and then pour in the rest of your kernels. Immediately cover the pot, increase the heat from medium to medium-high, and listen.

3. When the kernels start popping, use towels to pick up the pot (lid closed) and shake it up and down to move the kernels around. Continue cooking while shaking periodically until the kernel popping slows down and you can only hear 1 or 2 pops every couple seconds—that’s when it’s time to remove the pot from heat and carefully crack the lid so steam can escape. When you hear the popping slow down, it’s better to remove the pot from heat sooner rather than later, so it doesn’t burn.

4. After 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooling with the lid cracked, carefully pour your popcorn out onto a large rimmed baking sheet or into a big, wide bowl. Now toss with oil, butter etc. and toppings! The sooner you add the toppings, the more apt they are to stick.

recipes.

Miso-Butter Togarashi Popcorn
6-8 servings

PARTS
— 8 cups just-popped popcorn (from ½ cup black jewel kernels)
— 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
— 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
— 1 tablespoon mellow white miso paste
— 2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi (or as much as desired)
— ½ nori sheet, crumbled or 2 teaspoons furikake

CLUES
1. Place freshly popped popcorn on a large rimmed baking sheet or in a large, wide bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk melted butter, sesame oil, and miso together until emulsified and smooth. Pour miso sesame butter over popcorn, tossing to coat.
3. Add the shichimi togarashi and gently toss until mixed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with nori or furikake and serve immediately.



Garlic-Butter Everything Bagel Popcorn
6-8 servings

PARTS
— 8 cups just-popped popcorn (from ½ cup kernels)
— ½ stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
— 1 small garlic clove, grated on a microplane or very finely minced
— 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning OR make your own: 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, ½ teaspoon minced dried garlic, 1½ teaspoons minced dried onion, ½ teaspoon flaky salt

CLUES
1. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and garlic, waiting about 10 minutes for flavors to meld.
2. While flavors meld, make popcorn and then place on a large rimmed baking sheet or in a large, wide bowl. Pour garlic butter over popcorn (if it solidifies, just zap it in the microwave), distributing evenly.
3. Add the everything bagel seasoning, then gently toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.



Herby Honey Kettle Corn
6-8 servings

PARTS
— 8 cups just-popped popcorn (from ½ cup kernels)
— 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
— 3 tablespoons honey
— 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage etc.) I like to place the herbs in a food processor and pulse until they’re a powder
— A pinch of flaky sea salt 

CLUES
1. Place freshly popped popcorn on a large rimmed baking sheet or in a large, wide bowl. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, honey, and herbs until smooth. 
3. Pour honey herb butter over popcorn, tossing to coat. Garnish with sea salt flakes.



Parmesan Truffle Popcorn
6-8 servings

PARTS
— 8 cups just-popped popcorn (from ½ cup kernels)
— 2 tbsp truffle oil
— ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted
— 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (the better quality parm, the better quality popcorn)
— 2 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley 

CLUES
1. Place freshly popped popcorn on a large rimmed baking sheet or in a large, wide bowl. 
2. Pour over melted butter and truffle oil, distributing evenly (so the cheese and herbs have something to stick to). 
3. Add the Parmesan and parsley, then gently toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.