I happened to find a website which offered seasoned toppings for popcorn. In itself, not a unique website. But I found it after reading an article on the health aspects of popcorn and the debate over air vs. oil vs. microwave. According to the many sites and articles, and also common sense, air is better than oil. I won't even consider microwave because I don't like the taste, no matter the brand or variety. I have always made popcorn in oil, made on the stove in a regular pot, but hated the clean up, and in getting older thought about the healthier air method. So, I looked further, found some reviews of air versus oil, and found many stated that air was as good as or better than oil. So, I looked further, which brought me to the seasoned topping site. They offered an air popper for purchase and also an oil mister to spray on the popcorn so their seasoned toppings would stick. It seemed that the oil mist would make up for any lack of taste from the lack of oil in cooking. I was intrigued. So, on a whim when I was in Kohl's I saw the recommended air popper and bought it. I figured I wouldn't need the mister because we use a no fat, no calorie butter spray. Which brings me to Saturday night. Movie time. I set up the popper, got the bowls ready, got out the butter spray and some salt and was ready to go. I will say the convenience of the air popper and the clean up put it way above my oil/pot method. But, even with the butter spray, the taste in no way measured up to the old way. Pat didn't finish her portion. I drowned mine in butter spray which made it palatable. My final conclusion after this experiment?
Anyone want an air popper?
Anyone want an air popper?
5 comments:
HAHA funny post.
ok you should however, include a link to an 'air popper' because, i don't think I know what one is...
but i agree, i enjoy popcorn popped in oil on the stove...BUT what is the healthiest oil to use???
because even when you use 'healthy' oil, the attributes change when you heat it up...so is it REALLY healthy?
I had an air popper for a few years after getting married (a shower gift) and I no matter what I did I could never get it to taste good. So I will stick to my ruined pot (which I only use for pop corn) and use oil to pop my corn.
I use regular old vegetable oil for mine. Would be curious to know which is the best and better for you.
Here is the Scientist viewpoint on oils: The healthiest oils to consume are Olive, Canola, and Peanut.
But don't use olive oil for popcorn because it has a low smoke point and will therefore create a lot of smoke (and probably affect taste). Peanut is least likely to smoke.
Also regarding no fat, no calorie butter sprays -- they actually do have fat and calories (at least the ones I know of); read the ingredients to see if they have butter or oil listed as an ingredient; the way they get to say ZERO is that when you measure the amount in a serving size (e.g., one spray worth) and then round it to the nearest whole gram or calorie that is usually zero. The real answer may be 4.9 calories and 0.4 grams of fat in a spray but if you round to the nearest 10 calories that becomes zero and the fat becomes 0 grams on the label. Some might consider this misleading, since one would probably use more than one spray and the total calories and fat are really going to be far above zero.
ok...hoping uncle bob reads again...
when using olive oil and/or peanut oil, doesn't the oils makeup change when heated at high temperatures and there fore making a healthy oil, unhealthy?
If an oil starts smoking obviously it is decomposing which would not be good. Otherwise I don't think the oil would be a problem, at the temperatures for popping corn.
Problems with oil would more likely come from changes to the foods that are cooked in the oil, not any oil itself, unless you heat it till it smokes.
FRYING foods in fat or oil does produce compounds that some people might want to be concerned about. (Not me -- everything in moderation!)
And by the way, after getting the gift of popcorn, Judy purchased an old-fashioned popcorn maker, on-line, just like we used to have (that had broken) -- it is a rebuilt round bottom electrically heated; just put in a tablespoon of oil or two and 1/4 cup of corn and plug it in until it stops -- perfect!
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