The Best Microwave Popcorn Is Made from Sprouted Corn Kernels
What: To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co.
Read the series → Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
Love really good popcorn, but don’t want to take the time to make it the old-fashioned way? Use sprouted corn kernels in place of conventional popping corn, and you can achieve popcorn perfection with the convenience of your microwave.
Here’s how to do it.
Why Sprouted Corn Makes the Best Popcorn
The keys to great popcorn are the multiple mini-explosions created when heat turns the moisture in each kernel into steam. The steam expands and expands, until, “pop!” Since sprouted corn has a higher moisture content, you get more steam. And more steam means fluffier popcorn. Plus, you end up with far fewer un-popped kernels rolling around in the bottom of your snack bowl!
The To Your Health Flour Company, which we’ve been profiling all week, makes sprouted-corn popping corn ($4.19 for a one-pound bag), which boasts a 98 to 99 percent pop rate.
And then there’s the taste. Thanks to the simple sugars created in the sprouting process, the popcorn has a deeper, stronger corn flavor that’s a bit sweet and requires little, if nothing, in the way of embellishment. A simple sprinkle of salt is nice, but even that is unnecessary.
You can use the same popping methods with sprouted corn that you would for traditional dried corn: a stovetop popper or a popcorn machine. But if you want to enjoy your light, airy treat even faster, it works great using the below microwave method.
The Microwave Method
- Soak kernels. Soak sprouted corn kernels in water for about 5 minutes.
- Prepare for microwave. Put about ¼ cup of kernels in a brown paper lunch bag, fold over the top and place in the middle of your microwave.
- Get started. Set your timer for 3 minutes and carefully remove the bag when popping slows to 2 to 3 seconds between pops.
- Listen closely. Like any popcorn, it will burn quickly!
→ Watch this fun video from The Kitchn showing how to make popcorn in the microwave.
Have you ever made popcorn from sprouted corn kernels?