Air popped Popcorn

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rachelbl72
rachelbl72 Posts: 64 Member
in Food and Nutrition
i love the stuff but want to bring its calorific value down but don't know how to get sugar to stick to it. I currently use coconut oil or olive in pan with some sugar add corn and pop but the oil adds quite a lot of calories, how do I get sugar to stick. Does anyone use water and sugar.

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  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    edited September 2015
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    I've never tried it, but I'd imagine anything that gets the popcorn wet would work. Only issue I'd see is that the sugar may fall off if the water dries. Why not just try it and see?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited September 2015
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    rachelbl72 wrote: »
    i love the stuff but want to bring its calorific value down but don't know how to get sugar to stick to it. I currently use coconut oil or olive in pan with some sugar add corn and pop but the oil adds quite a lot of calories, how do I get sugar to stick. Does anyone use water and sugar.

    You could spritz on I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray and then shake the sugar on. It's in the refrigerated section (it's not aerosol, so it doesn't have that nasty taste). An olive oil mister might be another option.

    Superfine sugar should stick better that regular table sugar. I use popcorn salt which is very fine. I bought some Kernel's Kettle Corn seasoning (that's fine salt & fine sugar)..... It sticks ok, but it's pretty expensive for salt & sugar.

    Kettle corn recipes call for adding sugar to the oil and then popping the corn (so the sugar melts)......it works ok, but I wouldn't try it without a non-stick pan. You could cut the calories by using Splenda or something.

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20808/kettle-corn/

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I'm having trouble relating to this problem. I like my air-popped popcorn dry. Adding ingredients will only increase it's calories.

    Water will explode in the presence of hot oil or a hot pan. Cold water on air-popped popcorn just soggifies. Don't do that.
  • rachelbl72
    rachelbl72 Posts: 64 Member
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    Thank you for your replies, I wouldn't of mixed oil and water together, the question was has anyone tried it with water and sugar dissolved instead of coconut oil and sugar, as I like it sweet. but with the sugar and oil it ups the calorific value of the snack as I'd mentioned.
  • abetterluke
    abetterluke Posts: 625 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    I'm having trouble relating to this problem. I like my air-popped popcorn dry. Adding ingredients will only increase it's calories.

    Water will explode in the presence of hot oil or a hot pan. Cold water on air-popped popcorn just soggifies. Don't do that.

    This ^^^^

    Water would definitely make your popcorn soggy. And if you have oil in the pan and you put water in you're probably going to hurt yourself.

    Maybe experiment with some different types of dry seasonings rather than sugar?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Maybe continue with your current recipe, but cut the portion size by 1/3?

    My calculations indicate this would bring down total calories consumed by approximately 33%.
  • pussingtonp
    pussingtonp Posts: 59 Member
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    I LOVE LOVE LOVE airpopped corn! I eat it without any topping. A couple of things I do for my husband, and myself if I want a treat:
    - A spray bottle filled with Balsamic vinegar, and lightly spray the corn. It goes a little soggy but its amazingly delicious
    - 1 tablespoon of I can't believe it's not butter light, mix it around the corn as its falling from the popper. This will melt slowly and coat the corn, spinkle with sugar or salt.
    - Melt marshmallows and toss around the hot popcorn - almost like a rice crispy treat,

    From your description it doesn't sound like you are using an airpopper - it sounds like you are popping it in a pan? No need to use hot oil, or anything like that.

    I have often heard people suggest the spray bottle technique with a light oil for the salt or sugar to stick to - you could try that?
  • clh72569
    clh72569 Posts: 280 Member
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    I spray zero calorie Kernal Sensation butter spray on my air popped popcorn and sprinkle salt, Lawrys season salt, Mrs Dash, or furikake.
  • rachelbl72
    rachelbl72 Posts: 64 Member
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    Ye I use the pan method, I had an air popper and never really got on with it so went back to the pan method. I will have a go again tonight and thank you all for your input.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Air popped corn has always been too dry for anything to stick. I end up spraying something on it to get the moisture necessary for dry toppings to stick. Aerosol sprays have a nasty (underlying)flavor.

    Another option I found (Iowa girl....love my popcorn) is a Presto microwave bowl. This allows me to use just a small amount of oil. Fine grain toppings stick (mostly).

    OP - for a slightly sweet popcorn.....look for Angies Boom Chicka Pop, Slightly Sweet (in turquoise or purple bags).... I've seen the turquiose bags at Target. The turquoise (lower calorie - 40 calories per up) is pretty good.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
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    I'm not getting the sugar thing....at all.
    However, I pop my corn in a microwave - in a paper lunch bag with a bit of oil. I think what would work is put a tiny bit of oil in a small bowl and mix in your sugar, then add your kernels until coated. Put it all in a paper bag, fold down the top a few times, hit the "popcorn" button on your microwave and let 'er rip. The trick would be to get the sugar and moister in before the pop
  • rhyolite_
    rhyolite_ Posts: 188 Member
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    I use Kernel Season's Kettle Corn seasoning. It's not pure sugar, but those seasonings always stick pretty well for me if I pour on hot popcorn.
  • rachelbl72
    rachelbl72 Posts: 64 Member
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    TeaBea I'm guessing your from America or somewhere like that lol. I'm from Wales in the UK so haven't got Target or stores like yours, I've seen loads of different stuff to go on popcorn online but don't get a lot of choice here.
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    I use the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray on my air-popped popcorn.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    rachelbl72 wrote: »
    TeaBea I'm guessing your from America or somewhere like that lol. I'm from Wales in the UK so haven't got Target or stores like yours, I've seen loads of different stuff to go on popcorn online but don't get a lot of choice here.

    Oh no!.....I'm sorry. My bad.

  • rachelbl72
    rachelbl72 Posts: 64 Member
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    Ah lol don't worry just annoying I can't get hold of half the stuff id like to try sometimes.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    It seems to me that sugar should stick to hot popcorn naturally, since sugar melts when heated.

    Alternatively you could try using heated honey or simple syrup and spraying it on for an even coating that should be quite sticky.
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
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    One of my friends mixes a little cocoa powder with some powdered sugar and it sticks to it really well. Bar sugar will probably work as well, I think that's the same thing as superfine.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,996 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    It seems to me that sugar should stick to hot popcorn naturally, since sugar melts when heated.

    Alternatively you could try using heated honey or simple syrup and spraying it on for an even coating that should be quite sticky.

    +1 on the simple syrup. If you bring the syrup to a boil, then add to popcorn and put in a slow oven (not more than 250 degrees F., preferably a little lower) and stir every 10 minutes or so for about a half hour, you'll end up with something akin to caramel corn.

    Alternatively, have you considered powdered (confectioners/10X) sugar? Or even caster sugar (superfine granulated sugar) on hot popcorn should melt decently. I wouldn't want to mess up a hot air popper, but you know that you can put the popping corn in a brown paper bag and pop it in the microwave? If you did that, you could add sugar (again, powdered or caster would be better than regular granulated because they're finer) and give them a better chance of melting onto the popped corn.
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
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    This was on the recipes section, I'm not sure why the honey is optional if that's what makes it all stick together.

    Ingredients:
    1 packet of popcorn/popcorn kernels
    2 Tablespoon of cinnamon/sugar
    1 teaspoon of salt
    OPTIONAL:
    2 teaspoons of honey

    Method:
    1. Heat up in the microwave the popcorn or air pop them.
    2. Open packet or put popcorn in a deep bowl.
    3. Add cinnamon, salt and honey
    4. Mix around well until the cinnamon, salt and honey has reached roughly all pieces of popcorn.
    5. Serve.

    This is a very low calorie meal especially if you don't add the honey, the honey just gives it that extra bit of sweetness to it and makes the cinnamon and salt stick a bit more. Happy cooking!!

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