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Popcorn

Page history last edited by Brian Nummer 11 years, 8 months ago
Introduction

 

Popcorn has been around for thousands of years. The oldest ears of popcorn were discovered in a bat cave west of central New Mexico in 1948, and they are over 5,500 years old! Popcorn has also been excavated out of tombs in South America; and it was so well preserved, it still popped. Thousands of years old popped corn, still white and fresh looking, has also been found in ancient burial sites. Popcorn kernels from those early times had a tougher hull and were not as round looking as today's popcorn.  Years ago people would throw corn on sizzling hot stones over a campfire. As it popped, it shot off in various directions. The game was to catch the popcorn, and the reward was eating it. Some Indian tribes speared the cob with a long stick and held it near the fire. The kernels popped and stayed attached to the cob. The Iroquois popped their popcorn in pottery with heated sand. A favorite way to enjoy popcorn among the Iroquois Indians was popcorn soup, while the Indians of Central America made popcorn beer.

 

 

Quality and Purchase

 

Today the average American eats well over 50 quarts of popcorn yearly, and they consume over one billion pounds of popcorn annually! Popcorn is inexpensive and easy to make. It may be the easiest item in your food storage to make a yummy treat from in stressful times.  You can save money by buying plain popcorn–especially in bulk. It will need to be stored in air tight containers.

 

Popcorn is the only corn that pops; it is not dried kernels of sweet corn. There are several popular varieties of popcorn out of thousands of hybrids.

 

  • White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags.
  • Rice popcorn is a variety with kernels that are pointed at both ends.
  • Pearl popcorn produces round, compact kernels.
  • Strawberry popcorn has tiny red ears that are shaped like strawberries and produce red kernels.
  • Black and blue varieties of popcorn have colored grains that pop as white kernels.
  • Rainbow or Calico corn has white, yellow, red, and blue kernels.

 

 

Storage Conditions

 

Store popcorn just the same as you would for most grains. Keep the kernels in a cool, dry location. A basement location is the best choice. Choose containers that can protect the popcorn from insects, rodents, and moisture but are also easy for you to handle.

 

Nutrition and Allergies

 

You may have considered popcorn to be junk-food. However, it actually supplies a lot of nutrition and is suggested as a healthy snack by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Dietetic Association (ADA).  Popcorn contains substantial amounts of carbohydrates, fiber, many of the B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, pantothenic acid, copper, manganese, linoleic acid and all the essential amino acids. And, for how inexpensive popcorn is, popcorn will give you very good nutritional bang for the buck in your food storage or everyday eating. It is inexpensive, easy to pop, and great fun to eat.

 

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

 

Energy                       1,598 kJ (382 kcal)

Carbohydrates          78 g

- Dietary fiber            15 g

Fat                              4 g

Protein                       12 g

Thiamine (vit. B1)     0.2 mg (17%)

Riboflavin (vit. B2)   0.3 mg (25%)

Iron                             2.7 mg (21%)

 

One cup equals 8 grams.

Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.

Source: USDA Nutrient Database

 

 

Shelf Life

                                                                                            

Depending on the storage conditions and the containers used, popcorn can stay usable for 30 years or longer.

 

Use from Storage

 

Depending on the type of grinder you have, you can use popcorn to make fresh cornmeal. When you grind whole popcorn kernels, the germ is still intact. The grinding process exposes the oils to air and they break down quickly. Only grind as much as you need for a recipe since ground popcorn does not store well.

 

Another use for popcorn is to make flour out of popped kernels. To make this flour, place popped popcorn into a blender and blend until it resembles flour.  A medium texture takes about 20 seconds, but continue blending 40 to 50 seconds for fine flour.  During World War II, when wheat was in short supply, people combined popcorn flour (25 percent) and wheat flour (75 percent) to use in their recipes.  Here is a fun recipe using popcorn flour.

 

GRANOLA MUFFINS

 

1/2 c. medium-ground popcorn flour

1/2 c. granola

1 1/4 c. unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 c. milk (3 T. powdered dry milk + 1 c. water)

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. finely chopped apple (or reconstituted dried apples)

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray or line with paper cups.  In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.  Blend lemon juice, milk, egg, and melted butter. Then stir in chopped apples.  Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until well moistened.  Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full.  Bake for 22-25 minutes.

 

           

References

White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags
White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags
White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags
White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags
White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags
White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags
White hull-less and yellow hull-less are the varieties sold most commonly and packaged in microwave bags

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