What corn is used for popcorn?
In this brief guide, we will answer the question, “What corn is used for popcorn?”, discuss different methods of making popcorn and the health benefits of eating popcorn.
What corn is used for popcorn?
The strains of corn Zea mays are specially cultivated to be used as popcorn. The most commonly used strain of Zea mays is everta that is a kind of flint corn.
What do you know about popcorn?
A variety of corn kernels, which expands and puffs up when heated, is known as popcorn. The strong hull of the popcorn kernel has a hard seed and a starchy endosperm. The moisture content of this kernel ranges from 14-20%. This moisture turns to steam when you provide heat to the kernel.
How to grow popcorn kernel?
To grow popcorn on a land of 1 acre, you will require 30000 seeds. When the plant is fully mature, you will pick the corn and fed it through a combine. Doing so will remove the kernel from the cob. Now, these kernels will be dried in special containers to optimize their moisture level (14-20%) for popping.
What are the best varieties of popcorn to grow?
It is not a bad idea if you are interested in growing beautiful yellow kernels or multicolored rainbow corn in your backyard. Following are the names of some corns that you can consider to grow:
- Carousel
- Glass gem
- Heirloom popcorn
- Heirloom strawberry
- Robust yellow hulls hybrid
- Shaman’s blue
- Snow puff
What are the benefits of buying popcorn kernels?
It is beneficial to buy popcorn kernels (per kilo/ per pound) instead of buying popcorns from the stand because:
- Popcorn kernels are cheaper.
- Popcorn kernels are healthier.
- You can customize the taste according to your choice.
How can you prepare popcorn?
There are 3 methods to prepare popcorn. You can choose any of these depending on your ease of preparation:
Cooking through stovetop
Take a hot pan and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (such as canola oil) to it. Cover and place the pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is heated enough take it off from the heat and add ⅔ cup of corn kernels. Shake well to coat the kernels with oil. Place the pan on the heat again and cover it in such a way that it allows the steam to let go, but not the popcorns. Shake periodically. When there are 2-3 seconds between pops, remove the pan from heat and ENJOY the popcorn.
Cooking through microwave
Take a paper bag and add some extracted kernels to it. Put some oil in the bag and fold it twice. Shake it well so that oil spread evenly. Now place this bag in the oven at high heat. When the popping slows to 2-3 seconds, take out the bag and ENJOY the popcorn.
Cooking through air-popping
It is the healthiest method to prepare popcorn because you will not need oil while making popcorn by using this method. This method uses hot air to cook the popcorn and cook the popcorn from inside out.
What are the healthful types of popcorn?
Three healthful types of popcorn are most common, named as;
- Air-popped, unsalted, and sweetened popcorn
(0.21g of sugar and 1.09g of fat per serving)
- Oil-popped, unsalted, and sweetened popcorn
(0.13g of sugar and 6.74g of fat per serving)
- Caramel coated peanut popcorn
(10.89g of sugar and 1.87g of fat per serving)
Is popcorn a healthy snack?
If prepared in the best way, popcorn offers a punch of nutrients and vitamins. Following are some points to elaborate on the health impacts of consuming popcorn:
- Popcorn is a whole grain that contains dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fats.
- Popcorn is high in dietary fiber, which is good for digestive health and promotes regular bowel movements.
- Being a whole grain, popcorn contains proteins that play an important role in building and repairing our body cells and tissues.
- The whole grain popcorns are a rich source of minerals (such as calcium and potassium) and vitamins (such as vitamin A and vitamin K).
- Air-popped and unflavored popcorns can help you lose weight as they are low in calories, fat, and sugar, but high in dietary fiber.
- For people with diabetes, air-popped, unsweetened, and unsalted popcorns can be a healthy source of carbohydrates as these popcorns contain 78% of carbohydrates.
- The polyphenols in popcorns act as antioxidants. This means popcorn can help you improve blood circulation and certain digestive tract issues.
- The high level of simple carbohydrates quickly raises the serotonin level, which helps you to relax and improve your mood swings.
Other FAQs about Corn that you may be interested in.
How long can you keep cooked corn on the cob?
How do you know when corn is done?
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question, “What corn is used for popcorn?”, discussed different methods of making popcorn and the health benefits of eating popcorn.
References:
- Yellow Popcorn (Maize) | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)
- Where Does Popcorn Come From? (gourmetgiftbaskets.com)
- How To Choose The Best Popcorn Kernels – 2021 Guide and Reviews (simplyhealthyfamily.org)
- Is popcorn healthy? Nutrition, types, and weight loss (medicalnewstoday.com)
- The Best 7 Varieties of Popcorn to Grow Your Own | Gardener’s Path
