how to make perfect popcorn

how to make perfect sweet and salted popcorn

you will need -

about a handful of popping corn

a splash of vegetable oil

about a quarter of a cup of white sugar

a smallish splash of ricebran oil

about an eighth of a cup of water

salt

all measures are approximate because i've just been doing it by eye.

okay first of all you need to pop the corn so place all the popping corn in a medium saucepan with the splash of vegetable oil - make sure you put the lid on or it'll go all over the kitchen.

once its popped put half of it into a largeish saucepan and put salt on it (as much as you like)

then

put the water, ricebran oil (im sure other oils would work but thats what i've been using) and sugar into a frying pan - boil it until it reaches the 'hard ball' stage (this means that a small amount dropped into cold water will form a hard ball and 'snap' if you break it) this should take about ten minutes depending on how hot the hob is.

it should also be almost clear - you dont want to end up with toffee, just a sugar syrup.

once its done take it off the heat and quickly stir the remaining popcorn into it making sure to cover it as much as you can.

turn it out onto a plate or baking tray for a few minutes until its cooled down

then break up the stuck together bits and stir it into the ready salted popcorn

voila! perfect mixed popcorn.

if you want to keep it for later put it into an airtight container or plastic bag so it doesnt go sticky.