Kettle Corn in a Whirley Pop

Dorie's Lori's Note:

This version is light and airy, with just a touch of ethereal sweetness and saltiness. By playing with the proportions, I hit upon this recipe that rivals the addictive Kettle Corn we paid a fortune for at fairs and such! It was created after I tried the recipe in the Whirley-pop instruction booklet, and found it tough, gloppy, and also a very small batch. See also my Whirley Pop Notes below the recipe.

• Total Time: 7 mins
• Prep Time: 2 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 6.0 quarts

• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ cup popcorn
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt , scant

Directions:

1. Note that this recipe's cooking method is for a gas stove. You might have to monkey with the heat a bit on an electric one.
2. Add all ingredients to the Whirley pop, and pop, using, on average, a medium heat: alternate between a lower flame and a high one. This is in order to send the heat to the outside edges, which is where the popper sends the popcorn!
3. Be sure to remove from the heat quickly when the popping slows. Empty immediately into a big bowl, and stir around with a big spoon and/or your hands to break apart the kernals. (Careful - it's hot!).
4. For an easier cleanup, put some water and a squirt of soap immediately into the popper to soak.
5. After it has cooled thoroughly, keep in an air-tight container to prevent sogginess.
6. Whirley Pop Notes:.
7. I actually purchased mine because, try as I might, I just couldn’t make great Kettle Corn in a pot on top of the stove. I tried a number of recipes. They all came out tough, and never fully popped, and the sugar always burned. And I am a pretty patient cook! To make matters worse, the cleanup of burnt sugar on my stainless pots was a significant chore!
8. So, I bought a Whirley-pop. With all the great reviews on-line, I knew I would come to love it. I was right! It makes great popcorn, all kinds! Bonus is that you can use less oil than cooking in a pot, like only 2 teaspoons per 1/2 cup batch.
9. So, this recipe is for a Whirley Pop, as I haven't personally had any success in a regular pot. If you don't have one yet, and you make popcorn a lot, I highly recommend one! Although they are mostly a "single-use" item, they are only about $23. And, personally, I recommend this Kettle Corn recipe over the one in the book.

Reviews

[Chef TanyaW]

First try... kids loved it. Our corn kernels were a little old and I was afraid they wouldn't pop, so we put in extra and it made a ton. I think I would have liked it better with less popcorn (higher ratio of salt and sugar to popcorn)... my bad!

Thanks... we have had the Whirley pop for years and now I have finally used it!

[Jenk]

Turned out great! I am making it as Christmas gifts this year.

[pdantoinette]

Oh THANK YOU for posting this! I had tried another recipe, but it was nothing like this. SO yummy!!! I used coconut oil, and had mixed reviews on the salt factor, so will decrease a little for next time. Everyone wants me to make it again tho... many times! :-D