Scientists Solve Riddle of Unpopped Popcorn 262
Kozar_The_Malignant writes "CNN is reporting that scientists have solved the problem of unpopped popcorn kernels left in a bag or bowl. The short answer is that unpopped kernels have leaky hulls (seed coats) that prevent the buildup of sufficient pressure to cause the pop. The research has been published online and will appear in the July 11 edition of the journal BioMacromolecules. From the article: 'In the varieties popped, the percentage of unpopped kernels ranged from 4 percent in premium brands to 47 percent in the cheaper ones.' So buying the good stuff for home use is probably worth it."
Not quite (Score:5, Interesting)
Not necessarily true. The quality of kernels is of minor concern, major concern is time to market and freshness. Keep your unpopped corn in a sealed container to maintain humidity level and keep it fron drying out. Microwave popcorns aren't all going to be equal, either, as the oil/salt compositions will vary which affect the hulls of kernels. I've found microwave popcorn has a very short shelflife compared to plain kernel corn. Freshly opened popcorn has fewer 'widows and orphans' than older corn, especially corn which has been left exposed to air.
Like all things, popcorn engineered to look better or pop better in a microwave isn't necessarily your best tasting corn, either. I only buy microwave corn when I feel I need some for within the next few days and usually not just for myself. If eating popcorn at home I'm more likely to air pop some good stuff and put on real butter and use actual popcorn salt (not that table salt which is appearing in cheaper theaters everywhere.)
I don't have a paper on this anywhere, but I have had considerable experience popping corn, particularly in college where it helped absorb lots of beer. Naturally popcorn which comes in jars is going to fare better than that in plastic bags, but how old the kernels are is the most decisive factor and a higher end popcorn distributor is more likely to have better packaging. A more porous hull is likely to dry out faster or be weakened by contact with hydrogenated oils in any case. Your 4% to 47% is most likely attributable to quality of packaging, how long the product took to get to market and how long it stayed on the shelf (including shelf time at home.) Granted, better advertised brands are more likely to move through distribution and stores than generic brands, which may give it some edge.
What's more near and dear to my heart, when I shell several zorkmids at the bijou for my greasy paper bag is what the fsck they're putting on the corn. Most of those butter replacements are horrible and concession stands should be required to post a warning that their 'Butter' isn't butter at all but a blended gookum of vegetable oils. There's only one theater left in my area which still uses genuine butter.
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Funny)
We too have an independent theater that still uses real butter. Better yet, they have a ready supply of brewer's yeast which makes the popcorn "go to eleven".
Re:Not quite (Score:4, Interesting)
To top if off, the admission price was cheap, and compensates for this somewhat more expensive popcorn. Admission was about $4, and a large popcorn about $7. Beat famous players $10 admission + sizeof(your.paycheck) refreshments anyday.
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Funny)
Go look up what "air-popped" means and then sit in a corner and think about what you've done.
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
Re:Not quite (Score:3, Informative)
Besides that, some Saharan countries are having famines while others aren't. It's more to do with economics and chance weather than geographical location.
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
At work, I get Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Butter Light to microwave and it's pretty good.
In my home theater, I got a real popcorn machine, though confess I mostly got pre-packaged popcorn/oil thingies for it. I need to experiment and find the Definitive Recipe for it...
having solved all of the world's problems... (Score:2)
these people actually get money for this kind of thing?
where do we sign up?
Very true (Score:4, Informative)
Also if you want your bagged microwave popcorn to pop better unfold the bag and spread the oil gobbed seeds away from each other to all corners of the bag evenly and then reduce the cooking time by about 10% and you'll have a great bag every time with almost no unpopped seeds.
If you really like light fluffy popcorn you could build a microwave with an air pump in it, if you reduce the air pressure to a near vacuum they pop considerably larger. Keep in mind your average microwave is not, and was never meant to be used as a low pressure vessel.
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
well, as long as it's not "infection" yeast, I'm happy to sprinkle it all over my popcorn...!
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Informative)
I had to Google it, but apparently an extra-fine grained salt is used on popcorn, potato chips, and french fries.
Just in case anyone else wondered.
Re:Not quite (Score:4, Interesting)
You can find it in many grocery stores, yet. Though in a pinch those fine iodized salt packets at fast food places will do as well.
I know Morton and Reese's (no relation to the pb cups) are purveyors.
You know these things when you are king of popcorn
air popped?!?! you heretic! (Score:2)
buy a stir crazy [amazon.com] and you are set for life.
also, use good olive oil and sea salt.
Re:air popped?!?! you heretic! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:air popped?!?! you heretic! (Score:3, Informative)
A plain old pan is very easy to wash.
A 5 or 6 quart heavy bottomed pan works great. Use Med-High heat, make sure there is about a milimeter depth of oil over the entire bottom surface, place two kernals in the pan, put the lid on and then turn on the stove. When you hear 1 or both pop, pour in popcorn so there is one layer of corn on the entire bottom surface of the pan. Then gently shake the pan -- no need to go nuts, move it a tiny bit back and forth about 2 strokes per second and in two more minutes
Re:air popped?!?! you heretic! (Score:2)
Air Popper = Better popcorn. (Score:5, Interesting)
As mentioned, plain kernel corn lasts quite a while on the shelf, if properly stored. With an air popper, I usually get about 3-4 bad-popped kernels, but even they usually have opened up a little. I use the cheapest brand kernels I can buy.
The best part is the cost. The microwave popcorn with 6 3.5oz bags in it costs the same as a 4lb bag of plain kernels. Also, I can spend my money on better-tasting butters specially designed for popcorn.
So with an air popper, I get fewer bad kernels, just over three times the amount of corn, and I can control the salt and butter amounts.
I don't understand why people use microwaves rather than a cheap air popper.
frob
Re:Air Popper = Better popcorn. (Score:3, Funny)
I only say that because I'm jealous. I grew up in an oil-and-stir popping family and am now reduced to microwave popping due to space and storage concerns.
Alas.
Re:Air Popper = Better popcorn. (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't understand why people use microwaves rather than a cheap air popper.
One word: convenience. Sad as it sounds, time isn't so much the factor as effort is. People willingly pay three times as much to reduce a a six- or seven-step process that requires attention to throwing a bag in a microwave, hitting a few buttons, then chowing down. (After all, three times dirt cheap is, well, still cheap.)
I'm not advocating microwave popcorn, just trying to explain. I guess it depends on your priorities. Personally, I don't eat popcorn unless it's already handy (e.g. someone had already made it and has some extra), so I have the most convenience of all with one single step: Eat!
Microwave popcorn without prefabricated pocorn bag (Score:3, Informative)
The fat in prefabricated popcorn bags often contains a lot of trans-fatty-acids. These acids are known to be unhealthy. Use my recipie for improved health and a better popcorn experience.
Re:Air Popper = Better popcorn. (Score:4, Informative)
Why buy an extra thing if what you have already does the job. Why waste the countertop space? I have to admit those air poppers are cheaper than your typical microwave oven on the new front, but a microwave oven is much more useful. An air popper is pretty much limited to popcorn, or perhaps coffee. It spends more time in storage unless you really really love popcorn.
The best part is the cost. The microwave popcorn with 6 3.5oz bags in it costs the same as a 4lb bag of plain kernels.
Actually you can use raw popcorn in the microwave as well. You can either use your own paper bag, buy a specality microwaveable popcorn container [universalshopping.com], or hell get creative and find your own solution. Popcorn pops very well on it's own without oil in the microwave. A conical shape works very well and tends to leave unpopped kernels in the bottom. If you've cleaned your microwave recently you might even enjoy just putting the popcorn in a bowl and watch it fly around. Now that's something the entire family would gather around and enjoy.
But for the most part, the average joe doesn't eat popcorn enough to justify the expense, even a cheap sub $20 solution.
Air poppers are vi, microwaves are emacs. (Score:2)
I don't understand why people use microwaves rather than a cheap air popper.
Agreed.
But some people prefer the swiss army knife approach [netfunny.com], while others prefer to select the right tool for the job [emory.edu].
Re:Air Popper = Better popcorn. (Score:4, Insightful)
I can think of a few reasons.
1. We're not all popcorn obessives. You know, for most people, it's just another food, not a hobby.
2. A microwave is already in the kitchen, and can be used other things. It's hard to justify another device for the sole purpose of preparing a single food, especially if you don't eat it very often.
3. Most people don't have popcorn very often, and so buying a paper bag to put in the microwave is the better alternative to buying a 'popper' and kernels, which would just be taking up room 99% of the time.
4. A lot of places sell the microwave popcorn, not so many sell normal corns.
5. Get over yourself. It's just bland salty junk food, you're talking about it as if it were some sophisticated cuisine.
Re:Air Popper = Better popcorn. (Score:3, Informative)
2) Not when you only use it once a year. I.e. if you're not a popcorn obsessive.
3) Yes, because I use them more than once a year. And I can use them for things other than popcorn.
4) I m
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Interesting)
I refuse to even own a microwave. When it comes to popcorn, I can make perfect popcorn on the stovetop in a pan in 4-5 minutes. That's from cold stove to a bowl of piping hot fluffy popped corn. Personally, I like it better cooked in a little oil than from an air popper. I skip the butter but use plenty of sea salt.
Anyway, microwave corn is a scam. You get very little, it leaves a pasty film on the roof of your mouth, and when I've made it at the office, I find I still have to stand around and watch else it tends to burn. So making it on the stove results in a better product, takes only slightly longer, and shaking the pan while it cooks is much more fun than tapping my toe waiting for the microwaveable junk to be done.
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
You know the government uses bugs planted in microwaves to spy on us right? Why do you think they invented microwave antennas??
Re:Not quite (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm with you. Both about microwaves and popcorn.
I've worked in the restaurant business for a combined total of about 12 years. Everything from Dishwasher to General Manager, with cooking, waiting, and bar tending in between. I used to wait tables at the local Olive Garden. The one thing I truly liked about that place was the fact they didn't even have a microwave. Everything we served was really cooked with real heat
As for the popcorn, microwave is the lowest form of popcorn. Air-popped isn't all that great either. I personally prefer a mixture of peanut oil and clarified butter and sea salt ground really fine with a mortar and pestil
Most of those "prepackaged" corn and oil things are alright. The oil is pretty much the same stuff we use at my business partner's theatres (he owns five single-screen theatres in Northern WI), and makes better popcorn than straight vegetable oil.
Preheat your heavy pot (no light, thin walled or tefloned stuff, to about 250 to 350 with the oil in it. Add the seeds and swirl to coat all the seeds. This is also a good time to add some salt. Heat the pan to about 460 and use a loose fitting flat lid that lets the steam out. Do not shake up and down, but when the popping starts to slow give it a swirl and some gentle side-to-side shakes, maybe one very light tossing shake. When the popping really starts to slow remove from heat (the heavier the pot, the sooner you should remove heat) Pour into a serving bowl as soon as the popping is basically stopped so you don't burn or over dry the popcorn.
That's the home version of what good popcorn machines do. My business partner owns several vintage popcorn machines and we sell almost as much popcorn for take out as we do in house at the theatres.
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Funny)
CHAPEL HILL, NCArea resident Anagama does not own a microwave, a fact he repeatedly points out to friends, family, and coworkers as well as to his mailman, neighborhood convenience-store clerks, and the man who cleans the hallways in his apartment building.
"I, personally, would rather spend my time cooking something decent than using a microwave," Anagama told a random woman Monday at the Suds 'N' Duds Laundromat, noticing the establishment's microwave. "I don't even own one."
According to Melinda Elkins, a coworker of Anagama's at The Frame Job, a Chapel Hill picture-frame shop, Anagama steers the conversation toward microwaves whenever possible, just so he can mention not owning one.
"A few days ago, [store manager] Annette [Haig] was saying she had a bad headache," Elkins said. "The second she said that, I knew Anagama would pounce. He was like, 'Oh that's a shame. I'm guessing it's because of your microwave sending out dangerous radiation into your skull every day. I don't have that problem with microwaves. In fact, I don't even own one."
According to Elkins, "idiot oven" is Anagama's favorite derogatory term for microwave.
Tony Gerela, who lives in the apartment directly below Anagama's and occasionally chats with the 37-year-old by the mailboxes, is well aware of his neighbor's disdain for microwaves.
"About a week after I met him, we were talking, and I made some kind of microwave reference," Gerela said. "He asked me what I was talking about, and when I told him, he just went off saying the last time he used a microwave, it was some microwave lasagna, and it gave him diahorrea."
Added Gerela: "Once, I made the mistake of saying I nuked something for dinner, and he started in with, 'Nuked the dinner? I don't know about you, but I 'cook' dinner. In a pan."
Anagama has lived without microwaves since 1989, when his then-girlfriend moved out and took her oven with her.
"When Claudia went, the microwave went with her," Anagama said. "But instead of just going out and buying another one which I certainly could have afforded, that wasn't the issue, I decided to stand up to the microwave teat."
"I'm not an elitist," Anagama said. "It's just that I'd much rather cook some risotto or grill some salmon than sit there passively staring at some 'ready-meal' going round and round.
Continued Anagama: "I can't begin to tell you how happy I am not to own a microwave."
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
If you gave me a microwave I would donate it to the Goodwill. I refuse to own one because food cooked in a microwave is lousy and believe it or not, I prefer my leftovers cold.
Oh, and it's true, I don't watch television. Free since about '92. And proud.
Re:Not quite (Score:5, Insightful)
You can find about anything online, included experts in popcorn. I'm bookmarking this under my "Interesting esoteric knowledge" folder.
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
This looks like a screed from the Department of Redundancy Department!
(/Me RTFA again)
Oh yeah, here we go (straight from the text above, boys and girls!):
"The short answer is that unpopped kernels have leaky hulls (seed coats)
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
Believe it or not, but the pizza place I used to work at put that junk on their bread sticks and their garlic bread.
Re:Not quite (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not quite (Score:2)
On a related note, why do they serve popcorn at cinemas? And why do people always complain about the prices? If it's that expensive (which it is) then don't buy it. Can people really not go for two hours without eating something? No wonder everyone's so fat these days!
Back to basics (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Back to basics (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Back to basics (Score:5, Interesting)
Makes great packing material, as long is it's air popped!
This was one of the original uses for popcorn, before styrofoam peanuts. My father, who worked at Oakridge on the Manhattan Project told me how they'd receive delicate instruments, packed in boxes of the stuff.
Warning, urban legend stuff! (Score:4, Informative)
I have read this a few times, never seen any substantiated confirmation that popcorn is a good packing material. OK, if your father told you so, maybe they did try it at least once. But, from some controlled experiments I have read about, popcorn is actually a shitty packing material, compared to styrofoam.
The reason? Mice and cockroaches. Popcorn is edible, styrofoam isn't. If you don't add some environmentally dangerous pesticides, you'll have a severe pest-control problem if you pack things with popcorn.
Re:Warning, urban legend stuff! (Score:2, Informative)
Also, popcorn is far less solid than styro. A good friend of mine got a rare terminal packed in popcorn - the terminal had quickly crushed the popcorn to a fine pulp and proceeded to fall apart itself.
Re:Warning, urban legend stuff! (Score:3, Informative)
And considering what kind of mess the Manhattan Project left in Oak Ridge, I think environmentally dangerous pesticides weren't much of a concern, and were the least of anyone's worries anyway.
Re:Warning, urban legend stuff! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Warning, urban legend stuff! (Score:3, Interesting)
They had a box with these plastic corners with what looked like three whiffle balls on them. THen that was packed in a bigger box.
The whiffle like balls acted as shock absorbers.
Re:Back to basics (Score:2)
Re:Back to basics (Score:2)
Before the microwave there was much in the way of technology for poping popcorn. Sure you could use any old pot/pan, and end up with a ruined pan. Jiffypop was a godsend to many who enjoyed popcorn but didn't want to ruin a pan. But even jiffypop required much in the way of manual labor. Dedicated oil and air poppers were a major leap and made making large amounts of popcorn a brease.
But before all these inventions, people still ate popcorn. It was am
Re:Back to basics (Score:2)
1. locate a bowl suitable for catching popcorn popped by an air popper *and* a microwaveable cover for it. i'm lucky enough to have a glass pie plate fit my favorite popcorn bowl, but a dinner plate that fits may work in a pinch.
2. pop the corn in the air popper. while it's getting going, melt a tablespoon or two of butter in the cover.
3. when the corn is all popped, sprinkle a bit fine grated cheese on it, then salt and pepper or other seasoning, then shake
P3rf3ct P0pCrOn A Scientific Analysis (Score:4, Informative)
The process: Oil is added to the pan, and heated over an electric element or open flame until the oil is hot enough to pop a few kernels added when the oil was cool. The rest of the load of popcorn, typically 1/3 cup, or about 80 grams of popcorn are added to a roughly equal amount of oil. Too much oil makes the popcorn greasy, too little inhibits rapid and even heat transfer from the oil and the pan.
The pan itself is a freqently overlooked, but very important element in the mix. A flimsy thin pan tends to develop hot and cold spots, but just as important, it is an inadequate heat reservior. Once the load of popcorn is added to the oil, the temperature of the oil itself will drop, as heat is taken up in the kernels from the oil and the pan. Oil at 350 degrees will drop to about 200 when a roughly equal amount of popcorn is added. As a result, the heat necessary to heat the kernels sufficiently to rapidly develop steam inside must come from the fire itself. A heavy aluminum or cast iron pan will prevent such a sharp temperature drop, and all that heat in the skillet will find its way into the kernels quickly.
Why is this important? Think of a car tire with a slow leak. If you try to pump it up with a hand pump or one of those battery operated compressors, you may never get the tire up to pressure. If you fill it from a large tank of high pressure air with a large bore hose, you can probably blow it out. The same thing happens with popcorn. A skillet with a large thermal mass will rapidly transfer the heat needed to rapidly develop steam in the leaky kernels before it can leak out. This is why the old Jiffy Pop popcorn usually had lots of old maids.
The same thing will happen when you add popcorn to cold oil, and then heat it on the stove. As the oil heats, the precious steam inside many of the kernels will start to escape before it the oil gets hot enough to heat the kernels rapidly. Once the steam escapes, you will have charred old maids, no matter how high you turn the flame. You have much better results if you heat the oil in a heavy skillet to the brink of the oil smoking, then add the payload of kernels.
Re:Back to basics (Score:2)
Plus, nothing beats the satisfaction of all those muffled pop! ping! sounds you get when you use a metal pan with a lid. We use stainless steel Revere Ware; I have to admit it's been a long time since we've popped any. The sound and smell brings back fond memories of childhood, unlike the smell of cheap, overly buttered uWave office corn; which just makes me want to vomit.
awww crap! (Score:5, Funny)
Wow (Score:5, Funny)
Really... who thinks it's THAT important to find out? And has access to equipment...
Re:Wow (Score:3, Funny)
Orville Redenbacher
Re:Wow (Score:2, Insightful)
Shameful.
I've always loved popcorn ... (Score:2, Funny)
I like crunching on those unpopped kernels (Score:2)
Re:I like crunching on those unpopped kernels (Score:2)
I've often thought there's a market for them. If produced in quantity (and consistency), you could bag them up like those corn-nut things.
Popcorn (food) for thought.
--
BTW, there is a God.
Just buy twice as much cheap stuff (Score:4, Interesting)
Real reason to get better quality is it tastes better.
Re:Just buy twice as much cheap stuff (Score:2)
Importance (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Importance (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Importance (Score:2)
Re:Importance (Score:2)
Similarly, should we let people free who comit armed robbery because murder is a worse problem?
Yes, I did just compare popping popcorn kernels to GAD and armed robbery.
Re:Importance (Score:2, Interesting)
Is there a formal designation for the type of argument which asserts the undesirability of a given course of action on the basis of its consumption of effort/resources from an imagined "total pool of potential expended effort/resources," as it were?
It seems that there should be one. I encounter it rather often. I'm sure someone's attributed a name to it.
For example, as an argument against animal rights: "How can you spend all your time worryi
hmm. (Score:2)
hope so.
now, if someone has a solution for the everfresh-beer-problem, i can really have the best sleep in years. entries only accepted if in O(log_2(n)).
Is this really that newsworthy? (Score:2, Informative)
(Yes, that's sarcasm you are smelling)
Obviously... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Obviously... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Obviously... (Score:2)
Re:Obviously... (Score:2)
Microwave versus Bag popcorn (Score:2)
And actually it tastes better than your typical styrofoam air popped bag popcorn anyway - it has the grease, s
West Bend Poppery==Excellent Popcorn (Score:2, Insightful)
I have an aging West Bend Poppery [scumby.com] and it makes fantastic popcorn. However, mine does not have a BBQ thermometer case mod like the one in the linked image.
News?? (Score:2, Interesting)
wow (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:wow (Score:2)
Stop whining about newsworthiness (Score:5, Funny)
Holes in the hull? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Holes in the hull? (Score:2)
IgNoble cause (Score:2)
the 2006 Ig Nobel Award
I didn't realize it was a riddle... (Score:2)
Go to sector seven-G.
Substitute corn-related terms as appropriate.
PR Campaign? (Score:2, Insightful)
News for nerds. Stuff that 6 people care about.
$10,000 reward (Score:5, Funny)
What you don't know about popcorn can kill you... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:What you don't know about popcorn can kill you. (Score:2)
Taste? (Score:2)
leaky kernel eh? (Score:2)
anyways, u can always try and coat it with something to seal it.....
just think...Slime(r) for popcorn.
Next Generation Popcorn... (Score:2)
I disagree (Score:3, Funny)
Tell that to Linus!
Shenanigans! (Score:2)
Not sure if it was in
As for popping all kernels, a nice pot with a thick bottom, butter and cheap or expensive kernels will pretty much always yield 100% popped kernels if it's stirred right.
Re: (Score:2)
Does anyone else like half-popped kernels? (Score:2)
Hot air poppers pop almost all every time (Score:5, Interesting)
am i the only one who (Score:2)
Interesting (Score:2)
And they were probably paid with tax-payer dollars!
This is just sad!
But I suppose humorous.
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could RTFA?
I like 'em (Score:2)
Oh! (Score:2)
Talk about your lame jobs... (Score:2)
wow (Score:2)
I swear I read that as "unpopped kernels ranged from 4 percent in Pentium brands.... I was sitting here, trying to figure out why intel was making operating systems and what an unpopped kernel was....
Re:How hard could it be? (Score:2)
Yep (Score:2)
You're missing how obvious this is. Other than that I have no idea. Funny, isn't it, how little grasp people have of basic experimental design?
Re:SLASHDOT THIS IS LAME! (Score:2)