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Sunday 14 April 2013

What To Know About Kettle Corn

By Adele Madden


Salty-sweet popcorn that is eaten as a snack food is known as kettle corn. The food is usually mixed or seasoned using oil, salt and sugar. Cast iron kettles were used in the past when preparing the food, but nowadays a variety of pans are employed.

This snack was officially introduced to America during the eighteenth century. Diaries of Dutch settlers from Pennsylvania reference the corn around the late 1770s. Historically, it was a treat commonly available at fairs or eaten during other festive celebrations or occasions.

The kernels, oil, salt and sugar are all cooked in a cast iron kettle or a Dutch oven. The preparation of the food lends to a sweet crust around the popcorn. But this traditional cooking method requires that the cook stir continuously or the sugar in the recipe will burn. Plain corn can be sweetened using honey, or sugar, before the salt is added. This type of popcorn was extremely popular during the 19th century, but fell in the 20th century.

A simple, easy-to-make recipe involves sugar, salt, popcorn kernels and oil. Oil should be placed in the cooking device on medium until it is heated and the sugar and kernels may be added. A heavy lid is needed to place over the pan so that it can be shaken up until the popping from the corn slows down. Once this is all done, it should be allowed to cool before it is served. People who cook this at their home should do so in small increments so that it is easy to regulate the heat and kernels.

This food resurged in popularity during the 21st century. Kettle corn is still widely available at fairs and flea markets across America, especially at arts and craft shows. It is standard for a cast iron cauldron to be used when cooking this food in public.

There are home recipes available and microwavable versions sold at most grocery stores. Some of the most popular popcorn manufacturers have this for sale, in some form. Many of the microwave products do not include sugar because sugar usually burns in a microwave. Instead, most include artificial sweeteners as a replacement, usually sucralose. While these versions tend to carry the same salty-sweet flavor, they do not have the same kind of texture. When this popcorn is made from scratch it usually has a crunchy sugary crust.

Largely, this is considered a snack food or a treat. It does not suffice as a meal for most people. Many enjoy eating popcorn while they are watching a movie, or at a special event such as a sports game, fair or carnival. Caramel corn is similar to kettle in that it has a sweet taste. This popcorn has a thicker, richer and darker candy shell that is made from caramelized sugar.

Kettle corn is a kind of snack food. This salty, yet sweet, popcorn has been consumed for centuries. It is usually served as a treat for special events and occasions. Dutch ovens or cast iron kettles, salt, oil, sugar and kernels were traditionally used to make this food. Nowadays, various methods are used and many snack food manufacturers sell microwavable versions, which have the same taste but a different texture.




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