Popcorn?



Rereading the original post and reading other posts would suggest it may be microwave popcorn you
are referring to when you say bagged popcorn. I have a 30 year old sear microwave with a mechanical
timer. I noticed after the glass broke that was on the bottom of the microwave that all the popcorn
never popped and if I increased the time, it burnt the popcorn. But I solved the problem. I have a
corning casserole dish that I head on a burner to a medium hot. I removed the corningware from the
burner, place the microwave popcorn bag in the corningware and put that in the microwave. I set the
30 year old microwave to 5 minutes for the popcorn which is what I think it says on the package and
voila, perfect popcorn minus a few kernals that didin't pop.

The Ranger wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson <[email protected]> asked in message news:[email protected]...
> > The Ranger wrote:
> >
> > > I'm looking for a brand of popcorn that'll pop most of the kernals instead of just 3/4 of the
> > > bag. Is there a brand out there that pops up mostly? Or is this just a dream?
> >
> > 3/4 of the bag is way too low. You are either using the wrong settting on your microwave, or
> > your microwave just isn't powerful enough to do a good job. Is it old? As the magnetron tube
> > ages, the power may drop off.
>
> I agree that having only 75% of the bag bloom is low, hence my question.
>
> And I do understand about microwaves' less-graceful aging than other appliances. The microwaves
> (we have two) are both in fine working order and cook/heat other foods quite adequately and
> efficiently. If I increase the time by only a few seconds, I have burned popcorn and the same
> number of kernals unpopped.
>
> The Ranger
 
On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 21:06:34 -0600, John Gaughan
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Mark Thorson wrote:
> > 3/4 of the bag is way too low. You are either using the wrong settting on your microwave, or
> > your microwave just isn't powerful enough to do a good job. Is it old? As the magnetron tube
> > ages, the power may drop off.
>
> I am lucky to get a half bag without it burning. I think my microwave is about 25 years old, and
> even back then, it sucked ass. But it is worth the price I paid for it (free).

Time for a new one. Even if the motor & fan are still working, other parts aren't. You'll be shocked
at the difference, if you don't already use a newer model at work.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments
 
On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 19:49:50 -0000, Dog3
<dognospam@adjfkdla;not> wrote:

> I use regular popcorn in the bag or jar and almost all of it pops.

This process is only a legend to me... I've tried and it wasn't successful.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments
 
sf wrote:
>> I am lucky to get a half bag without it burning. I think my microwave is about 25 years old, and
>> even back then, it sucked ass. But it is worth the price I paid for it (free).
>
> Time for a new one. Even if the motor & fan are still working, other parts aren't. You'll be
> shocked at the difference, if you don't already use a newer model at work.

Oh I know the difference, it's just a matter of prioritizing -- new tires on the truck, or a new
microwave... well, I don't like skidding around turns, so the microwave loses again ;-)

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/
[email protected]
 
The Ranger wrote:

> The microwaves (we have two) are both in fine working order and cook/heat other foods quite
> adequately and efficiently. If I increase the time by only a few seconds, I have burned popcorn
> and the same number of kernals unpopped.

Burning spots doesn't mean your microwave is working properly or has enough power to adequately pop
popcorn. It only means that it can focus enough power on one spot to burn something. Kinda like
trying to get a sun tan from a laser.
 
"occupant" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I buy, 2 kilo bags as I recall, at Costco and stick the popcorn in the freezer. Since only one
> Costco in this area carries bagged popcorn, I bought several bags that have been in the freezer
> being used up slowly over a couple of years.

I buy the same kind! It's ActII, I think. Now that I have mastered my stove-top technique, I rarely
if ever get an unpopped kernel. Sometimes I get partially popped kernels, but that's OK because I
like those.

>Taken frozen from the freezer I have used it in my hot air popper which produces flavourless
>popcorn so I used salsa as a dip. Delicious. OR my favourite is a large cast iron skillet with some
>oil, medium heat, and quarter cup of popcorn kernels followed by grating fine frozen cheddar cheese
>over a bowl of hot popcorn. The cheddar cheese falls and melts like snow and gives the popcorn a
>wonderful cheddar taste.
>

Oh my gosh! That's a wonderful idea!! I'm going to have to try the cheese thing one of these days!

> My experience has been that it is usually the temperature and technique that determines the degree
> of popcorn that will pop and generally not the age or type.
>

Age does matter to a certain degree. Older popping corn is more likely to have lost some or all of
its moisture. Popping corn with less moisture will be less fluffy when popped, while that which has
lost all of its moisture won't pop at all.

rona
--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***
 
i have stopped using the POPCORN SETTING on my micro, and just using HIGH for 4 minutes. pop's
almost all of the ACT II kernals.

--
read and post daily, it works! rosie

It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty
stomach. ..............................Franklin Delano Roosevelt

http://www.coxar.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/



"The Ranger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]
berlin.de...
> I'm looking for a brand of popcorn that'll pop most of the kernals instead of just 3/4 of the bag.
> Is there a brand out there that
pops up
> mostly? Or is this just a dream?
>
> I'm currently using two microwave brands, ActII Butter and Orvel Reddenbauckers.
>
> The Ranger
 
"The Ranger" <[email protected]> writes:

>I'm looking for a brand of popcorn that'll pop most of the kernals instead of just 3/4 of the bag.
>Is there a brand out there that pops up mostly? Or is this just a dream?

>I'm currently using two microwave brands, ActII Butter and Orvel Reddenbauckers.

I use Act II and Blast O'Butter. Great junk food. (G) After having the same results as you, either
1/3 old maids or totally burnt (and burnt popcorn smells atrocious) I found the following solutions
- and my microwave oven is approximately 23 years old.

1. Make sure you're using a turntable. If your microwave doesn't have one, then get one. Manually
opening the door to turn it does NOT work for bagged microwave popcorn - the temp falls too fast
and the steam buildup dies down.

2. Put the popcorn bag on a micro-safe glass or china "pedestal." Don't use plastic - it will get
too hot. I have a turntable, and I invert a saucer on the center of the turntable to create a
small platform that puts the popcorn bag up toward the center of the oven and OFF the
floor/turntable. Center the unfolded bag on the bottom of the saucer, and cook.

With these two hints, I get very few old maids every time.

Connie
*****************************************************
My mind is like a steel...um, whatchamacallit.