How to Make Healthy Popcorn With a Hot Air Popper
January 5th, 2009If you are a popcorn lover, you must have heard of popping corn with the use of hot air. But, you may not know, that this results in one of the healthiest, yet most delicious snacks ever! Popcorn popped with revolving hot air in an air popper will contain practically no fat, cholestorol or sodium, and is a good source of dietary fibers. Air popped popcorn can be seasoned at the end, so your popcorn snack can be unique each time you pop a new batch.
How do you make the snack you never have to feel guilty about?
Air popped popcorn is naturally popped corn kernels popped in an air popcorn maker. An air popcorn maker is a standing popcorn machine about 30 centimeters tall, which has a kettle with an opening on its top, where the popcorn is added.
Once you have filled up the kettle with the desired amount of popcorn, turn the hot air popper on, and watch through the see-through top as the kernels are flown around the inside of the kettle in a circular motion. This is done by circulating hot air inside the kettle, which eventually heats every single kernel causing them to rupture and become popcorn. The popped kernels start filling the kettle, and finished popcorn starts pouring into your serving bowl.
And the best part is that once the popcorn has popped, you can pick the seasoning you want to add, meaning that your unique, seasoned to taste popcorn will satisfy any craving. The most popular, quick-prepare seasonings are:
- nutritional yeast for a cheese popcorn flavor
- chili powder
- chili powder
- chili powder
- sugar and cinnamon (1/3 cup sugar needs 2 teaspoons of cinnamon)
Air popcorn makers are very efficient kitchen appliances, since they will leave almost no kernels unpopped. The popping cycle is around 3 minutes, which means that they are very quick and easy to use. If you are on the market shopping for an air popper, you will find that they are easy on your wlallet. A reliable Presto hot air popper’s pricetag will be around $20, while vintage style designer air poppers cost as low as $39.
You will see that natural popcorn kernels are much cheaper than microwave popcorn bags as well, so not only is it lighter on your wallet, it’ll be lighter on the calorie side as well. Natural popcorn kernels can be found at any grocery store, usually right next to the microwave popcorn bags, so have a look for yourself! This is one of the very few instances, where a snack thats good for you will be cheaper than the “artificial” version.
Air popped popcorn nutritional info, one serving (1 cup, 8 g)
- 31 calories
- ZERO saturated fat
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 1 mg sodium
Safety tips on using a hot air popcorn popper:
- Hot unpopped kernels can fly out through the spout while they are still being circulated with hot air, so standing right in front of the air popper while the corn is still popping is not advisable.
- The spout will emit hot air during operation, which can cause skin burn if you’re not careful.
- The hot air emitted by the popcorn maker will heat up the serving bowl you place under the spout to catch the popcorn. Metal heats up very rapidly, so it is advisable not to use metal bowls.
If you want to make healthy air popped popcorn at home for your friends and family, visit Tom Fischer’s website, HotPopcornPopper.com, to have a look at a great popcorn recipe collection, and have a look at a handpicked air popper selection.
