What Makes Popcorn Pop?

Let us find out what makes popcorn pop. While popcorn is growing in the field, it looks like any other kind of corn, but kernels of popcorn are extra-hard. When popcorn is heated, the natural moisture in the kernels turns to steam.

Good popping popcorn must have just the right moisture content so there will be just the right amount of steam in the grains and all of them will pop.

The pressure of the steam bursts the kernel with a popping sound, and the starchy insides expand to many times the size of the original kernel. Other kinds of corn dry out when heated, but do not pop.

The American Indians discovered popcorn. They sometimes popped corn by tossing the kernels into the fire and waiting for them to pop out.

How do you get salt to stick to air popped popcorn? You could try adding butter or oil to your popcorn while it is hot, then adding the salt and tossing it together. If you’re avoiding extra fat, a few spritzes of a non-stick spray (like Pam) might do the trick without adding significant fat.

Is popcorn a healthy snack? When it’s air-popped and lightly seasoned, popcorn is an efficiently healthy snack. That’s because it is a whole grain, and high-fiber whole grains have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and other health problems.

Half the fun of popcorn is watching it turn from a hard, little yellow seed into a white fluffy treat. Few foods take such a dramatic turn as popcorn does while it’s cooking.

Content for this question contributed by David Schlosser, resident of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA