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Sometimes you just can’t beat a warm bowl of sugary kettle corn, and homemade kettle corn takes it to another level.
If you’re wondering how to make kettle corn with an air popper at home, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to make kettle corn with an air popper. Let’s begin.
Ingredients For Homemade Kettle Corn
Popcorn kernels
You can use any popcorn kernels for this recipe, so whatever kernels you have in your cupboard is fine.
From organic to standard popcorn kernels, the result will be delicious!
Butter
To give this kettle corn a beautifully buttery taste, this kettle corn recipe requires good quality butter!
As you’ll be coating your kettle corn in it, you want to be able to celebrate the kettle corn with good butter.
Sugar
If you’re going to make homemade kettle corn, you might as well do it right! For this recipe, you need to use white sugar.
You should avoid using sugar substitutes, such as stevia, as the result just isn’t going to be the same. For that crisp crunch, you want real sugar that will coat the outside of your kettle corn and will be reminiscent of the kettle corn you got at the fair as a kid!
Salt
To give your sweet kettle corn a nice salty addition, you can also season to taste with salt for a combination that is truly irresistible. However, this is an optional ingredient and if you prefer to just stick to sweet kettle corn, you can leave it out.
A Guide On How To Make Kettle Corn With An Air Popper
Equipment You Will Need
- An air popper machine
- A saucepan
- A large bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup of popcorn kernels
- ½ cup of butter
- ½ cup of sugar
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
Step One – Preheat The Air Popper
Before you can start popping your popcorn, you want to run the air popper for a minute or two before you put your kernels in.
This is to ensure that the air is warmed up before you begin, as you want to introduce high heat immediately to the kernels for the best results.
Step Two – Place The Kernels In The Air Popper
Place 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels in the air popper and pop them according to the air popper’s directions.
Step Three – Combine The Sugar And Butter In A Saucepan
Next, you will need to add the sugar and butter in a saucepan. Cook and stir the mixture over a medium heat until all of the sugar has dissolved and the butter is completely melted.
Remove from the heat.
Step Four – Remove The Popcorn From The Air Popper
Once your kettle corn has completely popped, it’s time to remove it from the air popper. Grab your favorite large popcorn bowl and pour it in.
Step Five – Coat The Popcorn With Butter Mixture
Next, you will need to coat the popcorn with the butter and sugar mixture. Shake the bowl around to ensure that all of the popcorn is evenly coated.
Step Six – Season With Salt To Taste
Last, by no means least, season to taste with salt!
Some people love the sweet and salty taste of kettle corn, while others aren’t a huge fan, so how much salt you add to your kettle corn is totally up to you!
Tips To Remember When Making Kettle Corn
Always Preheat Your Air Popper
For the best kettle corn, you need to make sure that you always preheat your air popper before adding your popcorn kernels.
This comes down to the fact that you need to introduce high heat immediately. If you introduce the heat too slowly by placing the kernels in the air popper before you’ve allowed the air popper to come to temperature, you’ll slowly heat up the moisture inside the kernel and allow it to leak out.
When making kettle corn, if you want to achieve the ‘explosion’ that causes the giant mushroom shaped kettle corn, make sure that you preheat your air popper.
Remove The Kettle Corn When Popping Slows Down
Always make sure that you are carefully listening to your kettle corn cooking in your air popper, and remove the kettle corn when the popping starts to slow down. When you can hear the popping sounds starting to slow down to 2 to 3 seconds, it’s time to remove your kettle corn from the air popper.
Being aware of this and making sure that you remove it once the popping slows down will minimize the risk of you burning your kettle corn.
How Should You Store Kettle Corn?
Kettle corn is best when eaten fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, you will want to make sure that you store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
Provided that you keep your kettle corn in an airtight container, it should keep for around a week. However, once you try how delicious it is, I doubt it’ll last longer than a day! Trust me on this one.
The reason that you don’t want to store your kettle corn in the refrigerator is that it will harden and change the texture of the kettle corn. That being said, it’s best to store it on the kitchen counter or in your pantry.
Is It Healthy To Eat Kettle Corn?
No, kettle corn isn’t the healthiest of snacks. Of course, there are ways you can make a kettle corn recipe healthier, by swapping out certain ingredients.
However, classic kettle corn requires unhealthy ingredients that are high in fat, sugar, and salt.
While kettle corn is a great treat to indulge in once in a while for a movie night, it isn’t the healthiest of snacks to eat on a regular basis.
In Summary
So, that’s how you make kettle corn with an air popper. Make sure that you follow these handy tips next time you want to make kettle corn with an air popper at home.
Have fun and enjoy your homemade kettle corn!
