Popcorn is a tasty snack that everyone loves, but one of the few challenges of making popcorn is seasoning it. This is because many times, the salt and other seasonings won’t stick to the popcorn, which results in some tasteless or dry kernels.
To make salt stick to popcorn, mist some type of liquid onto the popcorn, then sprinkle the salt or seasonings on it. If you do not use a mister and use oil instead, the popcorn may come out too soggy.
The Rules of Making Salt Stick to Your Popcorn
The “rules” when trying to make any type of seasoning stick to popcorn vary depending on how you plan to cook the popcorn. They are different depending on whether you air-pop your popcorn, cook it in the microwave, cook it in a toaster oven, or cook it on top of your stove.
The first thing you need to remember is that the finer the salt is, the better it will stick to your popcorn. Fortunately, there is a cheap and simple solution to this because all you have to do is buy popcorn salt. Yes, this type of salt exists, and it makes seasoning your popcorn super easy.
The second tip is to never put too much oil or other liquid on the batch of popcorn before seasoning it. If you do, you’ll get soggy popcorn, and no one wants that. This is why misters are recommended. They spray just the right amount of oil on the popcorn to make the seasonings stick without getting the popcorn soaking wet. And when it comes to the type of oil you should use, stick to oils that have high smoke points, such as olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. You can also use plain water or melted butter if you like.
Yet another tip is to make sure you spritz the popcorn and add the salt while the popcorn is still hot. With hot popcorn that is slightly damp, the seasonings for popcorn are naturally going to stick a little easier. If for some reason you don’t want to use oils or fats to make the popcorn seasonings stick, you can use water or salt water, lime juice, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce, or even vinegar. Additionally, you can use a mixture of some of these liquids to give the liquid a little extra flavor.
What About Air Poppers?
Air-popped popcorn is easy to season in many ways, but difficult in other ways. When you pop popcorn in an air popper, it comes out hot, but dry. For this reason, it’s a good idea to spritz the popcorn as soon as it comes out of the popper. Don’t wait to do this because, again, popcorn that is hot is better able to absorb both the liquid you’re using and the salt and seasonings themselves.
The other rules still apply, including making sure the salt and seasonings are very fine and powder-like. As long as you follow these rules, even your popcorn popped in an air popper can be seasoned properly every time.
What If You Don’t Have a Mister?
Some people have no mister and aren’t interested in getting one, but the good news is that when all is said and done, you really don’t need one. Instead, you can season your popcorn the old-fashioned way.
To start with, get a large bowl that leaves enough room to add the popcorn and shake it around once the salt is added. Use vegetable oils for the best results, and spread the oils around in the bowl without leaving puddles of oil. In other words, you’ll want to coat the entire inside of the bowl but don’t leave built-up oil in the bottom.
Next, add the seasonings and then the popcorn, and shake the popcorn in the bowl until it is coated. This might sound difficult, but if the inside of your bowl is damp enough, it should be very simple and fast.
Conclusion
Making salt and seasonings stick to your popcorn is really not a difficult thing to do, and you can do so with or without adding fat. If you follow the tips listed above, it’s a quick process, whether you use a mister or not. It makes the flavorful popcorn taste delicious every time.
Enjoy your seasoned popcorn snack!