How to bugger up popcorn.

[Lord Farquart]

When it comes to making popcorn at home, I recon I am the king. I make killer popcorn on the stove. Anyways, rewind to about 3 week ago. The popcorn tastes like crap. Out of one batch I get different tastes. Some taste like fish, some like burnt corned beef etc. Out of one pot!!

So I changed the brand of butter, which did not help. Last night I decided to change the type of oil and voila. For some reason my wife bought some canola oil and that seemed to be the culprit. I've been using sunflower oil from day one but never thought that canola would be so different. Canola might have its uses, but from what I've experienced here I would not use it again. I wonder how many other dishes it has buggered up in the past.

Anyone else have experience with canola where it changes the taste of foods?

 

[Arthur]

"Canola' is the brand name for genetically modified rapeseed oil, which is naturally poisonous.

 

[grok]

"Canola' is the brand name for genetically modified rapeseed oil, which is naturally poisonous.

Debunked

 

[Arthur]

Debunked

No. That's debunking the notion that canola is dangerous. Not my point.

 

[Arthur]

Read the Wikipedia article. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola

"Canola refers to both an edible oil (also known as canola oil) produced from the seed of any of several varieties of the rape plant, and to those plants, namely a cultivar of either rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) or field mustard/turnip rape (Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera, syn. B. campestris L.). Consumption of the oil is common and, unlike rapeseed, does not cause harm in humans[1][2] and livestock."

 

[Lord Farquart]

This might explain why the popcorn had a different tastes in the same bowl????? Will not buy it again, that's for sure.

 

[cerebus]

Try using coconut oil rather than canola. It's the secret to pro tasting popcorn.

 

[Park@82]

Try using coconut oil rather than canola. It's the secret to pro tasting popcorn.

Any idea where one can buy some at a reasonable price?

 

[Lord Farquart]

Try using coconut oil rather than canola. It's the secret to pro tasting popcorn.

As the smoke point of coconut oil is 50degC lower than sunflower oil, I'm not so sure about it?????

 

[cerebus]

As the smoke point of coconut oil is 50degC lower than sunflower oil, I'm not so sure about it?????

Eh, take it, don't take it. Flavour-wise it's way ahead of corn or sunflower based oil though. Popcorn cooks such a short time that smoking point doesn't become an issue.

 

[longboy]

I always use Springbok unsalted butter to make popcorn and it tastes awesome!

 

[saor]

Try using coconut oil rather than canola. It's the secret to pro tasting popcorn.

+1. I usually put the oil in the pot with a few kernels and once they pop I add the rest of the kernels.

 

[Lord Farquart]

Eh, take it, don't take it. Flavour-wise it's way ahead of corn or sunflower based oil though. Popcorn cooks such a short time that smoking point doesn't become an issue.

Don't get me wrong. I will definitely give it a try.

 

[bokdrol]

Microwave popcorn. Life's too short to clean burnt pots.

 

[longboy]

Microwave popcorn. Life's too short to clean burnt pots.

ewww!

/gets out fly swatter

 

[saor]

Microwave popcorn. Life's too short to clean burnt pots.

If you burning pots making popcorn you doing it wrong. Very wrong .

 

[Fulcrum29]

I have a popcorn maker like this one, , tested the maker with various oils, avocado oil popcorn and coconut oil popcorn (as suggested by cerebus) wins the race to make popcorn, peanut oil is also superb in my opinion. Many people opt to go with olive oil and sunflower oil, but in general to play it on the safety side and thus sacrificing on flavour, oils with a high smoking point is best. I never had to experience an out of control smoke (and hazard) issue...

 

[Rocket-Boy]

I use chilli infused olive oil, it gives the popcorn a nice flavour without the need for seasoning other than a bit of salt.

 

[Lord Farquart]

I always use Springbok unsalted butter to make popcorn and it tastes awesome!

We did a taste test at home. Springbok, Clover and Spar. Spar butter came out tops. I know Spar is some other brand re-branded, but I'm pretty sure it is not Clover or Springbok. Kerrygold is a bit expensive to put in popcorn though.

 

[Nuke]

As the smoke point of coconut oil is 50degC lower than sunflower oil, I'm not so sure about it?????

Coconut oil is mostly(90%+) saturated fat, thus best for cooking. Unsaturated fats have double carbon bonds that are easier to break, and then to bond to something else, changing the structure of the oil. Mono unsaturated has 1 double bond, poly unsaturated more than one. General rule for cooking. Saturated > mono unsaturated > poly unsaturated.

For taste I prefer cooking in butter, and it has a lot more saturated fats than most oils. IMO olive oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil is not fit for cooking. Use that on salad if you like.