Kettle corn
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Kettle corn is a sweet-and-salty variety of popcorn that is mixed or seasoned with typically, a light colored refined sugar, salt, and oil. It was traditionally made in cast iron kettles, but may also be made in other types of pans now.
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[edit] History in the United States
Kettle corn was introduced to the United States in the 18th century. It is referenced in the diaries of Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania circa 1776.[citation needed] It was a treat sold at fairs or consumed at other festive occasions. The corn, oil, sugar and salt together is cooked in a cast iron kettle, or possibly a Dutch oven, this produces a noticeable sweet crust on the popcorn, however this method requires constant stirring or the sugar will burn, or a batch of plain popped corn can be sweetened with sugar or honey before adding salt. The combination was widely popular in the early 19th century but fell from wide usage during the 20th century.
In the early 21st century, kettle corn has made something of a comeback in America, especially at 19th-century living history events. As of the 21st century, it is cooked and sold at fairs and flea markets throughout the United States, especially art and craft shows. Hand-cooked home recipes are available, and microwave popcorn versions are sold at grocery stores by Orville Redenbacher's, Act II, and other brands.
[edit] Type of corn used for kettle corn cooking
Mushroom Corn: Mushroom corn refers to the ball shape of the popped corn. Mushroom corn is known for big, round mushroom-like popcorn, great for Kettle corn cooking, with very few pieces sticking out.
Butterfly Corn: Butterfly corn is bit cheaper and when cooked it looks like butterfly.
Monster Corn: Monster corn is another variety that recently became popular. Like Mushroom corn, the Monster corn is round and big.
[edit] Sucralose substitute
Most microwave oven varieties of kettle corn do not contain sugar, since sugar tends to burn in a microwave. This problem has been addressed by replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners such as sucralose. These formulations can have the sweet-salty flavor of kettle corn, but not the same texture, which normally comes from the crunchy sugar crust of kettle corn made from scratch.[1][2][3]
[edit] See also
- Caramel corn the popcorn with a darker, thicker, richer tasting candy shell, made with caramelized sugar
[edit] References
- ^ ""The Sneeze" blog". http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000171.php. Retrieved 2011-08-22. "Incidentally, every brand of microwave kettle corn I checked used sucralose, whether it was low-fat or not."
- ^ "Walmart: Orville Redenbacher's Kettle Korn Gourmet Popping Corn - Ingredients". http://grocery.walmart.com/usd-estore/catalog/sectionpagecontainer.jsp?skuId=1024291. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ^ "Amazon.com: ACT II Popcorn, Kettle Corn, Old Fashioned Sweet and Salty - Ingredients". http://www.amazon.com/II-Popcorn-Fashioned-6-Count-2-75-Ounce/dp/B001870SW4. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
