Friday, January 20, 2012

Now This Is Pretty Corn-y...!

Most of the folks I know really like popcorn!

For something so good, it is actually considered a healthy snack. Low in calories, easy to make, and it can be the basis for so many other snacks! Not only used for eating, popcorn can be used for decorating as well...and has been since the days of the Aztecs!

I found some interesting facts about popcorn over at Popcorn.com and figured I would share them with you!
Corny Facts

Americans consume some 16 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That’s 51 quarts per man, woman, and child.

Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories. Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup. Oil-popped is only 55 per cup.

Popcorn is a type of maize (or corn), a member of the grass family, and is scientifically known as Zea mays everta.

Of the 6 types of maize/corn—pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint, and popcorn—only popcorn pops.
Popcorn is a whole grain. It is made up of three components: the germ, endosperm, and pericarp (also know as the hull).

Popcorn needs between 13.5-14% moisture to pop.

Popcorn differs from other types of maize/corn in that is has a thicker pericarp/hull. The hull allows pressure from the heated water to build and eventually bursts open. The inside starch becomes gelatinous while being heated; when the hull bursts, the gelatinized starch spills out and cools, giving it its familiar popcorn shape.

Most U.S. popcorn is grown in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.

Many people believe the acres of corn they see in the Midwest during growing season could be picked and eaten for dinner, or dried and popped. In fact, those acres are typically field corn, which is used largely for livestock feed, and differs from both sweet corn and popcorn.

The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall.

Most popcorn comes in two basic shapes when it's popped: snowflake and mushroom. Snowflake is used in movie theaters and ballparks because it looks and pops bigger. Mushroom is used for candy confections because it doesn't crumble.

Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens. Most microwave ovens have a "popcorn" control button.

"Popability" is popcorn lingo that refers to the percentage of kernels that pop.

There is no such thing as “hull-less” popcorn. All popcorn needs a hull in order to pop. Some varieties of popcorn have been bred so the hull shatters upon popping, making it appear to be hull-less.

How high popcorn kernels can pop? Up to 3 feet in the air.

The world’s largest popcorn ball was created by volunteers in Sac City, Iowa in February, 2009. It weighed 5,000 lbs., stood over 8 ft. tall, and measured 28.8 ft. in circumference.

If you made a trail of popcorn from New York City to Los Angeles, you would need more than 352,028,160 popped kernels!

I might mention just one more thing here. Popcorn was used in the colonial days for breakfast, much in the same way we use corn flakes today! Think I'm pulling your leg? Check out the article right here!

Let's have our coffee out on the patio this morning. It sure feels like Spring!

9 comments:

2 Tramps said...

We have been eating more popcorn here this winter - popping it on the stove rather than using the microwave type. Using spray on margerine makes it seem a bit more decadent. I will be checking out the shape of the popped kernels from now on to see if they are snowflake or mushroom. You are always educating us on something new, H.J.!! Thanks!

HermitJim said...

Hey 2 Tramps...
It's certainly always a pleasure to see you again!

I love popcorn, and when I found the site Popcorn.org...I was pleasantly surprised.

It makes me happy that you enjoyed the post and even more pleased that you came over today!

Gorges Smythe said...

I love IT, but it don't love ME! I don't need the salt that usually goes on it either.

Ben in Texas said...

Interesting fact about the breakfast cereal. I did know one older gentleman who would put buttermilk over his and eat it as a late evening snack.
As always Professor we all learned something this morning.

tea4too0 said...

Thank you for a great read. I went to the popcorn site and am now an official member of the Popcorn Lovers Club. Did you join? Might win a prize even. Thanks again.
t

HermitJim said...

Hey Gorges...
You could always use a salt substitute! A lot of folks probably can't eat it, luckily I'm not one of them!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Ben...
I thought I didn't know anyone that had tried it that way, but Mom told me she used to eat it with milk!

Like I always say, I learn something new everyday!

Thanks, buddy, for coming by today!


Hey Tea...
I didn't join the Popcorn Lovers Club, but I reckon I should!

There are so many fun things out there, it's hard to keep up with them all!

Thanks for coming by today, my friend!

Rob said...

I love popcorn. My pop used to popcorn on the stove almost every night. Its my favorite food behind cold pizza.

HermitJim said...

Hey Rob...
I'm pretty fond of cold pizza as well!

We have a lot in common as far as food goes!

Thanks for coming by today!

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