How to Make Perfect Coconut Oil Popcorn - Easy Recipe

So Monday was National Popcorn Day. Naturally I made some popcorn, because Broadchurch was on and I needed something tasty to nibble on to stop myself from squealing “ohmygodilooooovethisshowsoooomuch” and annoying my housemates too much.

Popcorn is amazing really, when you think about it. How an inside out dried up seed can explode to reveal such a fluffy inside once reversed, it’s kind of like a coconut? Ok, no, it’s nothing like a coconut. I’m trying to work out what it’s like but I just don’t have the time... answers on a postcard please.

And who actually stumbled across it, is my next thought? I have visions of a cave woman, basket of dried corn in her arms as she heads out to plant them in a neighboring field, but she trips over a dinosaur egg that’s been left out (I’m playing fast and loose with historical facts here) and accidentally spills some into a hot pan, much to the delight of her cave crew, a short ‘pop pop pop’ later.

Anyway, I digress.

I've always thought making homemade popcorn was difficult and that microwave popcorn was easy, but I have to tell you – it’s a big fat LIE!

Each and every time I have bought microwave popcorn, I balk at the plastic stench seeping out as it goes round and round inside, and I can’t count how many times I have had to dump the bag the sink as I peer in to find the congealed steaming mess of popcorn surrounding a blackened core hotter than the centre of the earth...

But it needn't be so dramatic, and here’s why. Making homemade traditional style popcorn is bleedin’ as easy as hell, there’s hardly any kernels left over as wastage and you can make as much as you like! And it’s much cheaper. And you can control the flavour. It’s goes on.

The recipe is below – please enjoy! And do let me know how you get on if you make some.

WHAT YOU NEED

• Coconut oil
• Popcorn kernels
• Large pot/casserole dish with lid (lid is crucial)
• Butter
• Salt and pepper (or whatever seasoning you fancy, chilli?)

WHAT TO DO

• Place the pot on the hob, add three large table spoons of coconut oil into the pan and turn on the heat

• Add a few, between 3 – 4 kernels into the pan, put on the lid and wait for them all to pop, this will let you know the oil is at the perfect temperature, so take it off the heat for about 30 seconds

• Pour in the amount of kernels you want, there’s no easy way of knowing how much, it depends on the size of your pan. I suggest playing it safe – there was a moment when we thought the popcorn would never end

• Put the pot back on the heat, but give the pot a quick shake from time to time. Soon you will hear the kernels starting to pop! Keep shaking the pot every 30 seconds of so. The popping will be pretty constant, but worth having a peek under the lid (a small peek, be very careful not to take the lid off of it will go everywhere!)

• Melt your butter, about 2 – 3 table spoons again, in a pan on a low heat

• When the popping slows down a lot, or there looks like there’s not much more room in the pot to fit popcorn take it off the heat. Transfer the popcorn into whatever dish you will eat from, pour the butter over the popcorn and stir, then add salt and pepper to taste.

That’s it! Honestly the best popcorn ever.