This article was reviewed by Jennifer Levasseur. Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College.
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Popcorn isn't exactly a holiday treat...but it can be! With green popcorn you can ring in Christmas, St. Paddy's Day, or -- who are we kidding? -- Thursday. Give 'er a try!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (30 g) butter
- 1 tablespoon (30 g) canola oil
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon (dash) liquid food coloring, or 1/16 teaspoon gel food coloring
- 1/4 teaspoon (dash) kosher salt
- 1/3 cup (2.5 oz) popcorn kernels
- 4 quarts popped corn
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (dash) cream of tartar (optional, does make mixture slightly more creamy)
- 1/4 teaspoon (dash) vanilla
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
- Dash of green food coloring
Steps
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Put butter, oil, corn syrup, salt and food coloring in a bowl. Microwave just until the butter is melted, or about 40-50 seconds. Stir to combine well.
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Pour popcorn kernels into a bowl. Stir to coat each kernel with mixture. This results in every piece of popcorn having the color and flavor cooked on it as it pops. Even out the kernels in the bottom of bowl.Advertisement
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Cover the bowl with the vented lid and microwave on high for 3-5 minutes. This should equate to about 1-2 seconds between pops. The time will vary depending on your microwave and bowl, so you may need some trial-and-error on the first batch or two to figure out how long it takes the popcorn to cook. If you cook it too long, it will burn, smoke and stink, so keep a close watch.
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Immediately spoon the popcorn onto a waxed or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Leave the unpopped kernels in the bottom of the bowl. This will keep it from sticking to the bottom of the bowl as it cools. There will be some of the cooked syrup mixture in the bottom of the bowl, along with some unpopped kernels.
- If you turn the bowl upside down and dump the popcorn onto the baking sheet, those unpopped kernels will end up stuck to the popcorn. Nobody wants that.
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Store in airtight container. A resealable plastic bag works, too. However, it's best eaten within a couple of days.
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Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Then add the sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt. Then, kick it up a notch to medium-high and bring it all to a boil. Dissolve the sugar by stirring constantly.
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Add in the food coloring and stop stirring (once at a boil). Set the timer for 5 minutes and walk away -- don't cave to the temptation to stir it. The mixture should be at about 250-260°F (121°C).
- Or, during this five minutes, pop your popcorn. Put into a bowl and remove any unpopped kernels from the bowl afterward -- you won't be needing them.
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Take it off the stove and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. While it's still foaming, quickly pour the mixture over the popcorn (which should be in a bowl by now) and gently stir thoroughly to coat it as evenly as possible.
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Place the coated popcorn onto a cookie sheet. Use parchment paper or cooking spray to ensure it'll come off easily (and make for easier clean up). If using a roaster would be easier, that's also a viable option. Bake it at 200° F (93°C) for 1 hour, keeping an eye on it and stirring every 15 minutes.
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Finished.
Community Q&A
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QuestionWill the cream of tartar or food coloring affect the taste anyhow?Community AnswerNot in anyway that I know about.
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QuestionHow would I make it if I'm using a popcorn maker?Jodie TavaresCommunity AnswerJust use the post-popped instructions within the article. It is about half way down the article, where it says Method 2.
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QuestionCould I use any color?Community AnswerYou can use any color of food coloring you can find in your grocery store.
Tips
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You can make this your own by adding edible silver balls, pink sugar, rainbow sprinkles -- the list goes on!Thanks
Things You'll Need
Coloring Pre-Popped
- 2.5 to 3 quart microwave-proof bowl
- Vented lid for bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Spoon
Coloring Post-Popped
- Saucepan
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Spoon
- Bowl
About This Article
To make green popcorn, start by mixing together butter, oil, corn syrup, and green food coloring in a bowl. Next, microwave your mixture until the butter melts and stir again. Then, pour your popcorn kernels into a bowl and use a spoon to drizzle your green mixture evenly on top of the kernels. Once your popcorn is evenly coated, cover the bowl with a vented lid and microwave for 3-5 minutes. After your popcorn is popped, immediately spoon it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to keep it from sticking to the bowl. To learn how you can turn already-popped popcorn green, keep reading!