There is a wealth of folklore surrounding the people who first discovered the recipe for kettle corn. It is quite possible that one or more could be true. Several times throughout history different people have stumbled upon the same idea within the same time span. It may also be difficult discovering the truth because some times various groups of people would like to take credit for some thing and pass on embellished stories to their young children that their grandparents told them.
One often told story holds that it was discovered around the eighteenth century in the Pennsylvania region by the immigrating Dutch settlers to the area. They generally made it for selling during local fairs and other festivals that people visited. They are often thought to be the first group to use sorghum or molasses for flavoring while it was cooking in their cast iron Dutch ovens.
Another tale suggests that by the 1800's farmers and cowboys would celebrate completing a cattle round up or fall harvest or by cooking it. They heated up their big iron soup pots and coated it with lard. After it was hot they put in popcorn and any sweeteners they had. Sugar was expensive in the old-west so they would often use molasses or sorghum which was cheap. As the corn started popping they stirred it with wooden spoons and their hands.
Probably the most interesting theory is that it was a German immigrant that moved to the US. In the early 1800's Hans Adair moved to Missouri and started a new life with his wife and two children. His brother had a local market and to make some extra money they would make popcorn, which was very inexpensive at the time, and coat it with various flavorings.
This simple recipe is quite easy requiring only a few key ingredients for it. A quarter cup lard or oil. Most purists will use animal fat to get a better taste. A quarter cup of a sweetener to mix with it. It also requires half a cup of popcorn.
It is typically best to use a thick bottomed pot that will spread any the heat evenly. Dump in your oil and just three kernels, wait for the oil to get hot. After the first 3 kernels pop, put in your sugar and other sweeteners you will use and stir before adding the popcorn.
Stir it some more and cover it up. Shake it often while it is popping and dump it inside a bowl immediately when it is done. Various popcorns have different tastes or textures, so experiment with different types to find what you like.
Even though most kettle corn was cooked in big iron pots in the distant past, some people like making it in their homes. The trick is shaking it often while it pops and removing it from the heat soon after it pops so your sweetener does not start to caramelize. You may use almost any type of sweetener you like including molasses, sugar, sorghum and honey.
One often told story holds that it was discovered around the eighteenth century in the Pennsylvania region by the immigrating Dutch settlers to the area. They generally made it for selling during local fairs and other festivals that people visited. They are often thought to be the first group to use sorghum or molasses for flavoring while it was cooking in their cast iron Dutch ovens.
Another tale suggests that by the 1800's farmers and cowboys would celebrate completing a cattle round up or fall harvest or by cooking it. They heated up their big iron soup pots and coated it with lard. After it was hot they put in popcorn and any sweeteners they had. Sugar was expensive in the old-west so they would often use molasses or sorghum which was cheap. As the corn started popping they stirred it with wooden spoons and their hands.
Probably the most interesting theory is that it was a German immigrant that moved to the US. In the early 1800's Hans Adair moved to Missouri and started a new life with his wife and two children. His brother had a local market and to make some extra money they would make popcorn, which was very inexpensive at the time, and coat it with various flavorings.
This simple recipe is quite easy requiring only a few key ingredients for it. A quarter cup lard or oil. Most purists will use animal fat to get a better taste. A quarter cup of a sweetener to mix with it. It also requires half a cup of popcorn.
It is typically best to use a thick bottomed pot that will spread any the heat evenly. Dump in your oil and just three kernels, wait for the oil to get hot. After the first 3 kernels pop, put in your sugar and other sweeteners you will use and stir before adding the popcorn.
Stir it some more and cover it up. Shake it often while it is popping and dump it inside a bowl immediately when it is done. Various popcorns have different tastes or textures, so experiment with different types to find what you like.
Even though most kettle corn was cooked in big iron pots in the distant past, some people like making it in their homes. The trick is shaking it often while it pops and removing it from the heat soon after it pops so your sweetener does not start to caramelize. You may use almost any type of sweetener you like including molasses, sugar, sorghum and honey.
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