Mama’s Recipe Box: Witches’ Kettle Corn

Mama’s Recipe Box is a weekly column in which KidGlue authors give hints on recipes that either your kids will love to eat or kids can help cook. This week, Sarah Matheny makes kettle corn.

I have a serious addiction problem.  There’s something about the combination of sweet and salty in a bag of kettle corn that is irresistible to me.  I can easily throw down a whole bag by myself.  My drug of choice is only available at Major League Baseball games, county fairs and farmer’s markets.  Lucky for me, there is usually some form of face painting at one of those events, so I have a good excuse for going:  it’s for the kids.  Until now.

Yes, I’ve perfected my own at home kettle corn, just in time for Halloween.  There are several methods out there for making kettle corn, and if you are like me you’d rather save your money for your kids’ college educations, or at the very least a new pair of ankle boots for fall, than blowing a couple grand on your own backyard kettle.  I prescribe to the school of thought that you first make the corn, and then the topping.  The few times I tried to make it on the stove and crystalize the sugar on the popping kernels, well…let’s just say I quickly learned that my smoke detectors are in perfect working order.

Here’s my fool proof recipe:

8 cups airpopped popcorn

2 T. canola oil

2 T. water

1-2 t. salt (depending on how salty you like it)

2/3 c. sugar

Pop your corn and put it in a large bowl.  Put the oil, water, sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Once the syrup comes to a boil, allow to simmer for three minutes.  Remove syrup from heat and pour over popped corn, tossing in salt while stirring.  Allow popcorn to cool and enjoy!

Now if only I could find some way to avoid sharing.