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Popcorn?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 8:54 am
by Pawty
Hi,

So, after all the struggles with growing corn this year - from poor germination, poor growing and then mice getting half my crop, we've finally harvested a few and they were delicious. I'm left with a few slightly tatty ones that I will do something with. Maybe spicy sweetcorn relish.

But it got me thinking - can you dry them to make popcorn? What a treat that would be. But, having looked into it a bit, it would appear you need to grow a popcorn variety and standard sweetcorn varieties won't do.

Has anyone either tried to dry standard sweetcorn to see if you can make popcorn or grown popcorn varieties? It could very well be next years experiment!

Thanks

Pawty

Re: Popcorn?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 9:15 am
by Primrose
Have just four tatty cobs left on my plants but hadn,t thought of drying them for popcorn. I suspect drying the kernels is a rather long job and as yiu suspect, they may have to be of a specific variety. Perhaps worth Googling "drying sweetcorn for popcorn" seeing if it throws up anything interesting

Re: Popcorn?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 9:36 am
by Tony Hague
I tried popcorn Fiesta one year. The one with James Wong's branding. My results were not worth the bother, though maybe others might have better luck.

The cobs formed ok, but getting the corn to pop without a lot of unpopped kernels left behind was impossible. I tried in a pan, a popcorn machine and the microwave. I think that getting the drying right so the kernels have just the right moisture content to turn to steam and pop them is the key.

Very pretty multicoloured cobs, and quite an attractive architectural plant though.

Re: Popcorn?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:15 am
by peter
If you dry normal sweetcorn you'll notice the kernel contracts and wrinkles.
Popcorn dries like French beans smooth and hard.
It's that as well as the moisture content that makes it pop.
As well as steam you need a strong shell.