Easy homemade popcorn ball recipe (using JELL-O) (2024)

FAQs

What are popcorn balls made of? ›

Combine corn syrup, butter, water, confectioners' sugar, and marshmallows in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat and stir until the marshmallows have melted and the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully pour hot marshmallow mixture over popcorn and toss together to coat each kernel evenly.

Mixing oil and water

But be warned: Using too much oil can also be the reason for chewy popcorn. (We have run into this while testing popcorn oils.) In general, 1 tablespoon of oil for 1/4 cup or so of popcorn kernels tends to be a good ratio to keep your popcorn from getting too chewy.

You can use seasoning mixes or create your own by combining different spices. Some ideas for flavors include Classic Butter: Melted butter and a pinch of salt. Cheese Lovers: Sprinkle powdered cheddar cheese or nutritional yeast on the popcorn. Sweet & Salty: Mix caramel sauce with a dash of sea salt.

Nutritional yeast, MSG, miso, Parmesan cheese, dulse granules, mushroom powder, fish sauce, and shrimp paste are all savory powerhouses that will make any bowl of microwave popcorn sing.

Why are my popcorn balls falling apart? This can happen if the syrup mixture is not cooked to the correct temperature (soft-ball stage) or if the popcorn is not evenly coated. Ensure the syrup reaches 235°F and stir thoroughly when mixing with the popcorn.

If the syrup mixture is too hot it won't allow the popcorn to hold together and if it has cooled too much it will make it difficult to mold and form the popcorn into balls. The second issue can also be that there is not enough of a syrup to popcorn and toppings ratio.

She found that using that much oil imbues the kernels with richness and giving them an extra-crunchy exterior, and what she calls a “potato chip sturdiness.” Her recommended proportions are a half-cup oil to one-third cup popcorn kernels. That's more oil than corn.

A good lid is important when making popcorn, but there's a bit of a strategy here. For the best results, and lowest number of un-popped kernels leave the lid open just a hairline amount. It allows any steam or moisture to get out as well, resulting in fluffy kernels.

To make your popcorn pop better, try soaking the kernels in a bowl of water for 10 minutes and then draining them. Then, pop the kernels as usual. The extra moisture added to the kernels helps produce larger and fluffier popcorn. Another option is to keep the lid ajar if you're popping your popcorn on the stove.

Butter & salt, but grated Parmesan cheese & melted butter works well. If I want something sweet, I would enjoy coating my popcorn with caramel and any nut, preferably macadamia. For savory, I prefer coating the popcorn with melted butter, garlic powder, dried parsley and some salt, sometimes cheese.

What mixes well with popcorn? ›

My favorite part about this Tajin popcorn recipe is its simplicity and flavor! The fiery and savory flavor is super easy to achieve, and you don't even need any fancy ingredients or equipment to make it.

The kernel literally turns inside out. The starch or endosperm is the white part of the popped kernel and the pericarp or hull is the darker, flaky bit at the center of the kernel.

Mushroom popcorn, as the name suggests, boasts a round and compact shape that closely resembles a mushroom cap. Its key feature is its ability to pop into a dense, large, and rounded ball with fewer hulls compared to other popcorn varieties.

Mushroom Popcorn's most distinctive characteristic is the round, ball-like shape into which it pops, which are perfect for holding toppings, glazes, caramel and chocolate.

Like all seeds, a popcorn kernel contains the start to a baby plant. Also inside the seed is food for the plant as it begins to grow. When a kernel pops, this plant food known as starch, becomes the fluffy and tasty part we recognize as popcorn.