Coconut Kettle Corn

Big Pete loves the sweet and salty taste of Kettle Corn. I mean he LOVES IT!! When we lived in British Columbia the owner of my favorite market (Lepp Farm Market) told me she was worried he had an addiction to the stuff since he would buy 6 bags at a time.  It is the easiest thing to make at home however, I would sincerely ask you to make an effort to find some good quality extra big puff popcorn. The regular cheap old bag you can buy at the grocery store just doesn't cut it. All you need is oil, popcorn, salt and sugar. In about 5 minutes you have a great snack that tastes fantastic. You can use vegetable oil but, I have used coconut oil (cause it's better for you!) some good quality popcorn, coconut sugar or regular old white sugar and some salt to finish. I use a simple 8 inch heavy bottom pot and a lid and that's it!

You will need:

• 1 heaping tbsp of coconut oil (it is solid and then melts)
• 1/2 cup big puff popcorn
• 1 tbsp sugar (you can use plain white or try coconut palm sugar for a more caramel taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt (a bit more to sprinkle immediately once it comes off the stove)

Step 1: .get your oil, sugar and popcorn out. If you don't have coconut oil use a vegetable, grape seed  or Olive oil. Olive oil has the lower smoke point so if you choose it do not cook on as high a heat to avoid burning.

Step 2: add coconut oil to a pot and place on medium high heat. If you are using white sugar add it immediately along with the salt and popcorn. If you are using the coconut palm sugar let the oil start to sizzle with the salt and the popcorn for a minute and then add it (it will brown and cook faster than the white sugar and you want to be careful not to let it burn)

Step 3: cover with a lid and listen for the popcorn to start popping. Once it starts shake the pan occasionally until the popcorn slows down. This tells you most of the kernels have popped and at this stage you want to quickly pour into a large bowl. You may still have a few un-popped kernels in the bottom but, that is better than leaving it on too long and having it burn. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and eat it!

The popcorn made with the coconut palm sugar has a burnt caramel taste to it and you must remove it right away when it stops popping to avoid it from becoming too burnt.

When you use the white sugar it has a nice shine and crunch. I like them both but, I prefer the one with the white sugar more.