3 Ways to Color Popcorn

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

You can make any occasion even more fun by adding a pop of color to popcorn! Prepare some reds for Christmas, pastel colors for a baby shower, or blue ones to cheer on the national football team with your friends. You can choose from traditional buttery popcorn, sweet caramel popcorn, fruit flavored popcorn, or make a bowl of popcorn with all the colors of the rainbow.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Popcorn Sweets

Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients

If you like classic caramel popcorn but with a touch of cheer, then this is the recipe for you. You'll have fresh, crunchy popcorn with a fantastic sweet-salty flavor. You can color them in any shade thanks to food dyes. Here's what you need:

• 1 tablespoon of butter.
• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil.
• 60 ml of corn syrup.
• A pinch of salt.
• 1/4 teaspoon of liquid food coloring.
• 35 g of corn kernels.

Step 2. Put the butter, oil, salt, and corn syrup in a large pot

Melt the ingredients until they are well combined, stirring occasionally.

Step 3. Add the food coloring while mixing

If you prefer popcorn to have a more intense hue, add more; if you prefer pastel colors instead, decrease the quantity. Use a spoon to fully incorporate the dye.

Step 4. Pop the popcorn

Pour the 35 g of corn into the pot and mix them so that they are completely impregnated with the syrup. Cover the pan with a heavy, tight-fitting lid and turn up the heat. Shake the pot very often as the kernels will begin to burst as soon as they are heated. When the crackle subsides considerably, you can remove the pan from the heat.

• If you want to use the microwave, pour the syrup mixture and grains into a suitable glass bowl that also has a lid. Pop the popcorn on full power for 3-4 minutes or until you can only hear a few "pops" from time to time. Do not use plastic containers even if suitable for use in the microwave, as the syrup reaches very high temperatures and could melt the material. Use only glass bowls.

  

Step 5. Transfer the popcorn to a baking sheet and let it cool

If you wish, you can grease the pan with oil or cover it with parchment paper so the popcorn doesn't stick. Try to spread them in a single layer and let them get cold so they will be more crunchy. Enjoy them immediately or store them in an airtight jar.

Method 2 of 3: Fruit Flavored Popcorn

Step 1. Get everything you need

Some brilliant mind has discovered that powders can also be used to create instant drinks to flavor and color popcorn. The fruity flavor and bright hues of these popcorn make them perfect for a party. Here's what you need:

• 35g popcorn (if you don't cook them, buy plain unflavoured ones).

  

• 60 ml of butter.

  

• 60 ml of corn syrup.

  

• 100 g of sugar.

  

• 105 g of powdered preparation for soft drinks or jelly.

  

Step 2. Preheat the oven to 150 ° C

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with paper or greasing it with oil. Put it aside for now.

Step 3. Pour the popcorn into a very large bowl

Make sure it is large enough to hold the popcorn and allows you to mix it with the other ingredients.

Step 4. Melt the butter, syrup, sugar and soda mix

Just pour them into a saucepan and heat them over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5. Pour the mixture over the popcorn and mix

Use a long-handled wooden spoon for this and try to coat each popcorn with syrup.

Step 6. Transfer the popcorn to the pan

With the spoon arrange them in a single layer. If you notice any grains that haven't popped, discard them.

Step 7. Bake them in the oven for 10 minutes

This way the syrup hardens and the popcorn becomes crunchy instead of chewy. If you prefer them even harder, extend the cooking to 15 minutes.

Step 8. Wait for them to cool

When you can touch them without burning yourself, enjoy them or store them in an airtight container.

Method 3 of 3: Butter Popcorn

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients

This is a simple recipe for the classic salted butter popcorn but with one big difference: they are colorful! You will get a delicious and fun snack but, unlike the sweet ones, know that these popcorn will also color your fingers and mouth. If you don't mind finding yourself with blue, green or red fingers and lips, then this recipe is for you. If it is a problem, then rely on the previous methods. Here's what you need to cook some classic salty but colorful popcorn:

• 1 tablespoon of butter.
• 35 g of corn kernels.
• Gel or liquid food coloring.
• Salt.

Step 2. Melt the butter

For this you can use a large pot on the stove (the same one in which you will cook the popcorn) or a bowl in the microwave.

Step 3. Add the dye

Since this will stain the fingers and mouth of the popcorn eater, use only a few drops. 5 or at most 10 drops are enough to give popcorn a vibrant color without causing a lot of mess.

• If you have decided to use red, check the dye label to make sure it is not "tasteless". This shade often tastes bitter, but if it's clearly labeled tasteless you don't need to worry.

  

Step 4. Pop the popcorn

Pour the kernels into the butter mixture and mix them to completely coat them with the colored mixture. Cook them on the stove or in the microwave, both methods will lead to the same result.

• If you have decided to use the pot, close it with a lid that fits tightly and put it over medium-high heat. Shake it often because as the beans heat up, they burst. When the crackle subsides, remove the pan from the heat.

  

• If you're microwaving popcorn, cover the bowl before putting it in the oven. Run the appliance for 2-3 minutes at maximum power. When you can only hear a few pops from time to time, you can take the bowl out of the microwave.

  

Step 5. Transfer the popcorn to a bowl and add salt to your taste

Popcorn will have the classic flavor of non-colored ones but will definitely be more fun! Remember to wash your hands to remove any color residue from your fingers!