Unique Popcorn Facts!
America loves popcorn. We eat 16 billion quarts per year. Every man, woman and child enjoy 65 quarts of popcorn each. Popcorn is a whole grain snack with only 55 caloies per cup. If you use an air popper it has 31 calories. Popcorn is a good snack for you too!
Popcorn’s scientific name is Zea mays Everta. It’s a member of the grass family. There are 5 types of corn or maize. They are popcorn, flour, dent or field, flint and sweet. Only popcorn pops. Popcorn pops due to moisture in the kernals. The moisture level is 13-15 percent.
There are 2 basic types of popcorn. Mushroom and Snowflake. Snowflake is normally used in concession poppers. It looks nicer and pops out larger. Candy makers prefer the Mushroom type. It holds up better and takes candy coatings better. There are over 700 varieties of popcorn.
Kettle corn was first introduced in the early 1700’s. The Settlers would pop the popcorn in large cast iron kettles. They would use rendered lard and whatever sweetner they had on hand. Many times it was molasses, honey or sugar cane.
Kettle corn is one of hottest ways to make money with popcorn. Thats why you see it being made at county fairs and farmers markets. It is one of the few products that has a low overhead and a high profit margin. Your initial investment can usually be recouped in a couple of shows.
Microwave popcorn was discovered in 1945 by Percy Spencer. Mr. Spencer discovered that popcorn would pop when energized by microwaves.This development led to the first microwaves.
Some of the oldest known popcorn was found in Bat cave in west New mexico in 1948. The ears of popcorn were as small as a penny to over 2 inches long.
Popcorn was very popular in the 1890’s during the great depression. It was sold in bags for 5 to 10 cents each. Street vendors use to follow the crowds selling popcorn and pushing their gas and steam powered poppers.This was a luxury few people could enjoy. Many popcorn businesses were started to help families make a living during the lean times.
Popcorn sales dropped off when the T.V. became popular in the 1950’s. Movie theater attendance dropped off too. The consupmtion of popcorn dropped too when the public started making popcorn at home. Home poppers were introduced in 1925.
January 19 is National Popcorn Day! October is National Popcorn Popping Month!April 7th is Caramel Popcorn Day!
Native American tribes would pop the popcorn right on the cob. They would spear the corn cob with a stick and roast it over an open flame. This would cause the kernals to pop right on the cob.
The English colonists were the first to eat popcorn as a breakfast cereal. They ate it with milk and sugar. Popcorn was brought to the first Thanksgiving day feast as a gift from the chief’s brother.
Popcorn is low in calories along with apples,pears, cheese, nuts and plain yougurt. It is listed as a sugar free snack by the American Dental Association.
Popcorn is used as a bread exchange for weight control by the American Diabetes Association. Popcorn helps contribute to the overall health of the body by aiding digestion and providing necessary roughage or fiber. Popcorn is third on the lists of the 11 things that don’t cause cancer. One cup of popcorn provides 1.3 grams of dietary fiber.
Popcorn can pop as high as 3 feet. Popcorn kernals will start popping at the temperature of 347 degrees. The unpopped kernals are called “old maids” or “spinsters”. Good popcorn should produce less than 2 percent of “old maids”.
Popcorn has more protein, phosphorus and iron than potato chips, an ice crean cone, pretzels or soda crackers.
Popcorn is enjoyed in many different flavors in different parts of the world. Sweet popcorn is loved by Germany,Luxemburg, Switzerland and Belgium. The rest of Europe prefers salty popcorn. Americans enjoy it with salt and butter and a host of sweet coatings. The japanese eat their popcorn with seaweed or shrimp flavorings. The rest of Europe prefers salty popcorn.