There is a great deal of folklore surrounding who first came up with the idea for kettle corn. It is possible that more than one could be true. Many times in history people come up with the same idea roughly within the same framework of time. It can also be difficult to discover the truth because sometimes groups of people want to take credit for something and just pass on stories to their children that their children told them.
One such story tells that it was created around the turn of the 18th century by Dutch settlers in the Pennsylvania region. They typically cooked it to sell to people during festivals and fairs that everyone went to. They are believed to be those responsible for first using molasses and sorghum as flavors while it was cooking it in their Dutch ovens.
Another story suggests that 1800's cowboys and farmers would celebrate the end of a good harvest or cattle round up by making it. They would heat up their big cast iron soup pot and coat the bottom with lard. After heating it up they would toss in the popcorn and what ever sweeteners they had at hand. Sugar was very expensive in the west so they often also used sorghum and molasses which was much cheaper. As the corn popped they would stir it up with wooden spoons or their hands.
Probably the most interesting theory is that it was a German immigrant that moved to the US. In the early 1800's Hans Adair moved to Missouri and started a new life with his wife and two children. His brother had a local market and to make some extra money they would make popcorn, which was very inexpensive at the time, and coat it with various flavorings.
This simple recipe is quite easy requiring only a few key ingredients for it. A quarter cup lard or oil. Most purists will use animal fat to get a better taste. A quarter cup of a sweetener to mix with it. It also requires half a cup of popcorn.
It is typically best to use a thick bottomed pot that will spread any the heat evenly. Dump in your oil and just three kernels, wait for the oil to get hot. After the first 3 kernels pop, put in your sugar and other sweeteners you will use and stir before adding the popcorn.
Stir it a little more and cover it. Shake it repeatedly while it pops and dump it into a bowl immediately after it is done. Different popcorn has different tastes and textures, so you can experiment with different types.
Even though historically kettle corn was prepared in cast iron pans in the past, most people still enjoy making this treat at home. The real trick is to shake it up often while it is first popping and to take it of the heat as soon as possible after it pops to prevent the sweetener from caramelizing. You could use any kind of sweetener you prefer to use like honey, sorghum, sugar and molasses.
One such story tells that it was created around the turn of the 18th century by Dutch settlers in the Pennsylvania region. They typically cooked it to sell to people during festivals and fairs that everyone went to. They are believed to be those responsible for first using molasses and sorghum as flavors while it was cooking it in their Dutch ovens.
Another story suggests that 1800's cowboys and farmers would celebrate the end of a good harvest or cattle round up by making it. They would heat up their big cast iron soup pot and coat the bottom with lard. After heating it up they would toss in the popcorn and what ever sweeteners they had at hand. Sugar was very expensive in the west so they often also used sorghum and molasses which was much cheaper. As the corn popped they would stir it up with wooden spoons or their hands.
Probably the most interesting theory is that it was a German immigrant that moved to the US. In the early 1800's Hans Adair moved to Missouri and started a new life with his wife and two children. His brother had a local market and to make some extra money they would make popcorn, which was very inexpensive at the time, and coat it with various flavorings.
This simple recipe is quite easy requiring only a few key ingredients for it. A quarter cup lard or oil. Most purists will use animal fat to get a better taste. A quarter cup of a sweetener to mix with it. It also requires half a cup of popcorn.
It is typically best to use a thick bottomed pot that will spread any the heat evenly. Dump in your oil and just three kernels, wait for the oil to get hot. After the first 3 kernels pop, put in your sugar and other sweeteners you will use and stir before adding the popcorn.
Stir it a little more and cover it. Shake it repeatedly while it pops and dump it into a bowl immediately after it is done. Different popcorn has different tastes and textures, so you can experiment with different types.
Even though historically kettle corn was prepared in cast iron pans in the past, most people still enjoy making this treat at home. The real trick is to shake it up often while it is first popping and to take it of the heat as soon as possible after it pops to prevent the sweetener from caramelizing. You could use any kind of sweetener you prefer to use like honey, sorghum, sugar and molasses.
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