popcorn question

[Brontosaurie]

last few times i made popcorn i've added a little water to the oil, by accident at first. this could be a coincidence of course but they've turned out perfect, with virtually no unpopped ones and nothing burned. got a funny feeling a sprinkle of water aids the process in some way. i've also added salt and i got a funny feeling that helps too, probably by preventing the corn from sticking, unless it gets dissolved too fast.

i'm not looking for feedback on my admittedly poor research methodology, just curious to see if anyone with more knowledge in physics or chemistry has any ideas about whether, and then how, this could work.

 

[dark+matters]

I know nothing about chemistry except what I forgot in high school, and I can't cook, but this is fun to ponder. Maybe, since because oils and water repel each other so strongly and there's so much heat moving the two around each other, forcing them to collide more than usual around the popcorn kernels, this could spread the oil and heat more evenly across the entire chamber (provided the popcorn is in a well-sealed chamber that doesn't let the water or oils out), and this even distribution could help prevent too much oil from sitting on, heating and scorching the kernels. *shrug* I don't have any ideas about how the salt would affect things. That sticking thing sounds good.

 

[TheManBeyond]

You know what i hate about harry potter? The bullshit they spread throughout all the series: Voldemort was pretty similar in his personality to Harry when he was young but took the dark path while the other one the light one. When the fuck they looked even remotely similar?
In my view Voldemort is some kind of ISTJ and potter is a typical ISFJ.
End of it.
BTW Ron is obviously an ENFP.

 

[The Gopher]

Hey happy welcome back! I do remember you quite well. Are you still happy?

 

[Brontosaurie]

dark+matters: sounds correct and captures my funny feeling, i'll try 50/50 and see what happens. maybe the popcorns all pop optimally then, from the great repellant tug o war with the fluffy rubber bulb shape or the butterfly crisp shape

 

[Brontosaurie]

i agree about harry and voldemort

thanks Gopher, most pleasant

 

[TBerg]

Does water penetrate the dried kernels, causing additional reexpansion?

 

[Cherry Cola]

What happens if you marinate the dried kernels in something like vinegar and salt?

 

[Pyropyro]

Does water penetrate the dried kernels, causing additional reexpansion?

Probably not. According to this scholarly article (popping corn seems to be serious academic business :P), the pericarp of the corn kernel acts as a pressure vessel for the water inside it. Rupturing said pericarp with superheated water within it is the reason that corn pops.

If said pericarp won't allow water inside it to escape unless its superheated then it won't allow external water to seep in as well.

 

[TBerg]

Does that mean water heats hotter than vegetable oil?

 

[Pyropyro]

What happens if you marinate the dried kernels in something like vinegar and salt?

I see no reason why you need to soak corn in vinegar unless you want to plant them. A vinegar/water solution softens the seed coat/pericarp so it makes it easier for the young plant to germinate.

As for cooking, it will probably cause the popcorn to improperly cook since the water inside the softer pericarp can more easily escape even if it's not superheated.

 

[Pyropyro]

Does that mean water heats hotter than vegetable oil?

Huh?

Perhaps what you mean is that which substance can store heat more? In this case, it's water since it has no way to release that heat aside from bursting from the kernel. The oil doesn't experience superheating since it can transfer the heat to the corn kernels and the air.

 

[Brontosaurie]

if i become rich i will have an employee to remove the pericarp from popped corn leaving only the white stuff, then stick the white shreds into balls using caramel, then deep-fry the balls. it's one of the defining features of my personality.

 

[Cherry Cola]

I see no reason why you need to soak corn in vinegar unless you want to plant them. A vinegar/water solution softens the seed coat/pericarp so it makes it easier for the young plant to germinate.

As for cooking, it will probably cause the popcorn to improperly cook since the water inside the softer pericarp can more easily escape even if it's not superheated.

What if you dry them up with some post marination?

 

[Pyropyro]

What if you dry them up with some post marination?

Vinegar can damage cellulose, the stuff which the pericarp is mostly made of. The damage was already done so I doubt drying the kernels out will restore the pericarp's structure.

However, a part of me wants to try this out (because why not?). I haven't seen any literature or recipes on pre-marinated or soaked popcorns. Maybe you're on to something here.

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

adding crushed dried chilies to the oil can be interesting/painful/fun depending on how much chili and how much masochism (and possibly how much sadism if guests are present )

 

[Cherry Cola]

what if you use chili paste and you mix it with the water? that should make it less painful and even provide a somewhat even chili flavor?

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

why you want less pain?!

i haven't tried paste (nor adding water) but putting fine flakes/powder in the oil does produce roughly even chili distribution throughout the batch

 

[Brontosaurie]

what if you grind the popcorn sans pericarp into flour. how would the properties of this flour differ from regular corn flour? how does popcorn nachos taste?

 

[Yellow]

I think the water is allowing for a more even distribution of heat outside the kernels before they begin to pop. I imagine that your good results come from using only a little water. After all, you need it to be completely evaporated before the first kernel pops, otherwise you would get a soggy mess.

As for the popcorn flour, I don't know. I do know that popped corn (before we discovered white people) was often combined with water and eaten as a soup. I imagine it would be good food for people with delicate stomachs or a lack of teeth. But seeing that popcorn is a versatile food/decoration, there were many uses for it.

 

[Happy]

You know what i hate about harry potter? The bullshit they spread throughout all the series: Voldemort was pretty similar in his personality to Harry when he was young but took the dark path while the other one the light one. When the fuck they looked even remotely similar?
In my view Voldemort is some kind of ISTJ and potter is a typical ISFJ.
End of it.
BTW Ron is obviously an ENFP.

Hey happy welcome back! I do remember you quite well. Are you still happy?

What? So much confuse.


In regards to popcorn, the more pertinent question for me is why is oil the preferred cooking method? I never understood that. I mean, yeah it works, but it risks oily popcorn if the ratios are wrong. And the only time I've ever experience better popcorn from oil is when I've used coconut oil.

I make my popcorn by pouring popcorn into a brown paper bag, rolling up the opening and throwing the bag in the microwave. No other ingredients necessary. Also, the unopposed kernels are not spoiled and you can just microwave them again and they will pop.

Can anyone answer why oil is used?

 

[Brontosaurie]

i think oil can give a good taste (a bit of olive oil mixed in something more neutral) but honestly it's just the way i learned it and i didn't know you could air-pop with a regular microwave (circulation issues). i guess most people don't see the reason to get paper bags. oil is a staple.

 

[Happy]

Paper bags are as much a staple as oil, no?

Perhaps that only applies in my kitchen.

 

[TBerg]

I use an air popper, then mix it with olive oil, salt, nutritional yeast, and cayenne pepper. It makes for a more elegant version of Flamin Hot Cheetos.

 

[Polaris]

The presence of water vapour would also potentially increase pressure (depending on how well the pot is sealed) and temperature inside the pot which would speed up the popping process, as well as evenly distribute the heat, as Yellow suggested.

Spoiler

As Pyro explained it is the presence of water in the kernel that causes the porn to cop, while the high viscosity of the pericarp would cause a more violent explosion as pressure builds inside it. There has to be a minimum of 13.5-14 % moisture inside the kernel for it to pop. It's basically earth sciences in a pot. The most violent volcanic explosions happen where gas bubbles form inside the magma (mostly H2O and some CO2), and where the magma has high viscosity; i.e, high content of silica and gases, such as Rhyolite.

As the magma rises to the surface, the pressure decreases which causes the before dissolved gases to form separate phases (bubbles) and results in a giant, violent pop. The rhyolite immediately cools and forms bubbly, lightweight rocks known as pumice. Same with popcorn - the starchy inside spills out and cools into white, puffy fluff.

/nerd

 

[redbaron]

Can confirm Polaris makes the best popcorn ever known to man.

 

[dark+matters]

LOL @ Gopher and TheManBeyond

And here's a picture of a cute kitty as an expression of my personality interests and/or mood:

Spoiler

[BIMG]http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/21365658.jpg[/BIMG]

 

[RobdoR]

I've been making popcorn for over 20 years, and I think I have an idea why water helps: uniform head distribution. Popcorn is finicky. You want all the kernels so come to popping temperature at about the same time. That's why air poppers work so well. If you are making it in a pot over the stove, my guess is that as the water boils it agitates the oil and popcorn, moving it around and helping to neutralize any hot spots. If a kernel heats too quickly it will burn. It doesn't take much burning to weaken the husk enough to stop the pop. For the best pop, you want to heat it as quickly as possible without burning it. The water may keep the oil from heating too quickly by evaporating and taking extra heat with it. If you are still getting lots of unpopped kernels, try agitating the popcorn more, or try different kinds of popcorn. Some brands seem better than others.

 

[VanVinci]

I've been making popcorn for over 20 years, and I think I have an idea why water helps: uniform head distribution. Popcorn is finicky. You want all the kernels so come to popping temperature at about the same time. That's why air poppers work so well. If you are making it in a pot over the stove, my guess is that as the water boils it agitates the oil and popcorn, moving it around and helping to neutralize any hot spots. If a kernel heats too quickly it will burn. It doesn't take much burning to weaken the husk enough to stop the pop. For the best pop, you want to heat it as quickly as possible without burning it. The water may keep the oil from heating too quickly by evaporating and taking extra heat with it. If you are still getting lots of unpopped kernels, try agitating the popcorn more, or try different kinds of popcorn. Some brands seem better than others.

This makes sense to me.

Water will boil @ 100c at sea level and a little sooner at height. Whereas oil is lighter but boils at a much higher temp. So water pools on the bottom collects heat from the burner and boils away passing through the column and erupting at the surface.

Setting up convection currents of oil while slowing the process of the oil heating up. As the bubbles of water steam take away some heat when they depart.

 

[EditorOne]

What Yellow said seems plausible to me, something about evening out the micro environment so more of the corn pops closer together in time, meaning none of it overcooks into hardness/toughness/burntness/sogginess while the "slow" kernels are pending.

Have you timed the duration of the popping with and without the water? That sounds like fun, plus, of course, more popcorn. Timing the first pop with and without.

And they say we overthink things....