Popcorn, I love it ,and now I know a lot about it,so can you read and enjoy

@RobinJ (2501)
Canada
April 14, 2007 2:34pm CST
I often wondered how popcorn differs from other corn, Well here it is Corny Facts Americans consume some 17 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That’s 54 quarts per man, woman, and child. Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories. Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup. Oil-popped is only 55 per cup. Popcorn is a type of maize (or corn), a member of the grass family, and is scientifically known as Zea mays everta. Of the 6 types of maize/corn—pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint, and popcorn—only popcorn pops. Popcorn is a whole grain. It is made up of three components: the germ, endosperm, and pericarp (also know as the hull). Popcorn needs between 13.5-14% moisture to pop. Popcorn differs from other types of maize/corn in that is has a thicker pericarp/hull. The hull allows pressure from the heated water to build and eventually bursts open. The inside starch becomes gelatinous while being heated; when the hull bursts, the gelatinized starch spills out and cools, giving it its familiar popcorn shape. Most U.S. popcorn is grown in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri. Many people believe the acres of corn they see in the Midwest during growing season could be picked and eaten for dinner, or dried and popped. In fact, those acres are typically field corn, which is used largely for livestock feed, and differs from both sweet corn and popcorn. The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall. Most popcorn comes in two basic shapes when it's popped: snowflake and mushroom. Snowflake is used in movie theaters and ballparks because it looks and pops bigger. Mushroom is used for candy confections because it doesn't crumble. Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens. Most microwave ovens have a “popcorn” control button. “Popability” is popcorn lingo that refers to the percentage of kernels that pop. There is no such thing as “hull-less” popcorn. All popcorn needs a hull in order to pop. Some varieties of popcorn have been bred so the hull shatters upon popping, making it appear to be hull-less. How high popcorn kernels can pop? Up to 3 feet in the air. The world's largest popcorn ball, as measured by the Guinness Book of World Records: 12 feet in diameter, containing 2,000 pounds of corn, 40,000 pounds of sugar, 280 gallons of corn syrup and 400 gallons of water. If you made a trail of popcorn from New York City to Los Angeles, you would need more than 352,028,160 popped kernels
5 people like this
8 responses
@kaperkitty (1097)
• Canada
14 Apr 07
wow talk about a lady who knows her popcorn and I point to you. I love popcorn to. I love caramel corm and sour cream and onion . I used to loved the jiffy popcorn do you remember those you used to shake them over the burner and the foil would start to expand and grow bigger and bigger and just loved watching it grow. That was a Saturday night tradition to watch Hockey night in Canada and make jiffy pop. thanks for all the information hon have a great Saturday Cheryl
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
14 Apr 07
Would you like a laugh, the other day i was talking to my granddaughter and she was telling me about the new way my daughters boy friend makes popcorn, so I of course said yes Well you have this little pan and you move it over the stove burners and it gets bigger and bigger(as were her eyes)and there was popcorn and we got to eat it, I looked at her an said I bet it was jiffy popcorn, her eyes got even bigger where you there, how come I didn't see you? No I said we had that when your Mom was just a little girl like you, you could have blown her away with a feather, she was that tickled .
• Canada
14 Apr 07
too cool they still make the stuff and it still makes us smile Cheryl
2 people like this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
14 Apr 07
I knew that there had to be more than just one reason for my loving that stuff. And now I know! LOL. Thanks hon. That was really interesting and informative.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
14 Apr 07
Wow, you have been busy with your research thanks for sharing, I know it sounds strange but I hate the stuff, I don't enjoy it at all, so when I go to the cinema all my mates have popcorn, it's like a religion to them you can't go to the cinema without popcorn, but I can.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
15 Apr 07
this is pretty interesting. I love popcorn in the theater but not very much at home though. Does popcorn ever go bad?
2 people like this
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
15 Apr 07
Hi winterose. I just read that in 1948 they found popcorn kernels and cobs that were pop able, that had be in a cave for 4-5 thousand years. so I would say stored in a good container it will last indefinitely. The only thing you have to be careful of is if you have a mouse problem, they love popcorn even more than humans do. but they prefer theirs un popped. Robin
1 person likes this
@abbey19 (3106)
• Gold Coast, Australia
15 Apr 07
Wow! All that information on the tiny little popcorn that we all know and love! And love it we do - as can be seen from the statistics you have provided Robin. I have avoided it recently because I thought it was fattening, but apparently not so - just have to watch the carb content though! Thanks for that info.
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
15 Apr 07
Hi Abby, I am on a high protein low carb diet and have no problem eating popcorn because the fiber counts brings it down to an acceptable level. I have be on this latest one for about 3 weeks and have lost about 12 pounds. and that is with having popcorn every other day. I do not eat anything else that is white other than cauliflower and cucumber, and those I eat. but white flour, sugar, are not allowed. 1/4 cup popcorn will pop up to a huge bowl and has 180 calories 30 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fiber, or you can drink 1 glass of Chocolate milk I will take the popcorn every time
1 person likes this
• Gabon
14 Apr 07
Amazing facts! Thanks for the data, now I know a bit more about popcorn...:-)
3 people like this
@tinamwhite (3252)
• United States
15 Apr 07
Robin, Thanks so much for all of the information about popcorn...I found it very educational. I have watched my mother diet and eat air-popped popcorn every evening and loose weight. We all love popcorn......"pour over" butter just makes it all the better for me..That is one of my microwave's primary purposes to make popcorn. We eat popcorn 2-3 times a week as an evening snack....the other evenings we eat fruit or raw veggies with ranch dressing....I love the healthy alternatives for snacking. We also cannot go to the theater without partaking in the "popcorn ritual". I enjoyed this discussion topic very much!!! Thanks again, my friend.
• United States
22 Apr 07
Robin, thanks for awarding me with best response. I feel honored, my friend. Blessed be!
• Romania
14 Apr 07
satisfaction!!!
2 people like this