Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

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electricj1316
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Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

Hey, I keep hearing about paper bag popcorn and I am new, can someone tell me how to make it?
Thanks,
Tina
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LittlePrincess
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by LittlePrincess »

Hi Tina,

It's easy.  Just buy the brown paper lunch sacks at the grocery store.  Also buy a bag of popcorn kernals with nothing added to them.  Open your bag and cover the bottom with a single but thick layer of popcorn.  Now fold down the top of the bag with a couple of small folds and tape down.  Turn your bag upside down and let the natural crease of the bottom close again and fold it over where the bag meets the bag.  Then turn the bag back upright.  This will put all of the popcorn in the middle of your bag.  Now fold the top half down just like the microwave bags of popcorn you buy.  You should now have a nice little bundle.  Place it in the microwave with the flaps up so they can expand with the popcorn.  Hit the popcorn button on the microwave and in a couple of minutes you should have perfectly popped pop corn!  :D

You may have to experiment a couple of times to get the amount just right for your particular microwave.  I burned a couple of bags and then had a couple of bags with lots of extra kernels before I got it just right.  Maybe you'll do better than me.  :tongue:  Enjoy!

(In Faith)  LP
All you will ever be is you.  Learn to love it.
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electricj1316
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

Thank you so much!! I love popcorn and I can't wait to try it out!!
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by LittlePrincess »

You're most welcome.  I used I can't believe it's not butter spray on mine.  Sometimes plain, sometimes with garlic salt and sometimes with splenda and cinnamon when I want a little something sweet.  You're going to love LDL I'm sure.  :D

(In Faith) LP
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sval59

Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by sval59 »

Hi Tina....I have this almost everyday.  I just spray Pam Olive Oil spray on mine and sprinkle it with sea salt.  Now, when I do have regular Orville's microwave popcorn, it tastes stale to me.  Amazing how much better the popcorn is in the paper bag....enjoy!

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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by Gwennaford »

Your bags must be bigger than mine, LP.  I can only fit 3 Tbsp. of corn kernals into one and still fold down the top two tiny times.  I don't bother with elaborate folding & it stays closed just fine.  I'm sure everyone puts their own spin on it.  It's really fun!

Over the weekend someone asked about seasoning popcorn.  They didn't like ICBINB spray because it made the popcorn wet.  I was going to tell them what I discovered.  I like to sprinkle hotsauce on mine, then reheat it in the micro for a minute.  It dries out and turns 100% crispy again.

Hope you see this, friend!

Gwen
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by LittlePrincess »

Gwen did you buy lil elf bags?  ;D

I just buy the regular brown lunch sacks at the grocery store.  The same brown bags I used to carry lunch in as a kid. 

I'll have to try this hotsauce thing.  It sounds Yummo!!!  Thanks for sharing. 

(In Faith)  LP
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electricj1316
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

Thanks everyone!! I am going to try all of those suggestions!! My husband and I both have more salty cravings than we do sweet cravings!! This will greatly help!!

Love to all,
Tina
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electricj1316
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

Update!!
Thanks for all of the suggestions! My microwave is stupid and it always burns my popcorn no matter what I do! It has always burned the bought kind but I hoped that this would be different. But anyway, I decided to try the evoo in a pot on the stove and it works great!! I just do a great big pot at a time and my hubby and kids love it! My kids don't even want the package stuff anymore! Yea!!! We went through a whole bag in 3 days!! I guess I need to invest in a giant bag!! haha Anyway, thanks allot for all of the tips, yall are greatly appreciated!!
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Gwennaford
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by Gwennaford »

Tina, there is a problem with popping every batch in oil, though.  You're getting much more oil than you would in just a light spritz on the top layer as Roger recommends.  I do a heavy spritz, use powdered popcorn salt and spritz it again to hold the salt on.  Don't shake it up.  At you eat it, the salty kernels filter down through the bowl and I still get a salty taste in each bite.  My thing is I can't stand it stale.  I have to reheat it a couple of times if it's a big bowl.  I measured the amount of oil that comes out of the pump sprayer for the number of pumps I use & it was less than a teaspoon.  Way less than I would need to pop it on the stove.

I've never actually used the popcorn setting on my micro.  I always time it and frequently get it wrong.  Maybe I should start letting the machine do the work for me?  duh :tongue:  Did you know that your household power output fluctuates depending on how heavy the load is at different times of the day ? ? ?  My hubby told me that as a possible explanation of why the same amount of popcorn that popped just fine before dinner, would always scorch at 2 am, given the same amount of time.  (My sleeping hours can get weird.)  Bottom line is, you have to stand there & watch it every time until the popping slows down.

Another reason I used to burn it is because I'm frugal (cheap) and always wanted to extract the maximum from each batch.  I don't worry about that anymore, because when I finish a bowl I put the unpopped kernels back into the popper & pop them with the next batch.  Surprisingly, they almost always pop the next time.  I wouldn't do that with paper bags, though - especially if they have oil on them.  They might catch on fire.

Little elf bags -0- how funny.  Nope, they are the regulation size lunch bags from the grocery store.

About spraying oil:  You can buy flavored oils in pump spray bottles in the grocery store.  I DON'T vouch for the contents, however.  If you can't find one with acceptable ingredients, you might have to dump it out and just use the bottle.*  Not all empty bottles that you buy will spray oil.  If they are designed for water, they will shoot a heavy stream of oil, which is not what you want.  Bottles from the cosmetics counter might not be food safe.  I wore out my Misto and the replacement part only costs $6, but *I can buy a pump-spray bottle of oil for under $3.  Even if I have to dump out the contents and refill it with my own EVOO it's not THAT great of a loss.  I dislike waste, but I want a WAIST again, so I'm willing to go for it.

WOW - this got LONG!  Sorry Tina.  Was going to say you might look at a hot air popper if there's no way you can get your micro to work for you.  Walmart has electric ones for under $20.  I almost always use my Orville Redenbacher Presto PowerPop microwave popcorn bowl ($20).  After I tried it, I loved it so much I bought another one for when the first one wears out.
Last edited by Gwennaford on May 22nd, 2009, 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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greenheron
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by greenheron »

I tried paper bag popcorn last night with a little oil, some salt and some cumin.  Wasn't really a success...I didn't use much oil, most of which soaked into the bag, and the popcorn wasn't flavored.  And I would up with some burnt hulls.  It's not the fluffy part that scorches, just the yellow hull. ?

So, I added some EVOO after it was popped.  My lovely fruity EVOO reminded me so much of eating foccaccia with dipping oil at Macaroni Grill that I had to add some Italian seasoning to my popcorn so I would get some rosemary.  I love rosemary.  It worked..I'm not sure the dominant taste of the EVOO would combine well with other seasoning, but I haven't tried yet. 

I think I'll go back to stovetop where I know I won't be burning the hulls.
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by Gwennaford »

You don't pop the brown bag popcorn with oil - just dry.  The light spritz of oil & seasonings come after it's popped.  You CAN spray it into the bag, but I like to dump mine into a bowl.  At the hospital I drizzled two little plastic teaspoons of EVOO confiscated from the salad bar over the popped corn in the bag 'cause I didn't have a bowl.  Was infinitely better than getting chips out of the vending machine.
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electricj1316
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

Thanks Gwennaford!
I have tried everything with my microwave. I've tried w/the popcorn button and with just regular minutes and watching. It just never pops, it will be on for 5 mins and still only pop about half of whats in the bag and then it just wastes the rest while those few kernels burn while I keep waiting for some to pop. It is a microwave/convection oven and I think maybe that has something to do with it. Since it is not a good idea to use the evoo in the pan, do you think it would pop in the pan if I just sprayed the evoo in it?

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Gwennaford
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by Gwennaford »

You could try it, but I don't think so.  I believe the oil is used to concentrate and conduct enough heat to pop the kernels.

It may be time for you & Brandon to consider buying a hot air popper from Wally-world!  Or ask around to see if friends or family have an old one they don't use.
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electricj1316
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

Gwennaford,

Yea I think I am going to have to do that. I just can't afford it right now because I just bought a magic bullet. I hate that I have to do it the most fattening way right now.  :poo:

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greenheron
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by greenheron »

ElectricJ, are you sure your popcorn isn't too old? The only reason popcorn won't pop is if the moisture has dried out...it's the moisture boiling that causes the kernal to burst.  Reviews I've seen online say that convection/microwave ovens work for popcorn just fine.

Gwen, I was just (roughly) following Alton Brown's procedure for brown bag popcorn...I happen to adore Alton...he's my hero. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... html  If his recipe worked, the result would have less oil than your method, since at least half would soak into the bag.  I just need to season it more heavily, I think.  Mine didn't taste salty at all. 

I do have a hot air popper (actually gained it along with a husband 19 years ago, so the popper is practically antique!)  but I've only used it to make popcorn for grinding into flour. 

I was yearning after the Magic Bullets yesterday at Bed Bath and Beyond....I think theirs is the 17 piece set for $49.95 or so.  BB&B sends out 20 percent off one item coupons all the time.  Did you know that you can hoarde a large number of those and use them all at once, no matter how long ago they expired?  Yesterday buying a wedding gift, I got 7 or 8 things, all 20 percent off with coupons that expired last year!  :)
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by A New Hope »

One more popcorn idea~~ We do our popcorn in a quart size pan NO OIL... you just slighlty heat pan,  pour in 1/4 cup of popcorn, place a tight fitting lid, shake pan until poping stops & dump into bowl right away.  We then lightly mist with salt water & any other seasoning.  No fat & a big bowl for everyone~~ Eat until FULL!! I love that part!
electricj1316
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

A new hope,
I tried that yesterday and my popcorn turned out stale.  ? I don't know why, I tried it a second time and it did the same thing.  :wacko:

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Gwennaford
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by Gwennaford »

Tina, does the popcorn pop okay on the stovetop with oil in the pan?  If not, greenheron may be right & your popcorn may be too old.  It could have been at the store for a long time.

You can crisp up stale or wet popcorn (seasoned with something with water in it) in the microwave after it's popped.
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electricj1316
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Re: Can someone tell me how to make the paper bag popcorn?

Post by electricj1316 »

Gwennaford,

I was curious about that also because it tasted old so I tried it a 3rd time with olive oil in the pan and it popped up light and fluffy. I know, it's weird.

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