We eat a lot of popcorn in our house. It’s a relatively cheap snack that is still yummy and healthy. It’s also easy to fix and can feed a crowd for just pennies on the dollar. But, with GMOs running rampant in corn crops, you must be careful about the corn your popcorn comes from. It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. comes from genetically modified seed. Enjoying GMO-free popcorn is possible – you just have to work a little harder to get it.
For starters, if you’re not sure that your current popcorn of choice is non-GMO, chances are that it probably is GMO. Fortunately, there are plenty of non-GMO popcorn brands available to purchase. You just have to look for them. You can find them online and at many grocery stores. You will want to look for either certified organic popcorn (which is automatically non-GMO) or you’ll want to look for the non-GMO label on the popcorn product.
No Microwaving Here – Make it the Old-Fashioned Way
To make popcorn the old fashioned way, you’ll only need a few things:
- Oil (I prefer coconut oil)
- ½ cup of non-GMO popcorn kernels
- sea salt
- a pot with a lid
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Step one: I put approximately 2 tablespoons of coconut oil into the pot.
Step two: Add in ½ cup of kernels plus a sprinkle of freshly ground sea salt.
Step three: Put the lid on the pot, but allow it to vent a little. Turn the heat on to medium. You may want to “swish” the kernels around in the oil once it begins to melt.
Step four: Be patient! Wait for the popping to begin. When popping slows down to less than a few pops in a ten-second interval, you’ll want to remove it from the direct heat. With the lid still on, shake the pot carefully back and forth a few times to allow any final kernels to pop.
Step five: Pour into a bowl. Enjoy freshly made, non-microwaved, non-GMO popcorn! We usually add some freshly melted butter and garlic salt, or our family’s favorite, cayenne pepper, to our popcorn. It’s so much healthier for you than GMO popcorn or microwaved popcorn.
You can also make popcorn the old fashioned way over a campfire. Just make sure your pot can withstand the heat from a direct flame. To avoid burning your popcorn, you will want to use “medium heat” as well, even when cooking over a campfire – so adjust the distance of your pot to the fire flame accordingly. This takes a bit of trial and error, but once you find the right height, you’re cookin’!