How to make butter popcorn without it going soggy

 

The secret to stay-crispy popcorn that’s really butter is clarified butter, also known as ghee. This is just melted butter that’s simmered until the water in the butter evaporates – because butter is made up of fat, milk solids and water.

Once the water is evaporated, the melted butter is now pure butter fat. This has two benefits for butter popcorn:

Use to pop the popcorn – because it has a higher smoke point than normal butter. You CANNOT pop popcorn with normal butter, it just burns; and

Won’t make popcorn soggy when you pour the butter over it. In fact, it stays crispy for days and days and days….

Alternative to making clarified butter: Use store bought ghee. That’s what clarified butter is!

How to make clarified butter– the secret to “stay crispy” butter popcorn

This stuff is also known as liquid gold. The buttery smell is just insane!

And if that isn’t enough, another miracle is that clarified butter can be stored in the pantry for months and months. It’s liquid when warm and a soft butter consistency at room temperature (just microwave to melt).

You’ll find ghee is called for in almost every Indian recipe. Also, use it in place of melted butter in any recipe – clarified butter is just browned butter which is butter on steroids!

How to make Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn

So now you know the secret to stay-crispy butter popcorn, here’s how to make Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn that’s ultra buttery and will stray crisp for days! (I use the same technique in my Lightly Sweet 'n Salty Popcorn, which adds a slightly sweet touch compared to this Butter Popcorn.)

1. Grind salt or blitz in food processor to make it a fine powder – it needs to be fine so it sticks to the popcorn

2. Melt clarified butter (ghee) in a pot – do not use normal butter

3. For optional movie theatre yellow popcorn color – add tumeric and saffron powder (see section below for more info)

4. Add popcorn kernels, clamp lid on

5. 30 seconds after popcorn starts popping, shake pot once

6. When popping stops, remove from pot and immediately transfer popcorn into large bowl

7. Douse liberally with more clarified butter and sprinkle with salt. Do not use normal butter, it will make it soggy!