how does popcorn pop?

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how popcorn pops? This website will help you learn about popping popcorn.

Where does popcorn come from

Farmers use a machine called a row planter. These machines drop the popcorn seeds inches apart in a field to grow. The popcorn kernels that you cook in a popcorn popper are actually the popcorn plant's seeds. So farmers grow popcorn from the same type of seeds that you use to cook popcorn.

Popcorn is a special type of corn. There are three main types of corn. One type is popcorn. The other types of corn are field corn which is used to feed animals like cows and pigs, and sweet corn which people eat as corn on the cob.

Popping popcorn

Popcorn starts as popcorn kernels. There are different ways to pop popcorn. One way to pop popcorn is in the microwave. You would put the bag in the microwave to watch the popcorn kernels start popping into popcorn after about two to three minutes.

Popcorn can also be popped on a stove. If you are cooking it on the stove you will need to put oil in the pot and then you will put the kernels in the oil. You have to keep moving the pot over the flame because if it just sits still on top of the flame the oil will start to burn.

After a few minutes of shaking the pot above the flame, the popcorn will start to pop. You also have to remember to cover the pot with a lid while the popcorn is popping. If it is not covered when you cook it on the stove, the popcorn will fly all over and the hot oil may also burn you.

Different Ways to Pop Popcorn

You can also buy a special popcorn popper to cook popcorn. There are popcorn machines that use hot air to pop popcorn. Other popcorn machines use hot oil to cook the popcorn. Movie theaters use hot oil, and that is why it is more greasy and tastes good.

Hot air popcorn poppers are more healthy for you because they do not use oil. Popcorn from a hot air popper can make a very healthy snack!

People can also add seasonings like butter or salt or popcorn powder. Sometimes people add other flavorings to popcorn like caramel or cheese.

How does popcorn pop?

What makes popcorn pop? The answer is WATER and HEAT!

Did you know that each kernel of popcorn actually contains a droplet of water that came from the soil when the popcorn plant was growing? The water droplet is surrounded by a soft circle of white starch, and the soft circle of starch is surrounded by the popcorn kernel's hard outside shell, which is called the hull.

When you heat up the popcorn kernel, the liquid water droplet start to expand (get bigger). As it gets really hot, the water starts to turn into steam and it pushes and pushes and pushes on the shell until... BOOM! The outside shell breaks apart and white starch explodes. The popcorn kernel gets turned inside out and now you've turned a popcorn seed into popped popcorn.

Fun facts

Did you know in the late 1880s, men were hired to pop popcorn in stores? This helped business. These men were called poppers.

Did you know that people have been eating popcorn for thousands of years? The oldest known ears of popcorn were discovered in a cave in New Mexico and they are about 5,600 years old!

Today popcorn is eaten all over the world. But for thousands of years popcorn only was grown by Native Americans in North America and South America.

After explorers from Europe such as Christopher Columbus came to the Americas, they learned about popcorn and spread it to other parts of the world.