Popcorn: Kettle Corn Family Nights as a Kid

I’ve no earliest memory of our family popcorn nights, other than they were typically weekend nights. I just remember Dad, with his exact measurements, explaining that we’d put the pot on the med-high burner with two tablespoons of olive oil in it. We’d sprinkle a pinch of salt atop these two tablespoons of oil & add in two kernels of corn. We’d then tilt the pot’s lid on top of the pot as a top hat would be on a gentleman’s head. This pot was a specially designated pot in our pots & pans under-the-oven-drawer that we reserved specifically for when we'd make popcorn; it even had the name Popcorn Pot.

Once we heard those two kernels pop we knew our pot was ready [read: warm enough] for the third cup of kernels awaiting in the measuring cup nearby. We’d dump those in & wait until the popping was spaced out by many seconds, rather than just a few; that’s when we knew we’d most likely dump the pot overflowing with popped kernels, into our largest mixing bowls, & have hardly any unpopped kernels remaining, if any at all.

We learned there was a fine line with this technique, as if we’d wait just a moment or two too long, we’d likely have a few burnt kernels. Too many of those & the air in our kitchen would remind us, for longer than we’d like to, that we’d goofed. I remember that I’d especially like it when several kernels were browned or blackened, just shy of being burnt, as they’d have a crispness I enjoyed. I also took preference to the partially popped kernels as they had an even better crunch. Though once I hit my braces-on-teeth era, both Mom & Dad highly frowned upon my crunching on any partially or wholly unpopped kernels. They were paying for the shiny metal glued to my teeth after all.

We’d use our set of Pyrex mixing bowls to pour the fresh popped kernels into. Even though the smallest bowl would have a substantial portion, no child would desire it, & Dad would typically take it. Mom would typically be given the largest bowl, which was also a refill bowl of a sort, as in if one of us kids would finish our kernels & wished for more, we’d visit Mom & get another handful or so depending on what was left & if anyone else spoke up; refills were slightly regulated. The bowl Mom ate from was also the final bowl filled from the pot, so she ate around the partially popped kernels & unpopped kernels.

Popcorn became a family staple on weekend Blockbuster rental nights as well as during TGIF primetime TV. We’d make the popcorn & settle in for a few hours of entertainment – straight from our living room. Dad, thrilled for some time with his family, sleeping in the next day, & not heading off to work as the sun rose, & us kids thrilled knowing that we could put our homework & test studying aside for a little bit knowing there were 48 more hours till it would be due.