Snack foods are a great place to save money by making your own. One of my favorites is popcorn. These days we've all gotten used to the convenience of microwave popcorn, but it isn't cheap (especially from the vending machine).
I've made popcorn many ways over the years. My grandmother had a little wire basket with a long handle that could be held over an open fire. The fun part was trying to hold it at just the right height above the coals. That's a very old technique with a unique flavor that predates air popped by many centuries. My parents had an electric popcorn popper - pour in a measured amount of popcorn, a measured amount of oil and plug it in.
But my favorite way of making popcorn is in a big skillet (or a wok). Throw in a handful, pour in just enough oil to coat the grains, cover and turn on the heat. I normally use olive oil, but might try walnut oil or sesame oil for a different flavor. This gives just enough fat to make the product tasty. Please don't drench in butter. As neither popcorn or oil have any salt, you might want to sprinkle just a tad of salt. Very fine grained popcorn salt works best for even distribution, but table salt can do in a pinch and the irregular distribution can be very tasty.
That's right - I deliberately made the measurements vague. As a cook, you want to learn to cook without measuring everything. I could say that 1/3 cup is about how much I use, but your situation might be very different.
Popcorn is also the basis for many recipes from carmel corn to casseroles.
Storing popcorn: Dried out kernels won't pop. Store in an airtight jar.
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