I am a lover of Movie Theater popcorn but I have to watch my intake because it is definitely ladened with loads of salt and I usually end up wasting half of the bag! There is nothing like munching on a warm bag of popcorn as the movie pulls you in. The same goes for watching a good movie on the TV at home. The lights are turned out, and with a cold drink and my popcorn and chocolate in tow I can have a great relaxing time for much less money spent. Of course the only downfall to this is I have to wait to wait sometimes months to see that "perfect" movie I have been dying to see!
Recently I have tried all three varieties of Newman's Own popcorn. If you are a popcorn lover up for a change in healthier eating than these are a must try.
First I love the fact these are Organic products...no pesticides here! They are low in fat, butter and sodium content, another plus. I have always enjoyed buying Newman's Own products not just for their reliability but also for the charities the family helps with, but until recently I had not tried their Organic popcorn's..
The directions are simple enough although you will not find the directions printed on the box itself, but inside on the individual packets, and the time is based on the Wattage of individual microwaves. I found that adding an additional 10 - 15 seconds to the time listed gave me a better popped corn with less un-popped kernels in the bag. Please be careful to not over pop...Every bag popped up large, soft, moist kernels on each try.
Most popcorn's use hydrogenated oils in their popping which solidifies once the popcorn cools and they can taste greasy, but this is not the case here. Newman's Own uses Palm Oil which does add a slightly different taste than those brands you might be use to, and it does have a distinctively different smell when popping, but this does not effect the great taste of the finished product.
Unsalted:
This popcorn popped up light and fluffy. Although it did tend to have a bland taste. ( most popcorn's do until seasonings are added) Yet it is a perfect "canvas" for adding any seasonings of your choice or for making delicious popcorn balls! I would give it 4 stars. Yet when I added my own seasonings and extra ingredients this did became a 5+ star in my book. ( recipes for seasonings at bottom of post)
Light Butter:
This popcorn tastes exactly as it says...Light butter. If you are looking for greasy popcorn which is overly buttered and overly salted like the movie popcorn you are use, to than this choice is not for you. I found this to be my favorite of the three as it is the closest to my "movie theatre" fix without all that added salt or butter! I personally give this a 5 star because it closely resembles the popcorn at the movies without all the added salt and dryness which I will not miss.
Butter:
This is probably closest to the movie theatre popcorn that most of us are use to except the kernels are much more plump and moist, not small and dry like at the theatre. I would have to say that kernel for kernel I would have to rate each differently only because of my personal taste. I would highly recommend this popcorn to those of you who like extra butter added to your popcorn. Although it is not overpowered with butter taste it definitely should satisfy your "butter" tooth. I would give this a 4 star only because I personally prefer less butter on my kernels.
Crowd Pleaser:
2 T celery salt
2 T dried parsley flakes
1/2 teas ground sage
1/2 teas turmeric
1/2 teas pepper
1 teas dried marjoram
1 teas dried thyme
3 teas salt
3 teas garlic powder
3 teas ground savory
Mix all ingredients together and store in a airthight jar or container. Sprinkle desired amount on hot popcorn and enjoy!
Italian Popcorn seasoning:
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teas dried oregano
1/2 teas salt ( might omit if popcorn is salty enough)
1/4 teas fresh gr. black pepper
1/4 teaspoon CRUSHED red pepper flakes
Mix all ingredients together in a airtight container and store in refrigerator because of the cheese in the mix. Kids love this!
Sweet and Salty:
2 T melted coconut oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup Almonds cut in half
1/4 teas salt or more to taste (can be omitted)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Melt the coconut oil and sprinkle on UNSALTED popcorn. Toss in the salt, chocolate chips, almonds and shredded coconut and shake. This is my all time favorite as it reminds me of a Almond Joy candy bar!!!
All
3 varieties of Newman's Own Organics Pop's Corn -No Butter/No Salt Pop’s Corn,
Light Butter Pop's Corn & Butter Flavored Pop's Corn (do not confuse with
Newman's Own brand popcorn)
While no gluten is
added to the Newman's Own Popcorn products, it is present in the plants where these products
are made.
