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Amaranth popcorn
Submitted by Blog - Henriette on 4 January, 2006 - 10:00
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Yes, you can make amaranth popcorn.
Trouble is, when things are hot enough for the amaranth to pop, things are also hot enough for it to turn black black black.
Or at least, that's what happens when I pop amaranth seed: pour a bit of oil into a pot, put onto a stove, heat, add a thin layer of amaranth seed, watch things pop -- oops, now put a lid on things as you notice how much is hopping out of that kettle.
Turn off the heat, take off the lid, and stir: there's lots of black seeds at the bottom.
Amaranth does make the tiniest cutest popcorns, but you really have to fish around to find the popped ones in among all the unpopped seeds.
Comments
Amaranth popcorn - sounds
Amaranth popcorn - sounds yummy...:)
I wonder if an air popper would be hot enough to do the job...:)
LP
it is HARD to get the
it is HARD to get the amaranth to pop. I've tried soooo many times nd just burned the suckers...
:(
i'll stick to eatign my amaranth boiled i guess!
I wonder if using one of
I wonder if using one of those stove-top popcorn popers would help. They have a turn crank that spins a stir on the bottom of the pot so that the corn doesn't stick and burn. Perhaphs keeping the amaranth moving would allow it to still get hot hot hot without getting burned...
A friend has an air popper,
A friend has an air popper, and I still have amaranth, so we're going to try popping them there, one of these months.
I don't know anybody with a turn crank stove-top popcorn popper, so can't give that a try.
(Mostly, these days, people microwave popcorn over here ... we do have a microwave oven, but I'm not using it.)
popping amaranth
you've got to shake it, like we used to do to make popcorn back before microwaves.
I've been using a non-stick skillet with a glass lid.
I have an electric stove, I bet it would be easier on gas.
don't use any oil.
put the dry pan on the burner and crank it up about 3/4 of the way to full
get a big empty bowl on the counter close to the skillet
get a bowl full of the raw amaranth on the other side, with a table spoon resting in the top
pre-heat for about 5 minutes
then all at once, put a table spoon of seed in the skillet, cover it - don't let go of the lid, hold the lid with one hand, skillet in the other and shake it back and forth just off the burner - just like making popcorn
look through the glass lid to watch it pop - it won't take long 30 seconds or so YMMV.
take the lid off, dump the contents into the empty bowl
set the empty skillet back on the burner for a few seconds and...
lather, rinse, repeat
Cool, I'll try that. Thanks!
Cool, I'll try that. Thanks!
The trick to popping
The trick to popping amaranth is to NOT put oil in the skillet. Heat the skillet really hot, pour a small amount of seeds- about a Tablespoon- in (you cook it in batches). Put a lid on the skillet (preferably glass so you can see when its done) and watch them dance around. When they are done "popping" or jumping around the skillet, they are done, then pour out into a container and repeat with the other batches. Great to eat spiced up with flavor.
Thanks for that, MO!
Thanks for that, MO!