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Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

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Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#41

I think most Americans are familiar with Sugar / Honey Smacks. These are created by placing wheat in a high pressure vessel and cooking the grain under pressure before suddenly releasing the pressure. The result is that the grain becomes "puffed" by expanding in size. In Asia, there are street merchants who will throw grains into an iron vessel which is then closed and heated to create a similar pressure situation. W…

> In Asia, there are street merchants who will throw grains into an iron vessel which is then closed and heated to create a similar pressure situation. When they release the pressure, there is an audible boom and the results is puffed grains.

Video time-stamped before the boom:

https://youtu.be/ZyJoqS__7O0?t=158

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm black and your comment is demeaning in a way I can't put my finger on. Kids do say "cap" all the time now, acting like we have so few wins that we need to get credit for it or something feels insulting.

Quoted post unavailable.

You didn't just state a fact, you said it was demeaning.

Did you forget what you wrote a few moments ago?

As for your edit, it's funny how quickly our defenders go on the offensive the moment we don't kiss their feet for it.

(Also for the record, my family is from a third world country, my parents grew up in poverty Americans can't imagine, and now they both hold doctorates. Their son (me) is a fully self-taught developer who works on autonomous vehicles. Those are the kinds of wins we focus on, not who said "cap" first.)

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#43
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen this device in videos before, I wonder why I never see them at like Farmers markets here in the US. They'd probably make a killing.

I think safety may have something to do with it, it's pretty much a bomb

I… don’t think that’s it.

I’m tempted to find and buy one a pressurized popcorn popper like that, and set up at my local farmers’ market. It might be popular, or it might not - but it would definitely be fun.

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#45

I think most Americans are familiar with Sugar / Honey Smacks. These are created by placing wheat in a high pressure vessel and cooking the grain under pressure before suddenly releasing the pressure. The result is that the grain becomes "puffed" by expanding in size. In Asia, there are street merchants who will throw grains into an iron vessel which is then closed and heated to create a similar pressure situation. W…

I wonder if you could do the same in an Instant Pot... I just tried the stovetop technique with wheat berries (hard white), and they just expanded very slightly. But unlike a raw wheat berry, they tasted okay!

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#46
post #5

This is, as the kids say, cap. Popcorn works because the outer hull is strong enough to hold together until a critical mass of pressure builds inside to rupture it. At that point the starches, which have liquefied under pressure, explode and unliquify rather suddenly. White rice and pearled barley have their hulls removed. You can see in the picture that the barley has split, but not popped, and the rice just looks a…

> Puffed rice and wheat are done in machines that lower the air pressure to create the same conditions as popcorn Maybe for commercial production but it isn’t necessary in general. I make puffed rice all the time with hot salt in a skillet. It’s a lazy way to use leftover rice since you need to cook it first anyway.

High tech: https://youtu.be/Rlh_7xzXwtc

Low tech: https://youtu.be/Oq4H3awS5iA

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#47
post #4

This is, as the kids say, cap. Popcorn works because the outer hull is strong enough to hold together until a critical mass of pressure builds inside to rupture it. At that point the starches, which have liquefied under pressure, explode and unliquify rather suddenly. White rice and pearled barley have their hulls removed. You can see in the picture that the barley has split, but not popped, and the rice just looks a…

I've seen rice done in videos by (I believe?) heating them under pressure and then releasing the pressure suddenly, causing max puffage . An example: https://youtu.be/ZyJoqS__7O0

So, a pressure cooker would do?

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#48

I think most Americans are familiar with Sugar / Honey Smacks. These are created by placing wheat in a high pressure vessel and cooking the grain under pressure before suddenly releasing the pressure. The result is that the grain becomes "puffed" by expanding in size. In Asia, there are street merchants who will throw grains into an iron vessel which is then closed and heated to create a similar pressure situation. W…

I wonder if you could do the same in an Instant Pot... I just tried the stovetop technique with wheat berries (hard white), and they just expanded very slightly. But unlike a raw wheat berry, they tasted okay!

To do the same thing on an instant pot, you'd have to remove the entire lid all at once. It's the explosive decompression which fluffs up the grains. For this reason, the asian merchants usually open the devices into a bag made of sturdy material.

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#49
Popped amaranth is my favorite. It's incredibly tiny, and fun to imagine being a giant eating popcorn. I like to serve it alongside saucy fish, as kind of a "dry dip". Unlike the grains mentioned in the article, it actually pops -- it's fast and easy in a heavy bottomed pot, just like popcorn, but way faster because the grains are so small.

Re: Cook whole grains like popcorn (2018)

#50
I've done this with quinoa and it's pretty good if you can avoid burning it. The little popped grains look like adorable mini-popcorns.

I've also had pumpkin seeds pop when toasting them in the oven. They don't get the 'popped' look but it's a good indicator that they're done.

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