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Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

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Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#391

Post by autoexec »

ambicapter wrote: post #334
gumby wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Table salt is just sea salt (the stuff mined from underground just comes from an ocean that dried up a few million years ago) and is full of other compounds beyond NaCl.

I just bought salt and the ingredient list (sadly) is: sea salt, tricalcium phosphate (free-flowing agent), dextrose, potassium iodide.

Why the hell are they adding corn sugar to salt?

EDIT: I looked it up. It's supposed to stabilize the iodide. The reason they use corn sugar is that it's cheap. Thankfully there are brands that don't include additives in their salt. I'll have to keep an eye out for them. I already get plenty of iodide in my diet.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#392

Post by oktwtf »

InvaderFizz wrote: post #33

Best popcorn you can make is cheap and easy cleanup. Take one large pot (the kind that holds like 10qts). Cover the bottom with kernels. Add a bit of oil, basically just enough to swirl and have everything covered in an oil sheen, not enough to have them submerged. Cover, put on high (I use gas). I like to suspend a paper towel between the lid and the rest of the pot, absorbs excess oil and water. Once popping slows,…

Knowing full well that you enjoy the popped corn enough to develop such a method. The one thing that took my basically verbatim instructions to the next level, was to add some “Butter Salt” in with the oil so the kernels are coated as they pop. It’ll give it that movie theatre yellow colour. It’s potent so not too much.

Also I usually toss in 3 kernels to the oil. When they pop you add the 1/3 cup as the oil is preheated and ready to get to work.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#393

Post by oktwtf »

halfnormalform wrote: post #367
professoretc wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use salt flour for popcorn; it's essentially salt that is milled as fine as flour. There was a study (which I can't find now) which found that our perception of saltiness is based less on amount and more on surface area coverage.

It's sometimes just called "popcorn salt" and it's exactly as you describe. (And it can also be made at home from regular table salt with a food processor or mortar & pestle.)

I take a trip to the bulk-barn often enough to get “Butter Salt” it’s powdered and yellow. I suspect it’s what goes into the packages for the movie theatre.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#394

Post by JohnFen »

2muchcoffeeman wrote: post #143
morsch wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's really no different. Take a pot, toss in a handful of popcorn with some oil. Turn on stove for a couple of minutes until pops subside. Sprinkle with salt. Done. I never bothered with the butter etc, though maybe I should.

I have experimented with various techniques: huge pot, wok, air popper, silicone bowls. The silicone bowls are by far the best. Big consistent, crisp pops. Minimal waste, you can even repop the unopposed kernels. But easy to burn if you are not careful. Air poppers are by far the worst. The pop corn always came out like styrofoam. I’d bite into the popcorn and it would just flatten. I don’t believe the comments about…

> I don’t believe the comments about getting minimal un-popped kernels using a pot, by just swirling around a bit of oil. Sounds like baloney to me.

I guess you don't have to believe it, but I rarely get more than two or three unpopped kernels that way, personally.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#395

Post by JohnFen »

sgtnoodle wrote: post #118
Rebelgecko wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMO flavacol is essential. Oil type matters too, coconut oil gives more of a movie theater style flavor (OTOH maybe not as healthy as other options...)

Coconut oil is relatively healthy as far as consuming oil goes, isn't it?

Coconut and palm oils are the least healthy of all the vegetable oils. In terms of saturated fat, they're almost as bad as beef fat.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#396

Post by JohnFen »

worthless-trash wrote: post #40
maxbond wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get pretty varied with the seasoning too. Parmesan is my favorite, but I like Italian herbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder. You can throw a bunch of stuff on there together.

If you like the garlic powder, try chicken salt on popcorn.

TIL that "chicken salt" is a thing that exists! Thanks!

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#397

Post by JohnFen »

mklarmann wrote: post #169
InvaderFizz wrote: post #33

Best popcorn you can make is cheap and easy cleanup. Take one large pot (the kind that holds like 10qts). Cover the bottom with kernels. Add a bit of oil, basically just enough to swirl and have everything covered in an oil sheen, not enough to have them submerged. Cover, put on high (I use gas). I like to suspend a paper towel between the lid and the rest of the pot, absorbs excess oil and water. Once popping slows,…

I love popcorn. And this might be arrogant. As I might come around like the extremist (that I am). But I am reading here between the lines, that even with popcorn, there is a lot that could be done better for the environment: - gas is not renewable. I hope we can get away from that - once popping starts you turn of the stove, does this mean you have fairly solid pans that keep the heat long? I don't think that is sus…

> does this mean you have fairly solid pans that keep the heat long? I don't think that is sustainable either

How is that not sustainable? It means that you can turn the heat off earlier and coast on the stored heat.

I don't cook on gas, so that's not a concern for me. But no butter?? That's the same as saying "no popcorn".

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#398

Post by aSockPuppeteer »

InvaderFizz wrote: post #33

Best popcorn you can make is cheap and easy cleanup. Take one large pot (the kind that holds like 10qts). Cover the bottom with kernels. Add a bit of oil, basically just enough to swirl and have everything covered in an oil sheen, not enough to have them submerged. Cover, put on high (I use gas). I like to suspend a paper towel between the lid and the rest of the pot, absorbs excess oil and water. Once popping slows,…

Kettle corn * ¼ cup coconut oil * ¼ cup white sugar * ½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Heat oil first. Use the 3 kernel method to make sure oil is hot enough then add sugar and rest of kernels. Use a large lightweight pot with lid to shake every few seconds or you get uneven coated or crispy burnt pieces.

I tried different oils and sugar mixes but coconut with white sugar seems the best.

I read there are ways to use an air fryer also but haven’t tried yet.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#399

Post by JohnFen »

newqer wrote: post #140
gpvos wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

10 quarts = 11.3 l I had no idea that a quart is about a litre.

Me: Hey babe, your're almost a litre! Her: Why? Me: Because you're a qt!

I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't get this joke until I reread it a few times. Probably because my entire life, I've internally pronounced "qt" as "quart". It took a bit before I realized the joke was shooting for "cutie".

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#400

Post by op00to »

oh_sigh wrote: post #335
zo1 wrote: post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a big fan of tomatoes, and one of my favorite dishes is sliced tomatoes, salted, and eaten with cheese. For some reason, normal salt just sticks on the top of the tomato despite it being wet and I can "taste" the salt not just saltiness. However, with crunched salt crystals, they basically dissolve and disappear into the moisture of the tomato. This just tastes better too. Don't ask me why or how it all happens,…

Probably the anti-caking agents in the normal salt absorb some of the wetness and have it stay clumped up instead of diffusing through the tomato liquid

Why would anti-caking agents clump up? Isn't their purpose to not clump up?
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