Popcorn - LTS experiment

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

angie_nrs

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Dec 8, 2017
Messages
7,943
It was April 2015 when I bought a 50# bag of popcorn and decided to try and store it long term. I divided it out into about 7# bags and put it thru my food saver to pull out the air. A few of the bags initially needed to be re-done since the kernals make it difficult to seal, but after they were all sealed, they stayed that way until I cut them back open. I then put all the sealed bags into buckets with lids and stored them in my cool basement.

We're still eating it from that original 50# bag. Sadly, it doesn't taste nearly as good as it did when I bought it. In a SHTF situation, I'd still be really glad to have it, but in normal life, it's much better to have fresh off the shelf popcorn. We eat a lot of it, especially in the winter. It is our go-to snack since the pups LOVE it and it's a much healthier snack than many other choices. However, now I'd say it's stale. It's slightly "chewy" or not as crisp and doesn't pop up as light and fluffy. There are also more grannies left in the whirley pop that didn't pop. The birds still appreacite the grannies though, so I don't waste any of it.

In a nutshell, would I do this again? Probably not......unless SHTF was imminent and I had a 50# bag of popcorn laying around. Other than that, I will just put popcorn on my "last dash" list to stock up on, even though I usually keep a few jars in the pantry anyways. Now I just spend the extra money and buy the Orville Redenbacher in the plastic jars. I'd imagine those jars probably store just as well (if not better) than the food saver bags.

I'd be curious to know if anyone else has done this and what your results were.
 
I did that but put it in cannisters with an oxygen absorber. We are still using 5 yr old popcorn, and it's fine. Maybe some of the kernals don't pop. Since we were getting low, I just did it again with a 50 lb bag. Buying it that way is cheap. I don't like paying $1.89 for a small bag at the store, and won't use packaged microwave popcorn with all the garbage chemicals in it. Even if I just used 1/2 of the 50 lb bag, I'm still saving money. To use in the microwave: 1/3 c kernals in a paper lunchbag, lay the bag on it's side and fold the top down. Microwave on the popcorn button (about 2 1/2 min to 3 min). I usually cook it on the stovetop in a pot with a lid and some oil in the pot.
 
I can't get large bags of popcorn around here so it is on my want list for when I "down south". Popcorn is a great, whole grain snack. However, I want to keep it for corn meal. My grinder will do corn and beans as well as wheat. Popcorn is just a bonus product around here.
 
I have popcorn stored as well. I haven't noticed that it is stale though, but maybe it is. Popcorn is one of my go to snacks as well. One of the reasons I have popcorn would be for grinding as well.

I just looked at Sam's Club and at Costco and did not see 50 pound bags listed. I believe I paid less than $20 for a 50 pound bag a few years ago.
 
The problem is vacuum packing it. Popcorn has about 30% water and when you vacuum seal it the water is evaporated out.
Just keep it in a sealed mason jar, in a cool dark place... When I typed that, I thought, "it's a good thing I said 'cool' Dark place." :)
 
The problem is vacuum packing it. Popcorn has about 30% water and when you vacuum seal it the water is evaporated out.
Just keep it in a sealed mason jar, in a cool dark place... When I typed that, I thought, "it's a good thing I said 'cool' Dark place." :)
Do you think it has that much moisture? I know it is the moisture that makes it pop. We discussed this recently, when we were talking about how to keep your brown sugar soft. Popcorn will get dry and won't pop well. I have had popcorn that was dry. I added just a little water to it in a jar and sealed it back up. When the water had incorporated back into the popcorn, the inside of the jar was dry, no noticeable water. I think the brown sugar bear would also work to help provide moisture. The challenge is how much is enough and how much is too much, causing it to mold?
 
The goal is to keep the moisture it has inside the kernels and cool enough that mold isn't a problem.
Kiln dried wood has 20% to 30% moisture, what is the average humidity in your home? That will tell you how much moisture is in your wood furniture and the paper in your books. A dehumidifier will pull more than two quarts of water out of the air each day at 30% humidity.
 
The goal is to keep the moisture it has inside the kernels and cool enough that mold isn't a problem.
Kiln dried wood has 20% to 30% moisture, what is the average humidity in your home? That will tell you how much moisture is in your wood furniture and the paper in your books. A dehumidifier will pull more than two quarts of water out of the air each day at 30% humidity.
I live in Colorado where it is arid. I have no idea how much humidity is in my home. We do use evaporative coolers in the summer, which put humidity in the air. Everyone of my neighbors has one.

When I have visitors from other states, they often comment about how dry it is. They feel it on their skin and by how thirsty they are. I have a bedside carafe which has a cup lid for guests. I keep a canning jar with a screw on lid and metal straw in my bedroom and downstairs where I usually sit.

This is why things like popcorn dry out here. I keep the bulk of mine in a 5 gallon bucket with a gamma seal lid, but do keep a couple canning jars full. One jar has the top from a milk carton cut out and held on with the canning ring. That way I can remove the small lid and pour out to the fill line on my popper.
 
Back
Top