Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree


I felt that title was appropriate as we are embarking on my favorite time of year! I love Spring...I feel sheer elation when I look at the buds forming on my bushes and trees. And I won't even get started on how much I love my tulips and other spring bulbs that are poking through the soil. It is a time of hope for me!
I am sure you have all noticed "Corn" as a storage item on most foods storage lists. It is a very standard item and is fairly easy to find if you are buying in bulk. I suspect it is meant to be ground up into corn meal. (I have seen "corn meal" also listed as a food storage item and whereas I think it can be very useful for many things, unless you plan on using it regularly, I wouldn't store it in the "meal" form because the shelf life will be greatly diminished.)
I am curious if anyone stores corn? I have always stored popcorn because it makes the BEST corn meal for corn bread. Then if I get sick of corn bread, I can just have an endless supply of movie food.

Where would you buy so much popcorn?
We actually bought ours in 5 lb. bags at Costco about 5 years ago. I was very disappointed when I went back to get some more and was told they STOPPED selling it. Rats. I have since purchased it from Honeyville Grain, but I have not been able to find it on their online catalog, so you might want to call their retail store to make sure they are still selling it.

How long does popcorn store?
Let's let"AmishMart.com" answer that...
"Nearly, forever, as long as you keep your popcorn in an air tight container and in a cool dry area, so the popcorn does not draw moisture or lose what moisture is already in the popcorn and needed to make it pop. If stored properly in an airtight plastic or glass container, your popcorn can potentially stay good and ready to pop, for many years. However, most of us will eat all the popcorn before it has a chance to sit around the house for years." So, there you have it...another food that can store for a LONG time. I like that kind food storage.

So, now I need your help. In all my years of grinding popcorn and making corn bread, I have yet to find a corn bread recipe that I REALLY like. I like it sweet, but not too sweet. I also am looking for a nice moist bread...the recipes I have are far too crumbly. So, can you share with me?

Summary...consider storing popcorn as part of your grain storage. It will store "nearly, forever" and has multiple uses.
photo courtesy of Flickr

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