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Popcorn +
All about Popcorn
History of popcorn and cinema
4600 BC: Fossil evidence from Peru shows corn was already popped back then – 1890’s: American Street food selling – 1930: cinemas in US became popular together with home taken popcorn - 1946: American cinemas make and sell their own popcorn – 1980: popcorn became popular in Europe – 1990 and now: now a days popcorn and movie are bounded together.
Going to the cinema without consuming popcorn is simply not an option; as a cinema visitor you simply cannot resist. Popcorn and film are inextricably linked. Nowadays popcorn is not only eaten at the cinema, but also during football matches, at concerts and festivals or just at home on the couch. Moreover, it is a popular snack for children's birthdays or school treats.
What about popcorn and how it is made?
Harvest
It all starts by harvesting the popcorn. Beef maize grows best in rich soil. The hybrid maize varieties, or the crosses between two inbred lines of varieties, are selected for, among other things, tasty maize kernels, the right amount of moisture in the maize kernel and the number of maize kernels per ear. Pollination takes place by wind. When the cobs are ripe, the plants are harvested in their entirety with a combine, during which the cobs are mechanically removed, peeled and stripped of the corn kernels.
It is also possible for the cobs to be removed directly from the foliage during the harvest. With the latter method, the cobs are less damaged and not yet removed from the corn kernels.
It is important to harvest at the right time, as the moisture content of the kernels determines whether the maize can be puffed. It is best to harvest when the moisture content is between 16 and 20%.
Drying and stripping
After harvesting, the maize grains or cobs are dried naturally in maize bins for 8 to 12 months, depending on the harvesting method. However, the drying time can be shortened by passing hot air through holes in the bottom of the maize bins. The corn is dried until the corn kernels reach a moisture content of approximately 13.5% to 14.0%. This moisture content is ideal for the preparation of popcorn.
Depending on the harvesting method, the dried cobs are separated from the kernels in the factory using a scalper.
Cleaning and sorting
After drying and stripping, the maize grains are stripped of unwanted parts by a de-stoner and a series of sieves. Then the maize grains are polished using metal brushes to remove the husks. Gravity ensures that the good maize grains are separated from the bad ones. Ripe maize grains are lighter and the bad grains sink to the bottom of the entrifuge. In addition, undersized kernels are immediately separated from the ends of the cob.
Subsequently, any remaining dirt is blown off the kernels with the aid of a fan. If necessary, the kernels are then treated with a natural, inert fumigant that is permitted by law to prevent them from deteriorating during long-term storage.
Consuming popcorn makes your evening even more fun!
But what is popcorn actually made of? Popcorn is made of corn. When heated, a pressure of evaporated water is created in the corn kernel. This makes it pop.
The special thing about corn is that the skin of the kernel is virtually impenetrable to water or steam. As a result, the pressure of the water vapour inside the kernel builds up during the heating process, until the whole kernel 'pops', and then you get popcorn.
FUN FACTS ABOUT POPCORN
Two types of Popcorn: Mushroom and Butterfly corn
JIMMY's popcorn is made from two different types of corn: Mushroom and Butterfly.
The Mushroom corn is used for sweet
popcorn. It has a round shape and
looks like a mushroom and the sugar
coating adheres to it best.
National Popcorn Day
The 'National Popcorn Board' decided at the beginning of popcorn's popularity that this delicious popping treat needed its own day of celebration and recognition. National Popcorn Day was born! This day is celebrated every year on the 19th of January.
Would you also like to enjoy this delicious snack on the 19th of January? Enjoy JIMMY's ready-to-eat popcorn at the cinema or at home, or make your own taste variant! See Popcorn Recipes for some delicious popcorn recipes. Or make sweet popcorn necklaces or garlands with the kids? We from JIMMY's love to see the beautiful results, so tag us on our social media (@jimmyspopcorn_uk)!
JIMMY'S Popcorn School Presentation Packages
Have you ever been to the cinema and seen popcorn? Maybe you have even eaten it. Popcorn is just part of the movie. You may also have eaten it at the fair or at home. How do we get it? Does popcorn grow somewhere? Or does it come from a factory? In any case, popcorn is popular. So it's the perfect subject for a talk. JIMMY's offers a sweet and a salty popcorn variant for your presentation. The pack contains 21 popcorn bags and all the information about popcorn.
VEGAN PRODUCTS
Vegan products are now an integral part of the food industry. Popcorn is vegan by nature and JIMMY's is developing more and more products that are vegan-friendly.