The lights are off... The DVD is in the player... and everyone has found their favorite seat on the couch. The only thing missing for movie night? Popcorn!
If you think that making your own popcorn is hard, expensive, time- consuming, or old- fashioned, you are right where the boy scouts want you to be.
In my opinion, life is too short to eat microwave popcorn- it's too inconsistent, too expensive, and too... boring. Plus you can't control what mystery ingredients the manufacturers put in it.
Making it on the stove can take less than five minutes and is very versatile.
I'll show you how to make healthy, tasty, easy and fast popcorn!

Step 1: What You Need

You're going to need popcorn kernels, oil, and a large pan with a lid. You will also need any salt, butter, or seasonings you want to put on your popcorn at the end. I recommend a good brand of popcorn kernels because you can tell a difference in quality and taste.

Step 2: Faire Fondre

Place 2-3 tbsps. of oil in the pan, along with a few kernels, with the pan on high heat. This will help you know when the oil is hot enough for popping. When you hear the kernels pop, add 1/3 c. popcorn kernals to the pan, cover it with the lid, and take the pan off of heat for 30 seconds. This will allow all the popcorn to heat up so that it will all pop at about the same time.

Step 3: Pop It!

Replace the pan on the heat. Your popcorn will begin to pop shortly, and it's your job to keep the kernels moving around the pan so they don't get burned. You can shake the pan, or go a step further and move it in a circle so constantly spin the kernels. This encourages fast popping and less burning. If you keep the lid cracked or use a lid with holes to let the steam escape while it is popping, the popcorn will turn out crunchier.

Step 4: Dump It

When you hear that the popping has slowed so that there is one second between pops, take the popcorn off and dump it into a bowl. From here you are free to add salt, melted butter, seasoning, or anything else you'd like. Enjoy!