Popcorn for School Fair

[mommyabroad]

I just requested the ingredients list for popcorn that comes with the machine we rent for DS's school fair. Our school has a green initiative this year, including nutrition, and I'm looking for an alternative, healthy approach to making popcorn that can be made in a table top commerical popcorn maker like you see at movie theaters/bowling alleys. Thanks! :

[noobmom]

Don't those commercial poppers just work like giant air poppers? Maybe you can rent it without buying kernels and just use regular plain popping corn in it. A sprinkle of fine salt and you're good to go! In my opinion the popcorn from those machines is way too salty anyway, even if it wasn't unhealthy.

[Drummer's Wife]

I think the fake butter is the problem... can you buy your own kernels, and real butter and melt it and use sparingly when people want it? (and have salt available). It may cost more, but it would be healthier.

[TCMoulton]

I have one of those machines and you must use oil to pop the popcorn but salt can be left off and added later if wanted. Plain vegetable oil will work in place of the popcorn oil too.

Also those machines don't actually use the butter movie theaters use - that is a separate unit that are usually not included in the rental of the actual popcorn machine (our school uses the same kind of popcorn machine and just buys bulk popcorn and oil from Sam's Club)

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by TCMoulton

I have one of those machines and you must use oil to pop the popcorn but salt can be left off and added later if wanted. Plain vegetable oil will work in place of the popcorn oil too.

That makes sense... so maybe most use the butter flavored oil? We air pop ours at home so I wasn't sure how those big popcorn makers work.

[TCMoulton]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

That makes sense... so maybe most use the butter flavored oil? We air pop ours at home so I wasn't sure how those big popcorn makers work.

Yep - you can buy a gallon of the actual popcorn oil at Sam's Club for about $10 and it lasts forever as the ratio of oil to popcorn is generally 3 to 1.

[ASusan]

The last 2 times I've purchased popcorn from a vendor with this type of machine, coconut oil has been the oil they've used.

[mommyabroad]

I was thinking there had to be an alternative to the partially hydrogenated, colored stuff that comes with the machine

[TCMoulton]

Originally Posted by mommyabroad

I was thinking there had to be an alternative to the partially hydrogenated, colored stuff that comes with the machine

Just check with the machine's instruction manual before using something other than what the rental company recommends to make sure that it is compatible with their equipment.