About Kettle Corn
Why is Kettle Corn better than Popcorn?
Kettle corn is popcorn popped in an open kettle with oil and sugar. It is salted to taste after it is popped giving kettle corn it's slightly sweet slightly salty flavor. Not to be confused with caramel corn, its flavor is not overwhelmingly sweet like that of caramel corn due to less sugar needed to make Kettle Corn.
The contrast between Kettle Corn's subtle sweetness and its salt flavoring has endeared it to many. Additionally, nutritionists point out that it has less fat and sodium than most flavored popcorns, a desirable feature for people on low-calorie or low-sodium diets.
Where did Kettle Corn come from?
No one knows for sure where Kettle Corn originated. Some say that the German immigrants introduced us to Kettle Corn, others say it was the pioneers. Some say that Kettle Corn dates back to the 1700's while others claim it wasn't until the 1800's.
One legend has it that back in the 1800s, after a long hard day rendering fat in a butchering shed, a practical joker threw a hand full of popping corn into the hot fat remaining in the rendering vat (kettle). Soon, very hot kernels of corn were flying every where. This in turn caused quite a commotion as everyone was being pelted with hot kernels. Then, at just the right moment in time, a shelf was knocked down dumping sugar or maple sugar into the kettle. The rest is history....or is it?
Whether it was a butcher having fun, the American pioneers from the Mid-west or of German decent one thing is common and that is it was cooked in lard in a cast iron kettle over a wood fire while being stirred with a wooden paddle to keep it from burning. The popcorn was sweetened with whatever was at hand such as molasses, honey, or cane sugar before it was salted.
Most accounts agree that Kettle Corn was widely popular in the early 1800s but fell from wide usage during the 1900s. In the early 2000s, it has made something of a comeback in America, and today it can be purchased at fairs and flea markets throughout the United States as well as online.
Why is J&J Kettle Korn, LLC's Kettle Corn better?
While some others may use soy or vegetable oil, we use 100% corn oil to enhance the flavor and taste. J & J Kettle Korn, LLC also uses gourmet mushroom corn kernels which will pop larger than what others may use, helping to add to the flavor. This type of kernel also gives it that classic kettle corn look!
