My grandma would be happy that her timeless caramel corn recipe is going into my cookbook. I have so many memories sitting in her kitchen watching the kernels pop as she mixed up the caramel. I can still hear that giant popcorn maker warming up! The sticky caramel sauce, made from a few simple ingredients, drenches every single kernel. Grandma made sure her caramel corn was easy to prepare so my sisters and I could help. We always doubled this recipe for our large family to enjoy around the holidays.
Ingredients
- 10 cups (100 g) air-popped popcorn
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 0.25 cup (80 g) light corn syrup
- ½ cup (1 stick or 115 g) butter
- pinch cream of tartar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Spread the popcorn out onto 1 or 2 large baking sheets. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the baking soda. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir gently until all the kernels are coated.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan and break apart large clusters if desired. Cover the popcorn tightly once cooled; it will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
