How To Get Seasoning To Stick To Popcorn, According To Reddit
When it comes to snack options, popcorn is a superstar, particularly if you're trying to snack in a healthy way. According to Eating Well, popcorn is naturally quite high in fiber and even has a bit of protein in the mix, and as a bonus — you can eat a lot of popcorn for a relatively low amount of calories. However, If you drown your popcorn in butter or oil, those calories can start to add up quickly.
In terms of the total nutritional content, it's all about the seasoning. If you're looking to snack on a relatively healthy batch of popcorn, spices and seasonings allow you to deliver the flavor without many added calories. Though there is one issue that those making their own popcorn at home will likely face — trouble getting that seasoning to actually stick to the popcorn, rather than just gathering at the bottom of the bowl. In fact, this was such a frustrating challenge for one particular popcorn lover, that they took to a food hack subreddit to ask whether others faced the same dilemma.
The post quickly racked up 186 comments from fellow popcorn enthusiasts willing to share all the tips and tricks they've learned. One of the most common tips was simply to add more butter or oil in order to help the seasoning stick to the snack. However, there were also some more unusual tricks you may want to try for your bagged or microwaved popcorn.
A few unconventional hacks for more flavorful popcorn
If you want to limit the amount of butter or oil used on your popcorn, there are a few other options to getting that seasoning more evenly distributed.
One suggestion on the r/foodhacks post is using a grinder, or even a mortar and pestle, to grind salt until it's an incredibly fine powder, which will better coat the popcorn. One user actually tried this tip and mentioned that "every bite was salty," even with just a teaspoon of salt, and that the hack was a "game changer." If that sounds like too much effort, you can pick up popcorn salt, which is already ground extra fine for this purpose.
Another Reddit user claims "heat, my friend, is the answer," recommending that the seasonings, as well as any butter or oil, be tossed with the popcorn almost immediately. Several say the key is in dispersing the liquid fat used as an adhesive of sorts, advocating for an aerosol spray of some type, like coconut or olive oil, to coat the popcorn more evenly. Others suggest varying the order you combine the ingredients, with one user recommending the seasonings be mixed in with the oil and butter prior to tossing in the popcorn, while another says to season the kernels themselves before they even pop.
If you aren't a fan of these suggestions, you can always try one of Aldi's popcorn seasoning flavors.