Candied Popcorn

I remember candied popcorn as a kid. It was a delicious treat that we didn’t get very often but it was colorful and so good. Now that I’m an adult I really haven’t seen it sold anywhere. I was trying to explain to my kids what it was and really I didn’t have much to compare it to. Kind of like kettle corn, kind of like caramel popcorn… but fruity. They looked at me like I was nuts. Being me, I set out on a quest to make my own.

You need 10 cups of popped popcorn. I use an air popper and you get 10 cups from 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels. You don’t have to use an air popper though – you just need 10 cups. Set aside.

You’ll need to line two baking sheets with wax paper and generously spray with cooking spray. Set these aside as well.

Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a heavy bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat.

Once the butter has melted, add 1/3 cup corn syrup, 1 cup of white sugar and 1 (4 serving) package of jello powder. You can use any flavor you like. We did lime for this recipe. Stir until well combined and bring to a boil.

Once it begins to bubble, continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. When it is ready, the consistency of the syrup will change and thicken and pull away from the sides of the saucepan when stirred. If using a candy thermometer, aim for 240 degrees. You can also drop a small amount of syrup into a glass of cold water and see if it forms a firm ball. I didn’t check the temperature or do the water test – I just boiled and stirred off and on for 5 minutes and it turned out great.

While it’s cooking, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Pour syrup over popcorn. Stir the popcorn well so that the coating is evenly distributed. You don’t want to have any big clumps of syrup.

Spread the popcorn out between the two prepared baking sheets, making a flat layer of popcorn on each. Place into preheated oven.

Cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Try to break up the popcorn as you stir it.  It is done when it no longer feels sticky. Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Break up any large pieces before serving.  Enjoy!