Snacks

How to Not Oversalt Popcorn

January 15, 2018 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

I have done it. You have done it. We all have done it. Everyone has over salted their popcorn. We get our big bowl of popcorn all ready. The Netflix is fired up. We pour in some melted butter. And then proceed to make it so salty that you make the Dead Sea jealous. How do we prevent this catastrophe from happening? Read on my fellow popcorn oversalter 🙂

My go to salt for putting on popcorn is Real Salt for it’s great flavor and it’s ability to adhere to the kernels.

Popcorn Need Salt

Let’s get this out of the way first. We can’t have popcorn without salt. That is just wrong. Criminal in fact. To taste good popcorn needs salt or you might as well in the popcorn that comes in a package delivered to your doorstep. For more about salt and popcorn check out – How to Make Your Own Popcorn Salt and What is the Best Salt for Popcorn.

How to Not Oversalt Popcorn

I have tried some different ways to accomplish this goal. First your best chance for failure is to salt it in the bowl as you are eating it. This is where oversalting takes place. You have to think ahead if you want to avoid this catastrophe.

Method 1 – Oversalt the Butter
The first method I tried was oversalting the butter. Wait a minute. I though we were trying to not oversalt here. We are, the popcorn that is. When you melt your butter you can add in more salt. Thus when the butter is poured over the popcorn the salt is distributed evenly with it. That way you don’t reach for more salt when you find an unsalted area in your bowl and then discovered an oversalted area later.

For the right amount of salt you could eyeball it, or go with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every 1/4 cup of popcorn you make. I also like to measure out my kernels before I pot them. This is especially important if you do it in the microwave (read more about how to make your own microwave popcorn below). That way you can set your time right on your microwave for maximum pooping and minimum burning.

Method 2 – Add Salt Before Popping

This 2nd method involves putting salt on the kernels before you pop the popcorn. You can use the same ratio that I gave above – 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every 1/4 cup of kernels. When the kernels pop they already will have salt on them.

Which Method is Better?

I prefer method 1, salting the butter. I think the butter flowing through the kernels with the salt in tow helps to distribute the salt more evenly. It also helps to stick the salt to the kernels better. Method 2 is perfect for those that don’t want to put butter on their popcorn.

Either method is better than just tossing the salt on in the bowl.

I love enjoying popcorn of all shapes, sizes, colors. This variety called Tiny But Mighty pops small. The hulls are so thin they basically disintegrate.

How to Microwave Your Own Popcorn

As I mentioned above I am going to tell you how to microwave your own popcorn. Consider a bonus to this blog entry! You simply place your unpopped kernels into a paper lunch bag. Hold the bag tight on the top. Give it a shake. Put it in your microwave and cook until the popping slows down. The time will depend on your microwave. You may end up burning a few batches to get your time down perfectly. I know from experience using different microwaves it takes some trails to nail down that perfect time but after that I just enter the exact time.

Sometimes the popcorn button that comes on some microwaves works perfectly but I find more often than not that it doesn’t.

Interesting in finding out more about different popcorn varieties?

The Best Popcorn in America

July 1, 2017 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

The Fourth of July. The number one day on the calendar to take pride in our country. Flags flying high. Fireworks burst throughout the air. Cookouts are taking place with hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, watermelon, potato salad, and all the food that we Americans celebrate with. On the eve of another Fourth of July I wanted to talk about a food that is American to the core – popcorn or popped maize for you fancy people or Michigan Wolverine fans (Go Blue!). I am going to share with you the best popcorn you can find from sea to shining sea.

Brief History of Popcorn in America

Although popcorn has been around for sometime, it was really in the 19th century that it began to become popular. Equipment was invented to be able to pop it and sell it from carts. The time period in which really took off with a bang was during the Great Depression. Popcorn was cheap enough people could afford it still during difficult times. Once movie theaters realized they could pop their own popcorn and sell it for eating during the films, popcorn had a firm grasp as one of the top snacks in America.

The Best Popcorn in America

Below you will find what in my opinion are the best varieties of popcorn in America grown in places like Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. This list will not include any pre-popped popcorn. These is all about the popping the kernel for yourself.

Photo courtesy of Bur Oaks Farms website (http://buroaksfarm.com)

Bur Oaks Farm Red Popcorn

This is the popcorn that started it all for me. Before I ate this popcorn for the first time I never knew anything other than the generic yellow or white stuff found in every grocery store. For me this is a locally grown variety, here in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I discovered it around town.

You will notice when you pop this popcorn it looks different in the bowl. It appears whiter and you can still make out some of the broken up pieces of the red pericarp (the outer layer of the kernel). Besides the obvious color difference, the biggest thing that sets it apart from your everyday yellow popcorn is the tenderness. Tom Bloomer from Bur Oaks Farms say that is the real selling point of his red popcorn.

Where to Buy: You can buy their popcorn right off their website. They also sell a white variety along with some gift boxes featuring Michigan products.

Tiny But Mighty recently updated to this new colorful and beautiful packaging.

Tiny But Mighty Heirloom Popcorn

This heirloom variety of popcorn I first discovered at Whole Foods Market. The word “heirloom” attracted my attention and the story got me hooked. In the 1850s this variety of popcorn was discovered by Samuel Kelty. It remained in the family for generations. It was almost lost. Samuel’s great, great, great grandson, Richard found his mom ready to pop the last of the kernels they had. He stopped her to grab some to plant. Because of that split second decision we still have this variety around the people all over the nation are enjoying it.

I asked Tiny But Mighty Foods how they would describe their popcorn in their own words. They said:

Our variety is a one of a kind, rare heirloom that dates back to the 1850’s. It’s very tiny, so it doesn’t have the shells that get stuck in your teeth, and it’s easier to digest. The color of the variety is what we call a lemon-yellow. We are Non-GMO Project Verified

Here is an up close picture of the tiny kernels popped from the Tiny But Mighty popcorn variety.

This is my kids’ favorite popcorn. My oldest daughter doesn’t eat any other popcorn. The kids love that the popcorn is small and doesn’t get stuck in their teeth. If you want to feed popcorn to your kids this is the type of popcorn I would recommend.

Check out this video to learn more about Tiny But Mighty:

Where to Buy: You can find their popcorn unpopped and popped at Whole Foods Market. A money saving tip, check the bulk section. You often can buy it there. Tiny But Mighty have a store locator on their website that you can use to search for their popcorn. You can also buy it on Amazon.

My daugther enjoying some Tiny But Mighty Popcorn. This was taken quite a few years ago. They are a lot bigger now.

Amish Country Popcorn

The next popocorn comes from Amish Country. They are all about selection – many different offers of all different shapes and colors. Check out a a shot of my Instagram account form last time I stocked up on their popcorn at a store in Ohio.

Stocked up on Amish popcorn. Got a variety of sizes and colors. Each variety pops up different with a subtle difference in flavor. #popcorn #mansfieldohio #snacktime #snacking #amishpopcorn

A post shared by Eat Like No One Else (@eatlikenooneelse) on Aug 14, 2016 at 4:45am PDT

Beautiful, huh. I love buying a bunch of different varieties of their popcorn as it fun to mix it up. Some of the varieties I buy include: Midnight blue, Purple, Red, Rainbow, Ladyfinger, and Mushroom. It’s fun to invite people over and pop up several different types, see what they think. All of their varieties are non-GMO in case you were wondering.

Amish Country Popcorn was founded by Brian Lehman at the family farm in Berne, Indiana. His dad planted popcorn for him when he was 6 years old. He fell in love with it and has been growing it ever since. Brian likes growing different types of popcorn because different people like different popcorns. He wants to satisfy ever customer. He has satisfied me time and time again.

Where to Buy: Amish Country Popcorn is available in a lot of places. I typically find in in bulk stores and Amish shops. You can buy it on Amazon as well.

A shot of Monarch Butterfly Popcorn – the most flavorful popcorn that I ever tried 🙂

Monarch Butterfly Popcorn

In the winter of 2016, my wife and my youngest daughter took a trip out to California to surprise my father in law for his birthday. While they did that, the other 2 kids and I took a short trip to Wisconsin. One of the things on my list to do was visit Brennan’s Market. I really enjoyed this store when I was visiting Madison, Wisconsin in 2010. After looking at the great cheese selection, I came upon a display with popcorn. A couple different varieties were available. The popcorn that I was excited to try was the Monarch Butterfly popcorn. At Brennan’s the popcorn was described as having an “exceptional yellow corn taste”. Being a lover of taste, I bought a container and popped it up as soon as I got back home. I decided to try it freshly popped even before adding salt. I tasted flavor without the salt. Once I added the salt it as over. Monarch Butterfly was the most flavorful popcorn I ever tasted. This may sound corny to your ears but the popcorn had a really corny flavor.

I contacted Wisconsin Gold Harvest and asked them what makes their corn so special. Colleen said:

Popcorn is special…not like field corn. Different varieties like different conditions. Along with Mother Nature, the popcorn seed growers are key as they produce the seed varieties we plant, they are constantly trying to improve. As farmers, we need to be true observers of nature and we have to take care of the soil. It’s a combination of many factors, only some of which we control.

Where to Buy: Find their popcorn at Brennan’s Markets in Wisconsin. You can also purchase it directly from them by visiting their website.

A screen shot from rareseeds.com showing just some of their selection of popcorn seeds.

Grow Your Own Popcorn

While in most areas of the country right now it is too late to plant popcorn for this year to grow yourself. Growing your own popcorn gets you the opportunity to taste different types you won’t find in any store. My favorite source for buying popcorn is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They offer a fantastic selection of popcorn varieties of different colors, flavors, and textures.

My go to salt for putting on popcorn is Real Salt.

The Best Salt for Popcorn

Real Salt is the only salt I use on my popcorn. It really elevates the flavor of any popcorn. Read my full post on The Best Salt for Popcorn and make sure to also check out How to Make Your Own Popcorn Salt.

How to Make Your Own Popcorn Salt

December 3, 2015 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

Some things are easy to make, but most people don’t think about it. I make my own brown sugar all the time instead of buying it in the store. I can make it as light or as dark as I want it. Something even easier than that, the only requires one ingredient and a food processor is making your own popcorn salt.

Why Bother Making Popcorn Salt
Why should you bother making your own popcorn salt. Doesn’t any old salt work on popcorn. Here is the issue with popcorn. It has a lot of little nooks and crannies. Your standard salt is not fine enough to make it into those nooks and crannies. When you salt the popcorn alot of the salt won’t stick and will end up in the bottom of the bowl. Popcorn salt is very fine. So you get more salt on the kernels. Kosher salt which s great sticking to meat, is too coarse to stick to popcorn.

Making your own popcorn salt also gives you the chance to use any salt you, which can also save you money. You can pick the cheapest salt at the store, thought I would avoid regular table salt, which I find having an off flavor, almost bitter flavor at times. Opt for at least the cheapest sea salt. Any salt that you see in the store can work. I like Himalayan Pink Salt for it’s flavor, it’s added health benefits (trace minerals not found in table salt), and it’s fun color.

How to Make Your Own Popcorn Salt

Before

A food processor or even a well cleaned coffee grinder can quickly turn any salt into popcorn salt. The more coarse the salt is the longer it will take. But even the most coarse salt should be broken down in about a mintue or so. I recommend using the pulse button in bursts in order to help break the salt granulates down more effectively. Be careful when you open the top of the food processor, there is sure to be some salt floating into the air.

After

When I am done making the salt and I place it into a spice jar that comes with a shaker top (plastic insert with holes) to make the salt easy to dispense. Look for the top to have the size holds that you want, so that right amount of salt comes out. These types of jars are easy to find in most well stocked kitchen sections and should be sold for no more than a buck a piece.

Clumbing
You may find that your salt ends up clumbing up. Just give it a good shake and it should be fine. Some salts use anti-caking agents like calcium silicate. The salts I recommend to make popcorn salt out of usually don’t contain these anti-caking agents. It only takes a little shaking to loosen the salt particles up, so I don’t worry about it. But you could do what Alton Brown recommended in a Good Eats episode and place a few popcorn kernels into the container. The kernel provides physical agitation which will help out with the clumbing problem.

What Is the Best Popcorn Salt?

December 2, 2015 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

It does not get much easier snacking when it comes to popcorn.

It’s easy to make.

It’s cheap.

And of course delicious.

As long as you know how to dress your popcorn. It’s not the butter that makes the popcorn – I know it feels wrong to say that. Or any special fancy topping. No, it all begins with the salt. Without salt, popcorn has the same flavor as the “popcorn” you find in a package you received.

You can’t just pick any salt and expect to have great results. I will help guide you to the best popcorn salt. And you will be forever grateful 🙂

This popcorn would not be as good as it looks without some really good salt on top.

Fine Salt Makes the Best Popcorn

When it comes to salting popcorn you want to think small. You want the salt to be able to get into the little nooks and crannies of the popped kernel. You want the salt on the popcorn, not just laying at the bottom of the bowl.

All my recommended salts are going to be of the fine ground variety. It should look like the grains of sand you find on the beach.

What are The Best Salts for Popcorn

Below I am going to share with you my two FAVORITE brand of salt for popcorning (that word is in the Eat Like No One Else dictionary). You should be able to find them in a grocery store in your area.

Shake this salt on your popcorn and you will feel like your tasting popcorn for the first time.

Selina Naturally sells a lot of amazing salt. Celtic Sea Salt Fine Ground is their best for popcorn. Its a light grey salt, that they have finely ground. It the perfect size to make it into every crevice of your popcorn. It dispenses really easily from the shaker.

Celtic Sea Salt Fine Ground has a gray hue to it. Not as easy to see in the finely ground version, but definitely more noticeable in their coarse ground.

What is Grey Sea Salt?

Curious to why this salt is a light grey color? Most of us are use to perfectly white salts but some of the best ones have more color to them. The gray color comes from the clay lining the beds where the salt is harvested. It contains 80 vital trace minerals and elements that are so good for our bodies. They also give the salt it’s unique flavor.

Real Salt Shaker

Redmond Real Salt

I have enjoyed a lot of popcorn with this “Real Salt“.

I bought it for a foodie friend on a whim for Christmas one year. I was intrigued by the different colors in the container (hues of brown and pink). My friend told me how great the salt was on popcorn – it adheres really well to each kernel. He certainly was correct in his assessment. The salt brought life to my popcorn that was never there before. The flavor had more depth to it. It would be like having only 1 key on your piano that worked. It still makes a sound. Get the piano fixed and you can create something special.

Why is it “Real Salt”

Why is it called “Real Salt”? The salt has nothing added to it or removed from it.

Table salt has all the trace minerals removed while Real Salt contains more than 60 trace minerals. It is these unique minerals that contribute to the salt’s flavor and nutrition content. They are removed in some salts, so they look uniformly white. To me table salt has a undesirable after taste. Real Salt has ever so slight sweetness to it, with no added sugar.

Real Salt Shaker Top

It comes in container with a shaker lid. I love the lid because it has three different “settings” to control the amount of salt that comes out. Makes it easier to not over-salt. To save money you can also buy it in a 26 ounce bag and re-fill the shaker.

Real Salt Refill Pouch – great way to save $$$

Kosher Salt Does NOT Make Good Popcorn Salt

There is not the time for kosher salt – which I as Alton Brown does calls kosher the workhorse of my kitchen. The flakes of kosher salt are just too big. I have found that when it was the only salt I had one hand that it did not do a good job of sticking to the kernels. I ended up having to use more salt and still ended up with unseasoned popcorn – something very unsatisfying.

Why I Don’t Buy Salt Labeled as Popcorn Salt

You can buy salt labeled as generic popcorn salt, I have never found out that I liked. They are often just cheap salt that has been really finely ground. They get the job done but don’t enhance the flavor of the popcorn.

Never Regular Table Salt

Even worse than choosing generic popcorn salt is choosing table salt. I never recommend regular old table salt. The flavor is more bland and it is more pure sodium without the trace minerals that make other salts unique and delicious. You will never find it

Other Salts to Choose From

Life is full of options, so let me give you more.

Salt Grinders – no you don’t have to buy Rachel Ray’s salt. It was just what I saw when I looking at the store at salt grinders.

What you could do buy a salt that comes in container with a grinder on top. Grind it yourself for a fine grind for popcorn. Beware some of these salt grinders are cheaply and may not work as well you would like. What be a better option is use a pepper mill or grinder and fill it with salt instead. These grinders normally come with a nob on top you can adjust the grind of what’s inside.

Pink Himalayan Salt that you can get a fine grind for is a good way to go.

You can also make your own popcorn salt using a food processor or coffee grinder – check out my post on How to Make Your Own Popcorn Salt.

How to Roast/Bake Applesauce

October 28, 2014 by Eric Samuelson 1 Comment

What I really love about cooking is that it never gets boring. There is always a new technique to try. I have made applesauce dozens of times. Most of the time I cook it in a slow cooker. It’s easy to throw the apples in it and forget about, without having to worry about the apples burning on the bottom of a pot. This has been the method I have used the last few years. Then one day it hit me. What would happen if I tried roasting the apples to make applesauce? I Googled the idea immediately and yes this is a thing people have done. I felt it sounded like something that I needed to do and once you taste it you will see why.

Why Roast Applesauce?
If the method I have been using works, then why change it up? What advantages is there to roasting the apples? There are two reasons why I like this method better now – the apples caramelize in the oven bringing out more flavor and the ending texture is better.

The dry heart of the oven help to brown the apples in a good way. The sugars in the fruit turn brown (which means they will turn black if you overcome them, so watch out!). You can get that added dimension of flavor any other way.

The texture is smooth, almost velvety. The sauce is thick, without being watery at all. The oven pulls away all the excess moisture. To get the peels off I simply run the apples through a food mill. Why bother peeling?

What Temperature Do You Roast the Apples at?
You want to get some nice carmelization, don’t be scared to turn that oven up. I would roast them at 425 degrees for about 30 to 45 mins. This is the same temperature that Martha Stewart uses for her roasted sauce. I tested it out and it worked perfectly. I did not agree with her about adding sugar. If you use the right apples it is not necessary (read my post on How to Select Apples for Applesauce Without Having to Add Sugar)

What Do You Roast the Applesauce In?
Try to pick your largest oven safe vessel. Last time I used a ceramic baking dish I picked up from Cost Plus World Market. I prefer cast iron as it dosages out the most even heat. A dutch oven is a good choice as you can fit tons of apples in it. If you have not cured or seasoned your dutch oven in a while, I would recommend doing that before. Curing involves rubbing the entire thing, top to bottom, with a coat of oil and then placing it in the oven empty. Even if yours comes already cured over time that wears out. Like with mine I ended up having my applesauce take on an unwanted black color – a telltale sign of a pot needing to be cured. I have just the standard jet black American made Lodge dutch oven. It’s nothing fancy but gets the job done. If you interested on how to restore and take care of a cast iron pan, watch this informative video below.

Spice It Up!
If you want to really put this sauce over the top thing about adding some spices. Feel free to add a stick of cinnamon or a piece of ginger. They can be easily removed when the sauce is done cooking. Cardamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg are also excellent additions. For ease use the powdered forms, but freshly grind whole spices if you can. The ground spices can just be stirred in at the end.

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Roasted Applesauce

Ingredients

Mix of apples at least 3 pounds, cored (peeled if you have no food mill)
Spices optional
Water 1/8 to 1/4 cup

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Core apples and peel if you don't own a food mill.
Add the apples to a large oven safe vessel.
Pour in a tiny amount of water to keep the apples from burning on the bottom before they start to soften. Use no more than a 1/4 cup water. You just want to barely cover the bottom of your cooking vessel.
Add whole cinnamon sticks, ginger, or ground spices (optional)
Roast for 30 to 45 minutes until apples are soft. The apple should be easily smashed with the back of a spoon.
Run through a food mill to smooth. You could also use a food processor if you like.
Serve warm or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Giada’s Sweet Potato Tots with Dill Dust

January 26, 2014 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

The Tater Tot. Second only to the french fry as the way most kids are introduced to the potato. As a kid you would probably give these in the school lunch room or at home as an after school snack. That experience I am sure came along with a heaping mound of ketchup, you had to flavor them with something, pretty bland on their own. I say now is the time to graduate to a new tot experience. One that is more sophisticated, more flavorful, more healthy (although frying still doesn’t make it a “health food”), and best of all, more flavorful. All tot lovers you need to try Giada’s Sweet Potato Tots with Dill Dust from her latest episode of Giada at Home. You have a crunchy & herbaceous exterior, and soft and sweet inferior. Below you will find my shopping and cook notes fro this recipe. Visit Food Network’s website to print the recipe

SHOPPING FOR THE INGREDIENTS

1. Dill can be found at the store in usually two ways, either as a bunch where you find the stores greens (lettuces, kale, collards, etc) or you can find it in a plastic package hanging along with other herbs in a refrigerated section. The bunch of dill I bought wasn’t all that big but it was still enough to get the job done.

2. Choose a large sweet potato that is more long than thick. It will cook quicker that way and will be easier to hold for peeling.

3. For the frying oil you have many options. I find that each Food Network chef has a certain oil she prefers, Giada like safflower oil, Rachel loves her olive oil, Robert Irvine uses grape seed oil. Any neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point will work. I used a non-GMO sunflower oil I got at Trader Joe’s.

4. Diamond Crystal is my choice for kosher salt. I like that shape of it better than the Morton kosher salt. Diamond is also the choice of the man who put kosher salt on the map, Alton Brown.

MAKING THE TOTS

1. First I made the dill dust or dill salt. Get the dill finely chopped and combine it with the salt. I the laid it out on some parchment, in an even layer as possible and in 30 minutes all the moisture was gone and it was lighter in color. I saved the parchment to put the uncooked tots on.

2. The recipe makes more dill dust then you need, so save it for later use, like sprinkling onto popcorn!

3. This recipe you boil the sweet potato whole before peeling. You don’t cook it all the way through. Don’t worry it will be perfectly cooked when fried. I was making a batch of vegetable stock at the same time, so when I was done boiling the sweet potato, I just dumped the water into the stock pot. It added a wonderful flavor to my stock, I was very glad I did that.

4. I was at first worried that amount of flour would not be enough. But then I remember I making tots, not gnocchi. The tots will be sticky, but that’s ok, just roll with it.

5. The biggest challenge with frying is getting the oil the right temperature. I thought I had it at 350 degrees, put my tots in. Problem was my pan keep heating up and it got too high. The first few were a little too dark. Maintain the temperature for a few minutes before frying is the best way to go. I monitor the temperature using an infrared thermometer. I would not fry without it!

6. The recipe made about the 24 tots, she said it would. You will need to double the recipe at least if you are serving to a bigger group.

7. The sunflower oil I cooked in was still pretty clean after cooking. After letting it cool I put it into a Ball jar and into the fridge for later frying sessions. I refrigerate it just in case any food particles remain that might turn the oil bad. You can also strain the oil through a sieve or for cleaner results a coffee filter.

RATING THE RECIPE

Awesome recipe! Adding the dill dust really made it a home run. I would not have thought to do that. This summer I will be making more dill dust with the dill I grow in my garden. It was not too hard to make either. Great way to impress your family and friends for your next get together. The sweet potato is a way to add more nutrients than a standard white potato. I want to try this recipe using Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes next time I can find them. I used them to make gnocchi once it was turned out so pretty in purple!

What Temperature Do I Roast Pumpkin Seeds At?

October 28, 2013 by Eric Samuelson 1 Comment

Across the country this week a lot of people will carving out pumpkins. They will scoop out the seeds and all the junk that comes with them and throw them in the oven. People do this maybe because they like them or maybe they feel guilty about wasting “food” so they feel obligated to roast the seeds. I know a lot of people do this but do a lot of people think about what they are doing. Do you just turn the oven on to 350 degrees, throw the seeds in, and wait until they look right. What I normally find is that the seeds come out half burnt and the other half with a chewy outside that gets stuck in my mouth until I am finally able to free the debris hours later. When it comes to roasting pumpkin seeds it all comes down to temperature. Is the “standard 350” the way to go or is there a better way?

The Ideal or Best Temperature for Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
You might be surprised at the answer I am going to give you…..275 Degrees….yeah I am guessing you didn’t see that coming. Isn’t that too low. How will they were brown? Wouldn’t it take forever? The time factor. Yes roasting them this low is going to take a while. Quite a while. I want the best end result and sometime that requires patience. The problem with roasting them at a higher temperature is it’s so easy to burn them. A lot of people roast them during a time when they are really busy. Forgot to check them for a few moments and you burn the seeds. When you roast them at a low temperature it’s much easier to not burn them.

Besides avoiding burnt seeds the other advantage is a better texture. I found that the outer shell is softer when given the time to cook. Higher temperature roasting leads to faster browning so less time to cook the outer shell, which ends in the teeth experience I shared earlier. Just think like you are cooking a tough piece of beef or a stewing hen.

Perfectly Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Author Eric Samuelson

Ingredients

pumpkin seeds from 1 pumpkin cleaned
kosher salt to taste
oilve oil or another cooking oil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees
Take your cleaned pumpkin seeds. Lay them on a single layer of a single pan lined with parchment for easier clean-up. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. Add any other seasoning you like. Drizzle your favorite cooking oil on top.
Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the seeds have browned and the outer shell has softerend.
If seeds are not brown but the shell is soft enough, then turn up the temperate to brown the seeds but be careful to watch them so you don't burn them.

Dried Apple Chips

August 26, 2013 by Eric Samuelson 4 Comments

The thing I love about apple season is being able to try different types of apples in many different uses. That’s the cool thing about apples. Each have their own characteristics that led themselves better to different cooking applications. Take for example the Alamata apple. It’s an older variety that isn’t that popular, but it’s cool because it has a red flesh on the inside. I wanted to showcase that red flesh. So I thought now was the time to knock something off my culinary buck list and dry some fruit.

The Alamata apple is not a very juicy apple making it an excellent choice for drying – shouldn’t take as long. I wanted to do a side by side comparison. The Paula Red apples I had already in the fridge was a good secondary option. It’s a tart apple with a pretty white flesh that would look nice next to the red fleshed Alamata.

Cooking Notes

1. The key tool to have to make a thin crisp apple chip is a mandoline. It’s so much easier to get them wafer thin if you have one of those.

2. You want to dry them out in the lowest heat possible to preserve the flavor of the apple. So set your oven to the lowest temperature. That temp was 200 degrees on my last oven, but my current oven can go as low as 165. This isn’t something that should be rushed. You can put them in the oven and forgot about them for a while. Just make sure to check on them every hour or so.

5 from 1 vote

Dried Apple Chips

Author Eric Samuelson

Ingredients

8 apples of your choice I like to use drier and more tart apples

Instructions

Slice the apples as thin as you can get them. Use a mandoline slicer if you have one.
Set your oven to the lowest setting you can get it to. For me that is 165 degrees.
Place the apple slices onto two sheet pans covered with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Arrange them in a single layer.
Place in the oven for 4 to 6 hours until the apples are completely dried. Check them about every hour making sure to flip them for even drying.
Allow to completely cool before storing them. Store them in a well sealed plastic container do not storage them in a plastic bag that will trap moisture.
They are best enjoyed within a week.

Tahini Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

June 5, 2013 by Eric Samuelson 1 Comment

In my younger days I was a fan of the Quaker Chewy Granola Bar. I use to eat them all the time before I began to banish processed foods from the house. I wanted to find out how to make them myself. I tried out a few recipes – trying to get it right. It took some work but now I have come up with granola bars that way better than what came out of a box.

One of the biggest struggles I had along the way to homemade granola bar satisfaction was keeping the thing together. Even thought the taste was good, when I ate them I ended up with a lap full of crumbs. I needed something to keep everything together. I had honey in them that I hope would bring some stick, but not enough. I stored them in the fridge for the butter inside to harden up and that still wasn’t quite enough. The key was adding peanut butter or for a more exotic option Tahini (a good way to use up that container you bought for hummus). This was the glue I needed to keep it all together.

Tahini Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Course Snack

Author Eric Samuelson

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup puffed rice or puffed millet
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Tahini you can also use peanut butter
2/3 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips. Mix well to combine, and once you have done that stir in the chocolate chips. Take the mixture and pour it into the pan and lightly press with a spatula to evenly distribute. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Then cut them into your desire portions but don't remove them from the pan until they are completely cool. You must cut them when they are still soft or they will be too hard later on. But if you remove them before they are cooled they will be too soft and just fall apart. You can put them in the fridge to help firm them up.

Food For Our Brood- Purple Popcorn

April 8, 2013 by Donna Samuelson Leave a Comment

Our Brood’s Food For Today:

Little Guy is basically eating everything with the family with only a few exceptions. He seems to have outgrown his wheat issues! That’s a BIG woohoo! from me 🙂

Breakfast:
Oatmeal with sliced strawberries, milk

Snack:
Grapes, raspberry herbal tea (very diluted, their request), purple popcorn

Lunch:
Napa cabage and carrot ribbon salad with sweet and sour dressing, peanuts, sliced apples, sliced colby-jack cheese, milk

Snack:
Peanut butter on a spoon, bananas, water

Dinner:
Grilled ham (leftover from Saturday), steamed broccoli, baked potato with sour cream, milk

More on Purple Popcorn:

Eric (hubby) found some Amish Country Purple Popcorn when he was out shopping that we absolutely love as a snack for the kids…and ourselves! Not only does this variety of popcorn have softer hulls, and less of them, but it also has some of the benefits known to be found in purple foods- antioxidants. This particular brand is GMO free (YES!). Grace wasn’t really into popcorn before, she didn’t like the hulls of yellow popcorn. Our kids (minus Little Guy he is too young for popcorn) love to eat it plain- no butter or salt. Making popcorn is fast in the microwave- and you don’t have to stain your hands neon orange with hydrogenated oils either!. Simply put 1/3c of kernels into a small lunch sack-sized paper bag and fold over the top once. Pop the bag into the microwave and cook for 2-3min or until the popping has stopped for 10 seconds. We serve it right out of the bag, and they gobble it down! It’s fun for them to have their own bags to eat out. If they don’t eat it all in one setting, they can have fun writing their names on their bags in crayon. Seal it up tight and keep it in the bag so it doesn’t get stale. They can enjoy the next day.