How to Not Oversalt Popcorn

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 🙂

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.

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?