How to Make Caramel Popcorn
Homemade caramel popcorn combines crisp popcorn with a rich, sweet coating. Preparing your own batch lets you choose the ingredients and adjust the final texture. Before you begin, ask an adult to help: hot caramel can cause serious burns.
Gather ingredients and equipment
Measure everything before turning on the stove. Once the caramel is ready, you will need to work quickly.
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 cups freshly popped plain popcorn, made from about 1/2 cup unpopped kernels
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
- A large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- A heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan
- A heat-resistant silicone spatula or wooden spoon
- An extra-large heatproof mixing bowl
- Two forks
- A candy thermometer, if available
1. Prepare and sort the popcorn
- kernels:
- The individual seeds of corn, including those that can pop when heated.
- heatproof:
- Able to withstand high temperatures without being damaged.
- dissolves:
- Mixes into a liquid so that it is no longer visible as separate particles.
- undisturbed:
- Left alone without stirring or moving.
- soft ball stage:
- A temperature range in candy making, about 240°F to 248°F, used to judge cooked sugar syrup.
- reaction:
- A change that happens when substances interact, such as the foaming described in the recipe.
- carbon dioxide:
- A gas that forms tiny bubbles in the caramel when the ingredients react.
- airtight:
- Sealed so that air cannot easily enter or escape.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why does the recipe recommend measuring the ingredients before heating the caramel?
- 2How does sorting the popcorn protect the people who eat it?
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About this how-to / procedural passage for 8th Grade
“How to Make Caramel Popcorn” is a how-to / procedural reading passage about Cooking, written for 8th Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (476 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.