Candy Cap Mushroom Kettle Corn 

Steps

• 1

  Lay out everything ahead of time because the process goes very quickly.
• 2

  Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
• 3

  Wait until the oil starts shimmering and add a few kernels. When they burst, this indicates the oil has reached popping temperature.
• 4

  Pour in the sugar, distributing it evenly around the pan. Start swirling pot on the burner to spread out the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon or paddle if it’s clumping.

  Note: You want to see the oil forming little waves, so if it’s doing that, particularly if it’s smoking, go ahead and pour in the sugar even if all the indicator kernels aren’t popped yet.
• 5

  When the sugar is melted and a slightly pale brown color, dump in the corn kernels and put the lid on the pot.
• 6

  Keep holding the lid on the pot and swirling it on the burner approximately every 30 seconds.
• 7

  Pay attention to the popping rate. As it starts to slow down, keep swirling the pot. When the tempo has slowed significantly, take it off the stove and pull aside popped kernels with the wooden spoon or paddle to see how much is left in the bottom.

  Tip: You can take the popped kernels out of the original pot so that the unpopped kernels stay at the bottom of the cooking vessel.
• 8

  Dump the mixture into your large metal bowl or sheet tray as soon as it looks like most kernels are popped. If there is any hint of burning, pull it off the burner immediately to avoid overcooking.

  Tip: Use utensils or silicone gloves. It is never wise to handle hot melting sugar with bare hands.
• 9

  Quickly sprinkle the ground, dried candy cap powder on the hot popcorn, tossing with the paddle to get the powder evenly distributed.

  Note: An excellent place for more information on ordering and using candy cap mushrooms is the Forager Chef blog with Alan Bergo
• 10

  Sprinkle with salt to taste and munch away! Repeat as desired and store in a lidded container.

  Note: The goop inside the pot is relatively easy to clean with dish soap and hot water.