Caramel Popcorn

I have found a recipe I love for Crunchy Caramel Popcorn. I have gotten so that I make multiple batches and give them away as teacher & friend gifts in a cute little popcorn box. I found the perfect boxes at Target in the dollar spot around Christmas. They are just the perfect size to fit a cellophane bag full of popcorn and top with a cute ribbon and tag. These were the perfect size for Karin & Kirsten to give to their teachers, since in Middle School they have about 10 different teachers.

So here's the recipe with my commentary.

Caramel Corn

6 qt. popped corn (I use my ancient air popper)
1 c. butter
½ c. corn syrup
2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 225°. Place popcorn in a very large bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
3. Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour or less. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces. Store in plastic bags or large container with lid.

I found the best way to make sure that I get the perfect shiny smooth caramel is to make sure that it doesn't have a chance to crystallize. When I boil the caramel I wipe down the sides of the pan with a wet cloth to make sure no crystals formed. I also make sure I wash the spoon I use to stir the popcorn while it was baking. I would stir the popcorn around put it back in the oven for 15 minutes, wash & dry the spoon and repeat. It really helps to line the baking pan with parchment paper, less mess. I used my large roaster (turkey size) to bake this in just one big batch.

The funny thing about this recipe, I searched the internet for just the perfect recipe, and after checking several out I decided to try this recipe. When I went to make it, I pulled out my bag of Jiffy Popcorn and the recipe was right on the back of the bag.

For a quicker payout you can try my friend Elizabeth's Microwave Caramel Popcorn. You can find the recipe here. I like the taste of my baked version better, but I wonder if it would work to combine the ingredients of my baked recipe with the micorwave method. I may have to try it some day.