Pop Corn vs regular Corn

[610Alpha]

Ok so I have been seeing people post that they store Pop Corn and I would like to hear why?

Is it easier to grind?

Does it taste better?

Easier to cook with or something?

Inquiring mind wants to know.

[TomP]

We store popcorn, it is easier to grind and it is easier to keep dry. I think it taste about the same as the corn meal we were getting, I think the cooking is the same.

[Fanderal]

We store popcorn, it is easier to grind and it is easier to keep dry. I think it taste about the same as the corn meal we were getting, I think the cooking is the same.

What is your experience with grinding it?
What kind of mill do you have?

I had a 450w Kitchenaid mixer with the grain mill attachment, and tried using it to make cornmeal from Popcorn once, after about 2 lbs of Popcorn the front transmission bearing in the mixer blew up. Now mind you I was only at the stage of cracking the kernels, not trying to go all the way to meal on the first pass. I had already learned with wheat that it worked better to crack the grain, then make a second pass to get to flour.
(this was several years ago, it all worked out ok, because I got to replace the 450w unit with a 600w)

Now we have a Country Living mill, and it is way better than the Kitchenaid mill, even if it is by hand.
I only use dent corn now for meal.


Thanks
Fanderal

[TomP]

We have a Grainmaker grain mill out of Montana and it's built like a tank, they have a special auger for breaking up bigger grains but that being said we grind it twice and you have to put some muscle in to it. I can grind it once but it takes a lot of effort.

[bountyhunter69]

anyone have the figures as to how much popcorn it takes to make a pound of ground meal? i have 100 lb popcorn stored in 5 gal buckets,also popcorn mite be a good "treat" for the whle family sometime after TSHTF,i know i like it

[Grantmeliberty]

Your question contains your answer. A pound is a pound. There may be some differences between varieties of corn, some with higher oil content or percentages of protein, but it is all pretty much the same.
On another note, I have read somewhere that popcorn is not genetically modified (GM) and that would make it very much better IMHO. Again, if it is true that it is not GM, then you should be able to use the seed to raise more, and it would probably grow true, unless it is a hybrid, then it might take a while to get back to the true standard. It might also be beneficial to get some of the varietal corn, blue and varigated corn, because that should also be a non-GM type and good to save for the future.

[DennisH]

anyone have the figures as to how much popcorn it takes to make a pound of ground meal? i have 100 lb popcorn stored in 5 gal buckets,also popcorn mite be a good "treat" for the whle family sometime after TSHTF,i know i like it

Have you tried popping any from storage? Popcorn seems to lose its potency after awhile on the shelf. Lots of "old maids". Just wondering if it stays good longer in mylar ith O2 absorbers.

Dennis

[Grantmeliberty]

Popcorn pops when the small amount of moisture in the kernal turns to steam, so if the moisture level is too low, it won't pop. You might try soaking it briefly a few days before trying to pop it. Let it soak for a couple of hours, drain it, let it sit to absorb and then see if it improves your popping percentage.

[crossbow]

Popcorn pops when the small amount of moisture in the kernal turns to steam, so if the moisture level is too low, it won't pop. You might try soaking it briefly a few days before trying to pop it. Let it soak for a couple of hours, drain it, let it sit to absorb and then see if it improves your popping percentage.

exactly right, we always keep pop corn in an open mason jar in the fridg, when it gets low, we stick in another filled jar.

[610Alpha]

My focus wasn't about popping it. I was more interested in why people were storing it vs regular corn. I really don't eat popcorn very often. I kept seeing people post about stocking up on Popcorn and then grinding it and I wanted to know if it was better somehow than regular corn. It seems to be more expensive in my AO, $20/50lb bag of popcorn vs $10-12/50lb bag of regular corn. I probably should have put this info in the original post...oh well like they say in Patriots "hindsight is 20/20"...lol

[TomP]

I just picked up another 100 lbs at Sam's for $14.72 per 50 lb bag. I like it better because it will go through my grinder better than field corn.

[610Alpha]

I just picked up another 100 lbs at Sam's for $14.72 per 50 lb bag. I like it better because it will go through my grinder better than field corn.

My Sam's sells it for $20/50 lbs....I may have to check with some of the grain elevators....