How To Microwave Popcorn Without Burning? (4 Tips)

how to microwave popcorn without burning
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how to microwave popcorn without burning

Be it a movie night or binge-watching on a weekend night; popcorns are always the preferred snacks. Some health-conscious people have started making them at home with more organic ingredients, but not everyone has the ability to make them right, and they end up with burnt popcorn. So, if you are one of those and are thinking, “how to microwave popcorn without burning?” let’s check out more details!

How To Microwave Popcorn Without Burning?

1. Time

If you want to ensure that popcorns don’t get burned, you need to be extremely particular about the time settings and power settings. To illustrate, you can use the higher power settings and use them for over three to four minutes, depending on the desired doneness. Keep in mind that the secret of well-made popcorns is identifying the start of burning. For instance, the popping sound gets slow, and it becomes once every two to three seconds, it’s time to remove your popcorns from the microwave.

2. Temperature

For those who don’t know, the popcorns are known to have 14% to 20% moisture content when compared with weight and are packed in the hard exterior shell. When the moisture is heated up, the steam will be developed, and pressure will be exerted on the exterior shell, resulting in the popping of popcorn. Ideally, you should be making popcorns at 190-degrees Celsius or 375-degrees Fahrenheit. Also, make sure that you keep the temperature consistent to get optimum outcomes.

3. Moisture Content

Secondly, the popcorn is likely to burn when the moisture content is less than the required level. This problem generally occurs with dried-out and old kernels. So, make sure that you have purchased kernels from the fresh batch. On the other hand, if you have purchased the dried-out and dehydrated kernels, you can simply toss them in the freezer for an hour, and it will enhance the moisture content. As a result, the chances of popcorn burning will reduce.

4. Flip

When it comes down to microwave ovens, you need to understand that they don’t have even heat distribution. This means that if you don’t flip the kernels from time to time, one side will be overcooked and burnt while some won’t be popped. For this reason, you need to ensure that you flip the bowl and popcorns in it (shake and rotate as well), and it will ensure that popcorns come out fine. Also, when the pop reduces, it will be your cue to flip and rotate the popcorns.

Additional Tip

Popcorns will easily get burned when you don’t pay attention. It doesn’t matter if you are making popcorn without oil or using the paper bag version; you need to check the cooking time and power. In the section below, we are sharing additional tips to prevent popcorns from burning;

  • Don’t use kernels that are older than 18 months
  • Make sure that you are using a microwave-safe container to make popcorns in the microwave
  • Immediately switch off the microwave oven when the popping sounds slow down
  • Keep a close eye on the popcorns (use that glass window to see the transition)
  • Sprinkle some oil on the kernels because it helps retain the moisture
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