Easy Mircrowave Caramel Corn

A long time ago my mother, Marilyn Hanson, found this recipe in her favorite cooking column in the local newspaper and found this most excellent Microwave Carmel Corn recipe. After our family began to make this easy caramel corn - it became a family favorite and tradition around the holidays and at special times throughout the year.

Microwave Caramel Corn

Ingredients

• 4 quarts popped corn (Measurement: 1 quart = 4 cups; You will need 12 cups of popcorn)
• 1 stick of butter (no substitutes!)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Karo Syrup
• 1 tsp baking soda - add last

Make your popcorn using an air popper – one scoop of popcorn kernels using their measuring cup/lid makes about four cups of popcorn.

Put twelve cups of popped corn in a doubled - brown paper grocery bag (this means two brown bags inside of each other). My recommendation is to pick up a few unused clean brown paper grocery bags the next time you go grocery shopping – although the used ones are fine as long as they are clean.

Next - combine butter, sugar, salt and syrup in a Pyrex measuring cup (or a glass bowl if you don’t have one). Bring this mixture to a boil in your microwave – time will vary depending on the model – I used a two and a half minute setting that brought it to the boiling point. Stir the ingredients using a wire Wisk or spoon – and put it back into the microwave and boil for one more minute (set the microwave for one and half minutes). Immediately after the microwave stops - add one tsp of baking soda and stir well. The caramel mixture will start to foam up and will turn a light brown color and look like taffy.

Pour this mixture over the popped corn – using a spatula to clean the Pyrex container – getting all of the caramel mixture onto the popped corn in the paper bag. Roll down the top edge of the paper bag – almost to where the popcorn is - shake the bag using an up and down movement by holding the rolled down top edge and the bottom side seam of the brown paper bag. I also use a sideways movement to distribute the mixture onto the popcorn.

Put the paper bag in the microwave – rolling the top edge down to fit it in.
 

1. Cook on High for one and half minutes. Remove the bag from the microwave and shake well – you may need to use pot holders so that you don’t burn yourself – as the bag gets really hot.
   
   
2. Return to the microwave and cook a second time for one and half minutes. Shake again.
   
   
3. Return to the microwave and cook a third time for one and half minutes. Shake again.
   

Have a large bowl prepared ahead to time – and dump the hot caramel corn into the bowl – be sure to scrape the remaining hot caramel corn out of the bag using a spatula or large spoon.
 
Stir continuously until it is cooled enough so that it doesn’t stick together – and store in an airtight container or a gallon size Ziplock bag.