Physical Properties of Popcorn
Popcorn bits found in American archaeological digs carbon-date back about 4,000 years--cultivation of this ancient corn began as far back as 3600 B.C. Two main types, called pearl and rice because of the un-popped kernel's shape, provide the different varieties available today. Gardeners still enjoy old open-pollinated strains, but major popcorn companies develop their own closely guarded hybrids. Does this Spark an idea?
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Varieties
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Popcorn in the field resembles other corn varieties and requires the same high amounts of fertilizer and water as field and sweet corn. Size of both plant and corn ears varies with the type. The yellow popcorn Tom Thumb matures at only three feet in height. Robust and Ruby Red reach field corn height--about eight feet. Different varieties show different colors of kernels as well. One of the more unusual--Shaman's Blue popcorn--dries to a purplish blue.
Pollination
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Since corn wind-pollinates, popcorn must grow separately from either field corn or sweet corn. Cross-pollination affects both the quality of the different crops and the purity of open-pollinated strains. To keep these old varieties of popcorn pure, the plants must be pollinated by other plants of the same strain. Seed for hybrid corn comes from the cross-pollination of two parent corn varieties. Saving the seed of hybrids does not preserve their unique genetic qualities.
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Harvest
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Popcorn ears stay on the plant to dry in the field as long as is practical. Combines harvest commercial popcorn crops but small farms and gardens still are picked by hand. After the ears are husked, the popcorn can be hung in bags while still on the cob. An ideal percentage of moisture for popping ranges between 13 and 14 percent. Without fancy equipment, the best test is to try popping a few. If results are poor and the popped corn is chewy, dry the corn a few more days and try again.
Storage
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Though proper popcorn harvesting focuses on reducing moisture content in the kernels, storage techniques prove equally important to maintaining quality. Popcorn stores well for several years, but variations in moisture levels may lower the size and number of popped kernels. Popcorn with leaky hulls dries out and won't pop. Adding a spoonful of water to a bag that yields too many old maids restores the moisture within a few days.
Popping
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Secrets of the perfect kernel still elude the popcorn industry, but recent research gave commercial producers important clues. Popcorn consists of a tough pericarp or hull surrounding the starchy tissue called endosperm. The embryonic germ, which grows into a new plant, plays no part in the popping process. At about 350 degrees F the steam pressure in the heated kernel ruptures the pericarp and puffs the endosperm into the familiar fluffy snack. In 1995 researcher Agung Tandjung of Indiana's Purdue University discovered that the best pop depends on a tough pericarp that becomes stronger when heated. Developing strains with strong hulls that shatter rather than split could finally yield the first popcorn that doesn't stick between the teeth.
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