"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Sunday, 2 September 2012

Homegrown popcorn

Last year I purchased some Heirloom Pink Popcorn seeds, which due to the fact I was not on the farm full time, I decided to try and grow a few in my shadecloth veggie hut, which was under irrigation.  I also planted a few outside, which would only benefit from whatever rain fell.

 Outside was a disaster.  Not one survived.  And inside - well, a few heads were produced, but the plants succumbed to ants / scale.  Nevertheless, I did keep whatever I could harvest - not only to scoff on a cold winters night in front of the telly, but also to provide seeds for this season :)
The head of corn is roughly 4.5 - 5 cms (2 inches)
long
Pink Popcorn is a darling little head of corn.  As the head dries the kernels stay plump - one could almost be tempted to pop it into a pot of boiling water in order to have a "corn on the cob" feast :)
Tiny kernels - about the size of half a lentil
Getting the kernels off the head is another story, as the kernels are quite sharp...
Sore thumb - wish I was ambidextrous LOL
My thumb definitely suffered during this task.  But, I kept with it as I had a reward in sight.
RMan could smell it - so he came investigating.
One handful meant half the bowl was empty.
The popped corn is smaller than normal, but, oh, so delicious!  And the best thing is that it's home grown with no chemicals added.
Popped in a dab of melted butter and sprinkled with
a sprinkling of salt - delicious :)
And the surplus has been planted... :)
Posted by Dani at 14:58:00
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10 comments:

  1. kymber2 September 2012 at 17:59

    Dani - i loooooove popcorn except that i like to make what jambaloney calls "popcorn soup" - i douse my popcorn in so much butter that the popcorn ends up floating - bahahahahahahah! yours looks absolutely deelishous! i am sorry for your poor thumb but in my mind - it was worth it!!! i am definitely growing popcorn next year! it is such an awesome snack!

    ack. now you got me craving popcorn soup!!!! your friend,
    kymber

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    1. Dani3 September 2012 at 10:56

      kymber - Cholesterol levels prevent me making "popcorn soup" LOL But I LOVE the taste of butter...

      Popcorn is dead easy to crow - just like ""mealies" (corn) - happy growing!

      Delete
  2. 1st Man2 September 2012 at 20:39

    How cool is that? I would have never thought about growing"popcorn". As Kymber said, hey, your thumb was sore but just think of it like the sore back that comes from gardening or the sore knees from weeding...in the end it's all worth it! Nice job!

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    Replies
    1. Dani3 September 2012 at 10:58

      1st Man - Totally worth it - just be warned that the popcorn is "sharp" though! Also, I didn't mention that the popped kernel is dark with a reddish tinge in the center, not yellow like normal corn.

      Delete
  3. Jody3 September 2012 at 04:43

    The timing of your post is perfect for us. This was our first year of growing popcorn. We have several heads of strawberry popcorn still in the garden. I don't know how to harvest it. Do we leave it on the stock to dry there? Do we harvest it now (the kernels seem mature) and let it dry inside? Help please!!

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    Replies
    1. Dani3 September 2012 at 11:02

      Jody - I didn't have the time luxury of leaving them on the stalk, so, when the tassels were dark coloured, I ripped them off to prevent any damage by the scale infestation. Then I placed the heads in a cool, dry place and left them wrapped in their sheath to dry.

      But I'm not an expert - perhaps an expert can confirm what I have just written...?

      Delete
    2. Jody3 September 2012 at 15:16

      I'm following your non-expert advice right now. I'm going down to the garden to bring it in! If it worked for you, it should work for me. Thanks for your help.

      Delete
    3. Dani4 September 2012 at 07:43

      Jody - You're welcome :)

      Delete
  4. Jane @ Hard Work Homestead3 September 2012 at 17:57

    I only harvested popcorn one year by using my thumbs- and I used a gardening glove too. Then I bought the corn sheller. So now removing the popcorn leaves me able to use my fingers to pick up the treat and get it in my mouth-without wincing in pain ;)

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    Replies
    1. Dani4 September 2012 at 07:42

      Jane - Ha - glad I'm not alone LOL! Now that's a good idea - a corn sheller. Must Google one...

      Delete

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