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Over a Cup of Coffee: Popcorn Balls and Popcorn Candy

Diane Prather

Popcorn Balls

Popcorn

1 cup sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

1 (3-ounce) box gelatin, any flavor

Pop the popcorn. Then put the sugar, white corn syrup and gelatin in a saucepan, stir together and cook over medium heat until the mixture turns clear. It should not have a sugary look. Dump the mixture over the popcorn and start stirring. When the syrup mixture is well-stirred into the popcorn, form into balls and put them on a greased cookie sheet to cool. If desired, add candies during the stirring.

Courtesy of Iva Decker, of Craig

Popcorn Candy

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 sticks butter or margarine (or half

butter and half margarine)

1/2 cup white corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 quarts popped popcorn

Put the sugar, margarine or butter, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until it barely starts to change color, after it starts to bubble around the edges. It will take just about 5 minutes. The mixture should be soft, gooey and buttery, not hard. It should not be very colored. Pour over the popped corn. Mix in coloring if desired. Dump the mixture onto a cookie sheet. Spread the popcorn around on the sheet, but do not pack it down. As soon as it cools, it’s ready to eat. Break off what you’d like to eat.

Courtesy of Dixie Jones, of Meeker

— The other week, I asked readers for popcorn ball recipes, and I got two calls — one for popcorn balls and the other for popcorn candy. I can hardly wait for the weekend so that I have time to try the recipes.

The first recipe, for “Popcorn Balls,” was sent in by Iva Decker, of Craig. It has gelatin in the ingredients. Iva said that you can use any flavor. Imagine using orange gelatin for Halloween or, of course, lime, cherry or strawberry gelatin for Christmas. Iva suggests making lime-green popcorn balls for Christmas and then adding little red hot candies to make them look extra festive.

Iva also said that the syrup can be used with a lot of popcorn. She has a big stainless steel bowl that is about 16 to 18 inches in diameter, and she uses it full of popcorn, plus maybe a little more.



Dixie Jones, of Meeker, a frequent contributor to this column, called with a recipe for “Popcorn Candy.” She said that if you try this recipe, you’ll never go back to making popcorn balls.

“It’s yummy,” she said.



Note: Dixie says that she has sometimes overcooked the syrup. If you overcook it, the syrup will be hard.

If you have a recipe for popcorn balls or anything else you’d like to share, call 970-824-8809 or write to P.O. Box 415, Craig, CO 81626. Thanks to Iva and Dixie for sharing their recipes.

Popcorn Candy

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 sticks butter or margarine (or half

butter and half margarine)

1/2 cup white corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 quarts popped popcorn

Put the sugar, margarine or butter, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until it barely starts to change color, after it starts to bubble around the edges. It will take just about 5 minutes. The mixture should be soft, gooey and buttery, not hard. It should not be very colored. Pour over the popped corn. Mix in coloring if desired. Dump the mixture onto a cookie sheet. Spread the popcorn around on the sheet, but do not pack it down. As soon as it cools, it’s ready to eat. Break off what you’d like to eat.

Courtesy of Dixie Jones, of Meeker


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