Susan M. Selasky: Don't pop corn in a brown paper bag

Susan M. Selasky

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QUESTION: Can you make popcorn in a paper bag in the microwave?

ANSWER: This is a fine time for this question because it's National Popcorn Popping Month.

In short, the answer to your question is this: Experts don't recommend it, but magazines and websites reference it plenty.

&#; RECIPE:Recipe: White-Chocolate Caramel Corn with Cashews

In the past several months or so, I've seen mentions of the method in magazines. The most recent was in the September issue of Everyday Food magazine. And, of course, you can find just about anything online.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service ( www.fsis.usda.gov) says never use brown paper bags in the microwave.

Kathy Bernard, technical information specialist for the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline, says it's because they "don't know what (the bags) are made of, what can cook out of them and many are made from recycling."

The Popcorn Board supports the USDA stance. The board suggests that folks use a pan with a lid on the stovetop.

Other items not to use in the microwave, according to the USDA, are thin plastic storage bags, grocery bags, newspaper and aluminum foil.

Popcorn is a great source of whole grain, because it is an entire kernel that contains the brain, germ and endosperm. It's a great whole grain snack.

When not doused with butter or cooked in oil, air popped popcorn has about 31 calories per cup, the Popcorn Board says. If you pop it in oil, it's 55 calories per cup. And if you really can't go without butter, lightly buttered popcorn has about 133 calories per cup.

Being able to control the popcorn seasoning is a huge benefit to making your own popcorn safely.

Here are a few suggestions for seasoning 3 cups of plain popped popcorn:

&#; Sprinkle with desired amount of nutritional yeast (found at health food stores) for a nutty and cheesy flavor.

&#; Southwest: Mix together 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar.

&#; Cheesy Garlic (from Everyday Food): Mix 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon each of coarse salt, dried thyme and garlic powder.

Try this savory mix for a Halloween treat.

&#; Savory Rosemary: Mix 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons finely crushed fresh or dried rosemary. Place 4 quarts popcorn in a large bowl and pour butter over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 1 teaspoon garlic salt or sea salt. Toss again.

Have a question? Contact Susan M. Selasky at 313-222- or .

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Why It Works

• This popcorn is easily customizable, meaning you're not beholden to pre-packaged flavors.

Brown paper bags are not necessarily designed to be microwave-safe. Watch the whole time when microwaving your popcorn, and if in doubt, it's better to err on the side of leaving some kernels unpopped rather than trying to pop every last one.

I have a weird sensitivity to certain sounds&#;there's no reason to go into the details except to say that I'm not generally inclined to make popcorn at home because I can't handle the high-pitched screeching of the pan as I shake it back and forth on the burner, tossing the kernels around so that none burn. I could invest in a popcorn device, like one of those air poppers, but I have enough stuff crowding my kitchen without adding a single-use item like that.

Fortunately, one of my colleagues told me that it's possible to make popcorn in the microwave in a brown paper bag&#;not the store-bought microwaveable stuff that comes pre-coated in flavors, but my own custom bag of popcorn. I wanted to come up with some fun popcorn flavors anyway, so I decided to test the method out at the same time.

Turns out it works! Here's how:

How to Make Brown Bag Microwave Popcorn

Start by tossing 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels with 1/2 teaspoon oil (I used a neutral vegetable oil) and salt. Then, dump the popcorn into a brown paper lunch bag and fold the bag top down.

In my first batch, the popcorn managed to push the bag open as it popped, so I started locking the corners of the bags by folding the corners down and tearing little tabs, then folding those tabs over. This prevents the bags from unraveling as the popcorn expands.

Then I pop it in the microwave and run it for about 2 minutes, though the exact time will depend on your microwave. A lot of people give the typical advice of letting the microwave run until the popping slows to about 2 to 3 seconds between pops. I tried that and almost lit a bag of popcorn on fire&#;seriously, it was smoldering.

Making popcorn is fun, but burning your house down isn't, so be sure to err a little on the un-popped side of things to avoid scorching and burning the popcorn: When you notice the popping slowing down just a bit, it's about time to stop the microwave. You'll end up with a few extra unpopped kernels, but they'll be at the bottom and can be separated easily from all the beautiful popped ones.

It's also important not to leave the popcorn unattended while it cooks. It didn't take long for mine to go from popping to smoldering, and it's not worth risking setting your microwave on fire by walking away from it while it's running. You'll want to keep an eye on it to be safe.

This is my ideal method. With no more horrible scratching sounds, I think I'll start making a lot more popcorn at home.