Popcorn was a favorite snack in our family. We all liked it, especially dad. When we were kids, we used a deep cast iron frying pan to pop the corn, and then poured it into a very large white enamel dishpan.
Popcorn balls were a special treat. We always used the recipe from a “cookbook” mom had purchased for 10-cents when she was a little girl in 1928. It was actually a series of magazine-size pages that were brittle with age. The pages were rolled up lengthwise, and I remember worrying that they would shatter and the recipe would be lost forever.
I have never found a popcorn ball recipe like this one, which uses molasses rather than corn syrup. You will need a deep 6-quart kettle, because the molasses candy syrup takes up an unexpected amount of space when it starts to boil. You definitely do not want it to boil over onto the stove. NOTE: Pop the corn before making the molasses candy, because the candy needs your full attention and you need to move quickly once it is ready to pour onto the popped corn.
Clara’s Popcorn Balls
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 1 Tbsp. vinegar
- 1/6 tea. cream of tarter
- 1 Tbsp. melted butter
- Very small pinch of baking soda
- 1 tea. vanilla
Mix the molasses, sugar, water, and vinegar in a deep kettle. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the candy begins to boil, add the cream of tarter.
When the candy reaches a hard ball stage (260-degrees F.) add the butter, baking soda, and vanilla. The mixture is very hot, so handle with care.
Pour the hot candy over popped corn and stir to mix well. Let it cool so it can be easily handled. Butter your hands to prevent sticking and form popcorn balls.
How much popcorn? The recipe does not say, but I suggest three or four full-size microwaveable bags of popcorn – or somewhere between 50 and 60 cups. Put the popcorn in a very large pan or tub. Don’t forget to remove any un-popped kernels. Perhaps, start with half of it and then add more as you see how much corn the candy will cover. If you try to cover too much popcorn, there won’t be enough sticky candy to hold the balls together. But it will still taste good!
