Making Zero Waste Microwave Popcorn
Making Zero Waste Microwave Popcorn
Snacking is one of the toughest things about trying to live and eat with less waste and trash. Most chips, pretzels and other yummy snacks come in plastic bags that are not recyclable. They also tend to be pretty overpriced for what you get. So I have been experimenting with different ways to make zero waste microwave popcorn.
The microwave popcorn you buy at the store of course comes individually wrapped in non-recyclable plastic wrap and contained in microwave pouches made out of I-don’t-know-what. Now, I could go old school and simply put loose popcorn kernels into a metal pot with a lid and heat it over the stove top like we did when I was a kid.
[ Related: How to Properly Recycle Plastic Bags and Plastic Film ]
My issue is that the kitchen and its cookware are primarily the domain of my significant other, and he gets pretty proprietary about his pots and pans, wanting them to stay “nice,” i.e. no scratches (he’s basically Bob Belcher although I have yet to hear him actually talking to a spatula). I anticipated (correctly) that he would not warm to the idea of me popping corn in any of his shiny, spotless pots.
So I thought, maybe I could microwave popcorn using just a regular old paper bag. I assumed it might not create the same kind of pressure that the microwave popcorn bags do, but it still might work in a pinch. So I tried it out. NOTE: My microwave has a rotating plate. I don’t know if these methods will work the same way for microwaves which don’t rotate.
No Waste Microwave Popcorn Method #1: Paper Bag
This one is pretty simple, just pour about 1/4 cup of loose popcorn kernels into a small paper bag like a lunch bag, fold over the opening a few times until it is securely closed, and microwave. I’m not going to give you a set time, I think it’s best to simply listen and turn off the microwave once the popping slows down to a few seconds between pops. I find that it takes about 5 minutes in my microwave, but yours may vary.
Pros: It’s super easy, and the bag can be reused over and over until it gets worn out, and then composted. I also tend to have plenty of small brown paper bags around from buying wine. (Does that sound like I am a wino? Oh well, whatever.)
Cons: You tend to either end up with a bunch of unpopped kernels left over, or else if you leave it in the microwave to pop more thoroughly, it tends to get burnt. (I personally like a little char on my corn, but the BF does not.) I save the unpopped kernels to try re-popping next time. It would also be nice to put some oil or flavoring on the kernels ahead of time to distribute more evenly as they pop, but that gets messy and soaks through the bag.
No Waste Microwave Popcorn Method #2: Bowl and Plate
I found this method for microwave popcorn on the Fland-Made blog which uses a glass bowl and a plate. It is also super easy and no-waste. Just pour about 1/4 cup of kernels into a glass bowl and cover with a microwaveable plate. Microwave until popped.
Pros: Very easy, and you can easily add oil or flavorings to the unpopped kernels to distribute the flavor evenly.
Cons: WOW, do the bowl and plate get hot. I mean, REALLY hot. And I found that this method took a much longer time to get anything to pop. I had to keep adding more and more time, and I was still left with a lot of unpopped kernels.
Other Methods to Make Zero-Waste Microwave Popcorn
There are a variety of reuseable bowls and bags like these microwave popcorn bags by OHANAecolocal on Etsy that claim to allow you to get a good microwave popped corn with a container that you can use over and over. I have not tried any of these options myself, only because I am always looking for ways to use what I already have rather than buying yet another tool. (OMG, we have so many kitchen utensils, gadgets and pots already.) So for now I am probably sticking with the paper bag method. But the handmade bags do intrigue me because they don’t take up much space. So I may try those soon.
Got a better method for zero waste microwave popcorn than the ones I’ve mentioned here? Let me know!
