When I received dried ears of corn in my CSA bag I had no idea what to do with them. They stayed on my counter for over a week, shifting from one corner to the next. Over the weekend I found some more dried corn at the farmers market and was able to ask some questions. I learned they were to be popped in a bag, directly from the cob, to make popcorn. Who knew? I’ve always popped popcorn in the microwave or with loose kernels on the stovetop, but this is so much fun. We all got a kick out of popping corn this very special way.

To pop corn from off the cob, all you need is a brown paper lunch bag and a microwave. Update: stovetop directions below. Place a single ear of corn inside the bag and place it in the microwave for two minutes. Within a minute it starts to pop, the bag plumps up and you have popcorn. Check out my Snaps of it on Snapchat. My username is ptworldcitizen.

Martha Stewart’s website has a video, Popping Corn Off from the Cob. It provided me with the idea of gifting these ears in a nicely wrapped package—roll a single ear of corn in a brown paper bag, tie with twine, mark a label with instructions on how to pop the corn from off the cob and tie label directly onto the twine.

Popping Corn from the Cob

several ears of dried popping corn
paper lunch bags
salt, optional
oil, optional
other seasonings, optional
twine and labels, optional

Microwave: Place a single ear of corn in one brown paper lunch bag. Fold over the opening a few times. Place bag in microwave for two minutes. Allow corn to pop.

After two minutes carefully remove the bag. Empty contents of bag, popped corn, into a large bowl. Serve as is or, if desired, flavor with salt and/or other seasonings. We enjoy ours plain, but feel free to be creative. Experimenting with a variety of seasonings can add even more fun to the whole popcorn making process.

Stovetop: If you would like to pop the corn on your stovetop, you will need to first de-kernel by taking the dried corn kernels off the cob. Apparently the first row is the trickiest to come off. Try using a spoon or your fingernails. After the first row, the remaining kernels should come off easily simply loosen them with your hands. Do this over a large bowl. You are ready to pop when all the kernels are off the cob!

Pour oil into a large pot with a lid. The amount of oil used depends on the amount of kernels and the size of the pot. The pot should be large enough so that the kernels are not overcrowded and/or piled on top of each other. Add the kernels and a bit of salt, if desired. Shake the pot to evenly distribute the kernels and coat them with oil. Turn heat to medium and about 3-5 minutes later the first kernel will pop. Safely slide the pot back and forth over the burner to evenly distribute the heat to all sides of the kernels. Put the lid on the pot and the other kernels will begin to pop. If you can, continue to move the pot back and forth until the popping slows down and the kernels are all popped. Remove the pot from heat. Toss popcorn with seasonings, if desired, and serve immediately.