If there is ever an opportunity to make sure our readers are safe when using pins I make sure to make it known. This is one of those times! Angie sent us this pin, where the first time it worked perfect, she loved it and it was delicious! Win!
However the second time she did this it could have ended in disaster! Check it out!
The Original
This pin is about making your own homemade microwave popcorn! Fun and cheap! All you do is put 1/3 C popcorn kernels in a new brown paper bag, and tape it shut, you then microwave it until you hear 5 seconds between pops.
All went well with Angie's first attempt at this, however the second time she did exactly as the first time but saw her microwave light flickering, she went to check it out and saw what we have below.
Now the Frugal Girls had no issues with this, and I am not saying this is a bad pin, I am merely warning ya'll to make sure and watch your popcorn so that what you see below doesn't happen to you! For all we know this could have been a microwave problem, but if she had let it keep going who knows what could have happened! Let's avoid kitchen fires yes?!
The Pinstrosity
I'm glad nothing bad happened here, but the cleanup was probably nightmarish, and the smell! Burnt popcorn smell is the worst.
Anyone have any good pins for smell removal from a microwave?!
So there is your warning folks, watch it pop!!!!
Happy Wednesday Pinstrosipeeps!
I am off to clean my house and run errands, ( so much for a day off huh?).
I've done this for a long time, but I only use 1/4 cup of popcorn seeds. I wonder if that was the issue! I also only fold over the bag twice over and press the seams hard; no need for tape!
ReplyDeleteUgh, burnt popcorn smell is really awful! After you clean it, boiling a cup of vinegar in the microwave for several minutes will probably help the smell. You can also simmer a vinegar-water-cinnamon mixture on the stove and it will help with the rest of the house.
ReplyDeleteI use 1/3 cup and a tiny bit of oil shaken with the kernels first. Never taped it, just fold over twice.
ReplyDeleteI've had that happen with a sponge. I've put them in the microwave countless times and this one time just did not go well...it actually caught fire! I don't know what the problem was, it was a regular sponge that I'd zapped before. Lesson in these instances...watch your stuff.
ReplyDeleteThat's weird! I've made my own popcorn in a brown paper bag for FOREVER and never had that happen! I don't even tape the bag, I just fold it a few times and it works like a charm. Scary! I did burn up a microwave by toasting nuts too long in it one time, though. LOL Smelled the house up for DAYS. And we had to buy a new microwave :-p Not cool.
ReplyDeleteI second the boiling vinegar method. It worked for us!
ReplyDeleteTape it shut? I've used this method for years and have never taped it shut. All you have to do is fold the bag a couple of times and you'll be fine. Maybe it was the tape?
ReplyDeleteAlso, 1/3 cup is a lot of popcorn, I use about 3 tbsp.
As for the smell, open all the windows, turn on the stove top vent (if it vents to the outside) and hope for the best. I've never found anything that gets rid of that smell other than letting fresh air in and venting the bad smell out.
I do this all the time too and never have a problem. I agree with Rebecca, only 1/4 c popcorn and fold the top down twice, don't tape. I'm guessing the hot air couldn't excape because of the tape.
ReplyDeleteI've done this dozens of time (minus the tape; I just fold my bag a couple of times at the top), and I've never had a problem. Also like Rebecca above, I only use 1/4 cup popcorn seeds. And I ALWAYS keep a close eye on it.
ReplyDeleteSometimes paper bags have small traces of metal in them. It is usually harmless to your microwave. She might have had a bag that had more than most?
ReplyDeletePut a bunch of baking soda on a plate in the microwave to soak up the smell. Replace it every few hours until the smell is gone....not that I've ever burned popcorn before... ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite way to make popcorn - no chemicals! I've done this with both 1/4 and 1/3 cups of kernels. I've only encountered problems once when I had a blowout at the bottom of the bag (no burning - just popcorn everywhere). But I've never needed to use tape. It's hard to tell from the photo, but I wonder if her bag shifted to somewhere other than center? Maybe that caused some kernels to overheat?
ReplyDeleteI use 1/4 a cup of kernels and do not tape my bag shut, I just fold it down a few times and crease it!
ReplyDeleteThis is our method as well. We use the popcorn button on our microwave and the result is perfect every time. We also make a LOT of popcorn this way as my son is a super-picky eater but he loves plain popcorn.
DeleteI'll have to try the vinegar. I had a bag of store bought microwave popcorn fail and instead of popping it melted itself to the plate. I had the smell coming out of my microwave for a month!
ReplyDeleteDitto Rebecca's post, so maybe its either overfilling or the tape? Or just bad luck on that day
ReplyDeleteDon't walk away from the microwave when you're making popcorn! Ever! It's amazing how fast it can go from unpopped kernels to fire.
ReplyDeleteYes I do this as well but only use 1/4 cup. You really have to stand right there and listen.
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents made it this way for years with no issues.
ReplyDeleteExcept the one time that my grandpa used a twist tie to close the bag.
Luckily we caught it before he burned more than just the microwave!
I've got a hard plastic bowl thing with a lid designed for air popping in the microwave. Reusable - no wasting a paper bag every time.
ReplyDeleteI found an air popper at a garage sale for $2.. I dont have a microwave (im not sure who said it was "natural" considering you are adding radiation to your popcorn.....) anyway when we made this growing up it was always 1/4 cup.. and I would worry about the chemicals in the tape.. not only getting into the popcorn but into the microwave itself...
ReplyDeleteThis one made me laugh because I remember waaaay back in the day when microwaves first came out. My dad bought my mom one and my brother and I came up with the crazy idea to try something similar to this pin (when no one was home, of course!). Bad idea! Keeping in mind this was well before you could actually buy microwave popcorn, we learned quick to stick to the stove-top method.
ReplyDeleteI make popcorn this way-I had a bag that started to scorch-fortunately I caught it quickly before it self destructed. I figured out the issue was there was some greasy residue on my microwave tray-probably remnants of someones heated up pizza. After that I always stick it on a plate just to be safe and I've never had a problem since.
ReplyDeleteWe did this all the time when I was a kid. No tape, just fold the top over a time or two. You have to be careful not to seal the bag too tightly. My mom once not only blew up the bag, but also the glass tray in the bottom of the microwave, and blew the door open. After that we got one of those plastic bowls with the vented top for popping corn in the microwave.
ReplyDeleteI use an air popper myself - before that I had a cheap old stainless steel soup pot that I used to do stovetop pop. But I have also used the microwave - but instead of a paper bag, I used a pyrex mixing bowl with a dishcloth draped over top. It worked great! The dishcloth is mostly there so your popcorn doesn't go flying all over the place.
ReplyDeleteCut up a lemon or a lime (or both if you're so inclined. Place on a paper towel in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. It nukes any lingering odors.
ReplyDeleteI've made homemade popcorn successfully in the microwave before. I use 3 TBSP with 1 TSP of olive oil, mix it, then dump it into a brown paper bag. Then fold the paper bag over 2 or 3 times, and set it to your popcorn setting. Stop the microwave when the popping starts to slow to prevent it from burning. Remove it from the microwave and add seasoning/flavoring. Volia!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have an airpopper, but the inch-long spark that jumped from the outlet every time we plugged it in, encouraged us to make it disappear. We tried microwave. Went to Stove Top. Hubs is way better at it than I am, so he usually watches the corn, while I melt the butter and get out the salt, etc ;) . We found that our little microwave was actually too WEAK to properly cook microwave popcorn. What happens then, is that you get bag-scorch, a few popped kernels, and stink. And all because the oil and corn doesn't get to the heat needed to pop, fast enough. (yes, we tried several brands before we gave up)...I just thought I'd mention that, whether you doing the brown-bag or store-bag for microwave popcorn, some sizes are not actually powerful enough. (and ours even had the popcorn button, lol)
ReplyDeleteI think air poppers should have an on/off switch (maybe they do now, it's been a few years). that sparking strikes me as dangerous.