Black Jewell Gourmet Popcorn Kernels, Crimson Red, 28.35 Ounces (Pack of 1)

Anyone who has shopped around for popcorn knows that there is more than one type of popcorn. You would most likely at least know that there is white and yellow popcorn. However once you dig a bit deeper you will find quite a few varieties that differ in several respects For example you can find popcorn that pops big (but might not have as much flavor), or popcorn that pops up round and well suited for kettle corn. There are many other colors of popcorn as well. My search has been to find the best flavor, regardless of the popped kernel size. I am not concerned about how many popped kernels I can count in a handful, I just want the best flavor I can find. What I have found is that major brands seem to think most people are hoping for big popped kernels as the measure of success - and they sell popcorn that is good at that. But - just my opinion - the flavor tends to be a bit underwhelming, and depending on your taste it may be that plenty of stuff needs to be sprinkled and poured on top to compensate. The Black Jewell Crimson corn pops up to smaller popped kernel size, but the flavor is great, even without adding a bunch of stuff to it. There is more flavor, not exactly easy to describe, possibly slightly nutty, but definitely a more flavorful taste. Taste can get complicated of course, since everyone has their own preferences, and this can be impacted quite a bit by how you pop the corn. Not unlike coffee - where the brewing technique can make or break the flavor. I have ended up popping in a pan on the stove using Canola Oil. Put a few kernels in the pan, heat the pan on high heat until one pops, add the rest of the corn (I use a half cup corn for a large bowl for 3 hungry people, 3/4 or 1 cup of kernels for a huge batch). As soon as you add the rest of the corn raise the pan off the burner and agitate for about 30-40 seconds, then back on the burner to pop. Agitate the pan throughout so unpopped kernels fall to the bottom - otherwise they might end up mixed up into the popped corn and not pop. Empty immediately when popping nearly stops - don't over pop - Black Jewell pops almost entirely leaving few if any unpopped kernels. One other suggestion - don't short change the amount of oil. Too little oil and the popped kernels could be a bit tough and chewy. Up the oil just a bit and the popped kernels will be light with a little crunch. Of course too much oil will leave the popped corn tasting a bit oily, so avoid that as well. A little experimentation should lead to a good balance. Also if the pan lid is tight fitting, lift the corner of the pan lid slightly for a second a couple of times to let steam escape during popping - which could otherwise leave the popped corn slightly chewy. However that is an advanced technique and done incorrectly could lead to a spatter or steam burn - so be careful with that.

I love this Black Jewell popcorn. First, let me start with the brand, itself. We’ve tried the Black, White and Crimson. All of them pop beautifully with very few pop-nots. I originally was sold on the Black variety, it has a delicious nutty flavor that is nowhere to be found in the generic yellow or white corn found at the grocery store. Then I tried the Crimson. That is the best popcorn that I’ve ever had. I’ve re-ordered multiple times and will continue to do so. My microwave popping method is to use a silicone bowl with silicone top. I sprinkle in the corn and drizzle a little bit of oil to facilitate the even transfer of microwave energy. I add popcorn salt to the top of the kernels before popping so that every crevice will be hit when the kernel opens. After going through the normal microwave popcorn cycle, empty the popped kernels into a serving bowl, leaving the unpopped kernels in the bottom of the silicone bowl, then run it through another cycle. It won’t take a full second cycle, though. Just run it until the popping slows. This will usually give you another cup or so of popped corn. Top the corn with your favorite additional seasonings (butter, etc.). Black Jewel won’t disappoint.

I love popcorn, its my go to snack of choice for a number of reasons and when you consider you can put a small bit of it into a paper bag and nuke it for pennies compared to prepackaged bags, its even economical. This isn't cheap however, not when you compare it to the same amount of standard yellow corn running you about half of what this costs. The thing of it is though, the taste and texture is definitely superior. It doesn't puff up as large as standard yellow mushroom corn does, but it has a IMHO more pleasing texture to the tooth and tongue than standard popcorn does, and the taste is a tangible corn taste with no styrofoam overtones. I usually do not use any oil when I make mine, as I usually microwave it, but on the occassion where I do use some coconut oil the kernels really shine in flavor as their texture and taste goes extremely well with a little bit of oil, a light dusting of Flavorcal salt or similar fine ground salt and this popcorn makes the regular stuff pale in comparison. A additional comment of note. There are all manner of popcorn makers that people use, this sort of gourmet popcorn does not play nicely with all of them, by that I mean simply that the ratio of unpopped kernels goes down the better your popper is. I have several different poppers, though the hot air one is used exclusively for roasting coffee these days. The standard electric dome popper with twirling arms will pop around half of the kernels that a stovetop popper with a stirring handle does. In the microwave it pops better than in the standard dome electric makers, but not by a great deal, over all the best is to use one of those stovepop whirlytops or something similar. The only reason I don't give this product a 5 star is due to cost, granted you get a very good product, but if it were just a little cheaper the value would at that sweet spot where buying anything else would seem silly.

I am a dentist, retired now. This popcorn won't break teeth, and doesn't stick between teeth, and almost all of it pops. It has great flavor and we pop it in an airpopper. We add coconut oil instead of butter and a little himalayan salt and have a great tasty treat. I have been buying this popcorn for many years, it is the only one my family buys.

I've had a bag of microwave popcorn almost every day for at least 25 years. Black Jewel replaced Jolly Time as my favorite. It was scarce for awhile, so I bought one of these and a popcorn maker. It is SO good! The darker kernels taste a little better to me, but these "crimson reds" are almost as good, and all of them pop. The 'black' leave a ton of kernels, so that's enough to move me to these since the flavor is just slightly less satisfying. My new favorite which has me off of microwave popcorn for the first time this century!

Great popcorn

The first time popping this crimson red popcorn only 80% of the corn popped. Thats a big difference from what I usually get from a batch of yellow/white popcorn I usually make. The flavor is good but I will see how the rest of the bag cooks.

If you like to regularly make popcorn you owe it to yourself to try Black Jewell. The original Black variety is great because the unpopped kernels won't crack your teeth like traditional popcorn, but it pops really small, so the texture and ability to season it is a bit worse than normal. However, this Crimson one solves that. So you've got the benefit of kernels that still won't crack your teeth, it tastes a bit better than traditional popcorn, and it pops nice and fluffy like you're used to.