How long does popcorn last

[castle]

How long does unpopped popcorn last? Is it a good thing to keep on hand?

[libertygranny]

I dry packed a 50 lb bag of popcorn about 10 yrs ago, we have one can left on the shelf now. The last can I opened about 6 months ago still popped just fine. I think the shelf life if dry packed is about 20 yrs.

I need to dry pack some more now that hubby has a job and I can afford to buy the popcorn and cans. Our ward has a can sealer and it is sitting at my house.

And as for a good thing to have....YES, it makes a wonderful treat and you can grind it for cornmeal

[Justme]

According to The Popcorn Book that I think I bought from Scholastic at least 24 years ago:

"Popcorn is the oldest of three main types of corn...was discovered by the Indian
people in the Americas many thousands of years ago...But popcorn is even older
than that. In a bat cave in New Mexico, archeologists found some popped corn that
was 5,600 years old...And 1000-year-old popcorn kernels were found in Peru that
could still be popped."

I've read if stored corn won't pop put it in a jar in the fridge with a tablespoon of water, then try again in a few days.

[mirkwood]

I've got at least a hundred pounds of popcorn in my storage. Good question that I never bothered to ask.

[constable01]

Thats a good question, i know popcorn depends on a certain amount of moisture to cause it to pop, probably depends on type of climate you live in.

[OPossumTX]

If old popcorn dries out so much that it won't pop, put a bout a table spoon full or so of water into a quart of popcorn and seal it in a plastic bag or jar for a few days. This rehydrates it so it will pop. I know this works because I have done it.

Someone gave me some 20+ year old nitrogen packed popcorn that had been stored with dessicant packs to feed to birds. It was too old to pop I was told. I did some research on the internet and found out about adding the water to make it pop.

I ate it and bought bird seed to feed the birds ;)

[Lucy]

How long does popcorn last? Until it's popped and has butter on it! Doesn't last very long around here!

(I'm always buying popcorn for storage!)

[CurtisG]

This is what Mirks house will look like if it gets hit by airborne death laser:scared:
http://ldsglo.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=18&pictureid=203

[iggy]

If old popcorn dries out so much that it won't pop, put a bout a table spoon full or so of water into a quart of popcorn and seal it in a plastic bag or jar for a few days.

Would vacuum sealing popcorn initially, rob it of it's moisture? I am not a fan of dry packing in metal cans. Had a few fall on my feet, and the older I get, the harder it is for me to carry more than one can at a time from the storage cupboard to the kitchen and then opening said can is a NOT a fun day at the beach!

I buy popcorn at Cash & Carry in 4 pound bags. To me the bags are too flimsy, and I would prefer to reseal in 1 pound units. BUT if that will rob it of it's moisture, then maybe will have to rethink this.

[Aldon]

The Vacuum sealers I have used also allow you to seal without vacuum if you so choose based on feedback. Then you would have the heavier guage plastic.

[iggy]

The Vacuum sealers I have used also allow you to seal without vacuum if you so choose based on feedback. Then you would have the heavier guage plastic.

Mine has that option too- though I seldom use it. Thanks.

[Justme]

I do not have personal experience with this but I think the vacuum packing would not draw the moisture from the popcorn, it doesn't dry out other food vacuum packed, except maybe a small amount of surface moisture. Instead the almost airtight seal prevenst air circulating around the food and thus prevents the air current picking up moisture from the food. So, I would think vacuum packing popcorn would preserve its internal moisture which is what makes it pop when heated.

[OPossumTX]

Somebody vac pac some, leave it for a year and let us know what happens. It doesn't stay around my house long enough to go bad. As I have related above, if it does dry out, it can be re-hydrated so that it will pop just fine. I don't have any of the old batch I was given left or I would try it for germination. I do have some seed popcorn stored someplace though.

[CurtisG]

On a related note, i asked my wife about popping corn without the microwave or airpopper. She got the old fashioned one that sits by our woodstove(as a decoration) and started popping.
Worked really great with coconut oil...then some butter and salt.
http://ldsglo.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=18&pictureid=205
The holes in lid work great since you can turn the whole thing over and shake out unpopped kernels bofore putting corn into a bowl