How to Make Your Own Homemade Microwave Popcorn

I love eating popcorn, and I especially like the convenience of using bags of microwave popcorn. But, the price of this time-saver is now far outweighing its benefits. I've discovered that, for the same price I pay for one box of microwave popcorn, I can buy three bags of good-quality popcorn kernels. It doesn't even take much more time to make my own popcorn, I can make a variety of lip-smacking flavors, and save money all at the same time! If you love the taste of popcorn and you want to save money as well, then use these recipes to learn how to make your own homemade microwave popcorn!

When I was a kid, we made popcorn the old-fashioned way. With a kettle that had a lid, popcorn kernels, cooking oil and heat from the stove top. It tasted great, but I always thought making popcorn this way took too long. That's why I switched over to microwave popcorn when I moved out on my own. Less muss, less fuss and less time.

To make your own buttered and salted homemade microwave popcorn, you'll need a brown-paper lunch bag. You'll also need a quarter cup full of popcorn kernels, a teaspoon of vegetable oil and a chip clip (the handy little device you use to close bags of potato chips).

Note: Actually, you don't need the vegetable oil for this process to work properly. The oil is more for taste, I think, than anything. So, if you'd rather have oil-free popcorn that contains less calories, omit the oil.

Don't buy the real cheap popcorn kernels or you'll likely regret it. The kernels won't pop up light and fluffy, it will be full of hulls, and the taste could be rather bland as well.

As far as the chip clip goes, the type I use doesn't work by using a metal spring. Instead, it's totally made of plastic. It's springing action is caused by a plastic doodad instead of a metal one.

Pour the popcorn kernels into the brown paper lunch bag. Then, add the vegetable oil and fold the top of the bag down a couple of times. I make the folds about a half inch wide so there's plenty of room inside the bag for the popcorn kernels to pop freely. Place the chip clip over the folds to hold the bag securely closed.