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How high can kernels reach when popped?
Some varieties of popcorn have been bred so the hull shatters upon popping, making it appear to be hull-less. How high popcorn kernels can pop? Up to 3 feet in the air.
How many times larger does a popcorn kernel expand when popped?
A popcorn kernel’s strong hull contains the seed’s hard, starchy shell endosperm with 14–20% moisture, which turns to steam as the kernel is heated. Pressure from the steam continues to build until the hull ruptures, allowing the kernel to forcefully expand, to 20 to 50 times its original volume, and then cool.
How big is a popped popcorn kernel?
… the average expansion volume varied from 21.2 to 29.8 cm 3 g À1 , the average number of unpopped kernels from 2 to 7 and the average ¯ake size from 4.0 to 4.2 cm 3 .
What happens when a kernel pops?
“Inside each kernel of popcorn is a tiny droplet of water surrounded by a hard shell called a hull. As the popcorn is heated, the water turns into steam, which builds pressure inside the kernel. When the hull can no longer contain the pressure —POP! — the kernel explodes, and a fluffy new piece of popcorn is born.”
How many kernels are in one ear of popcorn?
800 kernels
The number of kernels per ear can vary from 500 to about 1,200. A typical ear has about 800 kernels, according to corn experts.
Why do some kernels not pop?
Popcorn kernels will not pop if they contain too little or too much water moisture inside the kernel. It is the seal of the hull which allows the popcorn to pop because it creates an environment where trapped and heated steam builds enough pressure, and the hull explodes.
What makes popcorn pop bigger?
Why It Pops When popcorn is heated, the water inside the kernel tries to expand into steam, but it cannot escape through the seed coat (the popcorn hull or pericarp). The hot oil and steam gelatinizes the starch inside the popcorn kernel, making it softer and more pliable.
How old is the oldest popcorn?
about 5,600 years old
Ranging from smaller than a penny to about 2 inches, the oldest Bat Cave ears are about 5,600 years old. In tombs on the east coast of Peru, researchers have found grains of popcorn perhaps 1,000 years old.
Do all corns pop?
Of all the types of corn, popcorn is the only variety that pops. Inside each kernel of popcorn is a tiny droplet of water surrounded by a hard shell called a hull. As the popcorn is heated, the water turns into steam, which builds pressure inside the kernel. When the hull can no longer contain the pressure — POP!
Who discovered popcorn?
Charles Cretor of Chicago is often credited as the inventor of modern popcorn, thanks to his invention of the mobile popcorn cart in the 1880s.