The Spray Bottle Solution For Maximum Popcorn Butter Coverage

Popcorn is marketed as a delicious snack that is easy to make and good for you. But it takes a little more than tossing a paper bag into the microwave and waiting for the popping to slow to get the results you crave. In fact, there is an art to not only making this irresistible treat, but to achieving maximum flavor and butter saturation as well.

Pouring a serving of melted butter atop your fluffy kernels might seem like the best approach, but it really doesn't accomplish the task very well. Inevitably, you will wind up with some areas that are over-saturated, along with sections that are unappealingly dry. There is a better way to achieve uniform butter distribution, and once you master the process, you'll never go back to the melt-and-dump method.

The solution is to use a spray bottle to apply your melted butter. However, since butter thickens as it cools, it may clog the nozzle. To keep that from happening, you need to add a little neutral oil. According to Kitchn, grapeseed or avocado oil are two excellent options, and a good ratio for a single bag of popcorn is to mix 2 teaspoons of your favorite neutral oil in with every 2 tablespoons of melted butter. This should keep things spritzing smoothly.

The primary concern with adding melted butter to popcorn is spreading the flavor evenly throughout the entire bowl. Luckily, when you use a spray bottle, there are two simple fixes for that. The first is to add the popcorn and spray in alternating layers until your bowl is filled with uniformly flavored popcorn. The second is to keep the melted butter bottle by your side and spray as you snack. 

If you want a little more zing, sprinkle in a pinch of your favorite seasoning as needed, and the butter will help it stick to the popcorn. Love spices? Shake on some curry powder or jerk seasoning whenever you spray the butter to get a full and consistent flavor. For a more unconventional option that adds a little sweet to your salty, consider tossing in some chocolate chips. Or, better yet, you can crush up a few Oreos and a white chocolate candy bar and mix them into your bowl to create cookies and cream popcorn. If this is getting your gears turning, there are a whole lot more things to add to your popcorn that aren't butter.