TikTok Finds This Simple Microwave Popcorn Hack Totally Mind-Blowing

Whether you love popcorn as a low-calorie whole-grain snack or appreciate these bites as a vehicle for rich and creamy goodness, people all over enjoy it. But even if all popcorn lovers can agree it's great, there is a debate about the best way to make popcorn. Whether microwave or stove-top, it's always a goal to have more perfectly popped kernels and fewer unpopped ones.

Also referred to as "Old Maids" or "spinsters," unpopped kernels of corn can feel like they are ruining a good snack. We know we don't really like them, but many of us might not really understand why they don't pop. The answer, according to Amish Country Popcorn, boils down to the water inside the kernel and the outside hull of the corn. The hull must be able to seal water inside, and popcorn kernels must have a moisture level of around 15% inside the shell in order to pop under sufficient pressure. Too little water or too much seepage through the hull, and there won't be enough "oomph" to make popcorn happen.

Of course, managing to eliminate all the unpopped kernels from a bowl might be all the oomph we need to enjoy this snack to the fullest. And that's the reason this microwave popcorn hack from SidneyRaez has gone viral (via TikTok). Like Raez, we wish we'd known this tip before our 30's. 

The trick is simple. Take a bag of popcorn, microwave as directed, then grab the popped bag and notice the slit where steam has escaped. Grab the bag (without burning yourself), turn it slit-side down, and shake all those pesky unpopped kernels into a receptacle like a bowl. Acting much like a strainer, the bag has allowed you to avoid the unpopped kernels (via TikTok).

A number of people seemed to have their minds blown – or at least popped by this revelatory hack. "I showed my 62 year old co worker this n it blew his mind," remarked one commenter. "I feel like I should be paying tuition from how much I learn from you," responded a seemingly impressed viewer. "My man's just making a tutorial for life," declared someone else. Some people even joked that TikTok might teach them they had been breathing incorrectly for their whole lives.

Commentor Purple Nurple was less enthused, however, arguing, "The unpopped kernels fall to the bottom of the bowl anyway, so this is a waste of time."  Some users pointed out that the slit in the bag is to let out air, but that doesn't mean this hack won't work. User Brionna Elizabeth El said they "tried it today and it works, might not be what it's for but it works perfectly lol."