A Snowy Day is Good for Popcorn!

Today it is snowing!  Yes, I said snow.  We don't need any more rain or snow during this harvest time!

It is snowing today at Two Squaw Lake

So I thought I would process the popcorn that we have been drying in the basement.   Harold built a large screened box and we put a fan underneath to dry the popcorn.   We've had the fan running 24/7 for about 2 weeks and the popcorn is ready to put through the sheller.  The basement is nice and warm, too, because we've had the heat on for about a month now. (We have radiant floor heat).

I'm putting the popcorn ears through the hand-cranked corn sheller.  I put a sheet on the floor to catch stray kernels.  The kernels that fall outside of the sheet into the corners of the kitchen become bird and squirrel food.  Sometimes the kernels have a mind of their own and fly everywhere!

The shelled ears become compost.

I've only done 2 buckets of popcorn ears, and have already filled up about 1/3 of the tub.  I have about 4 or 5 buckets to go yet.   We won't have as much popcorn as last year, but it will still be a goodly amount.  It was a bad summer for growing things - too much rain, early frost, and the hailstorm last month.

The next step in the popcorn process is to dry the kernels further in trays until they are ready to pop.   We "test pop" small batches until most of the kernels pop well.  Then we know it is about the right moisture.   I then put the kernels in wide mouth glass canning jars to store.   In the early spring when our market booth begins again, we will have popcorn to sell. 
     Now...........back to cranking out those ears!.................