Unique and fun, Strawberry Popcorn produces glorious little cobs packed with bright ruby-red kernels. Each plant can produce several of these richly coloured cobs. They’re very attractive and you could use them ornamentally, but then you would miss out on the popcorn or funky cornmeal you could be eating!
Sow: start indoors from late March to May in pots of damp compost, sowing 2-3cm deep. ait until the risk of frost has passed and ideally until the soil has warmed to around 15°C before hardening off and planting out from late May into early June. Cloches can help warm the soil beforehand. You can also sow directly outside in late May, preferably under cloches.
Grow: space plants 20-30cm apart. Now corn is wind pollinated, but in a small garden you can cheat! Pick a tassel from the top of one plant and gently brush it over the silks of another. Repeat every few days, using tassels from different plants. When the silks start to change colour you'll know pollination has taken place.
Keep plants watered during dry spells. Popcorn needs a long growing season, so expect to harvest around mid-September into October. Ideally, leave the cobs until the husks have become papery and brown.
Now comes the important bit: popcorn needs to dry properly before it will pop. If necessary, cut the cobs and hang them upside down in a cool, dry, airy place to finish drying. Peel back any leaves, sheath or silks covering the kernels and give them about two weeks. If you can still dent a kernel with your fingernail, it needs longer. Once dry, remove the kernels by hand, spread them out for another couple of days and then store in an airtight container. There is a bit of trial and error involved: too much moisture and they won't pop well; too little and the popped kernels may be disappointingly small. Good luck and happy popping!
Enjoy: so what next? Get popping! We use a heavy-based saucepan with a lid and a little suitable oil or ghee, giving the pan a shake as the kernels pop. Add melted butter afterwards if that's your thing.
I like sweet and salty, but you might prefer finely grated Parmesan with garlic powder, or brown sugar and cinnamon for something sweeter. Whatever you choose, finely ground seasonings will cling to the popcorn better.
You can also grind the dried kernels down to make your own cornmeal. That's those beautiful red cobs earning their keep twice over!
💡 Did you know?
Sweetcorn doesn't pop properly because its kernel structure is different. That's the one to enjoy tender and fresh from the plant.
Popcorn belongs to the flint corn group. Its kernels have a hard outer shell surrounding dense starch with a little moisture trapped inside. Heat that kernel and the moisture turns to steam. The pressure builds until eventually... POP!
Save
