Uncle John's Great Big Bathroom Reader by Bathroom Readers’ Institute Page B
Authors: Bathroom Readers’ Institute
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profit or loss for the theater is the sales of food. Popcorn accounts for 35% of all sales at the “refreshment” stand.
THE POPCORN HERO
Popcorn was still a long way from being an international agribusiness in 1941 when a 34-year-old, Purdue-educated agronomist named Orville Redenbacher decided to make popcorn his life’s work. His axiom was: “Learn one thing, but know it better than anyone else.”
The self-proclaimed “King of Popcorn” began a series of crossbreeding experiments to increase fluffiness. Up to that time, the popped grain was 15 to 20 times the size of the uncooked kernel. Redenbacher’s new strains of popcorn doubled that. They had a volume of 40 times the original kernel.
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Sports note: A healthy pig should be able to run a mile in 7.5 minutes.
----
For the next three decades, Redenbacher continued his pursuit ofthe perfect popcorn kernel. At least five new strains were developed and tested. Finally, in 1960, he announced his ultimate discovery—a new strain he labelled Gourmet Popcorn.
Redenbacher tried to sell it to large food companies, but no one was interested. Finally, he decided to market it himself. He planned to call it Redbow , a combination of his and his partner’s (Bowman) names. But a consulting firm insisted that he use his own name and photo instead.
Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popcorn was first sold at the Marshall Fields Department Store in Chicago. Five years later, it was the leading brand in the U.S.—and popcorn had been reborn as a sophisticated snack.
Redenbacher was so closely identified with popcorn that, when his company was sold to the giant Hunt-Weston conglomerate, they kept his name on the package.
MEANWHILE...
From 1980 to 1990, two consumer products combined to double America’s popcorn consumption: the microwave oven and the VCR. People were starting to watch movies at home. When Pillsbury invented microwave popcorn in 1982, it was suddenly simple to make popcorn part of the experience.
A year later, Redenbacher developed the first “shelf-stable” microwave popcorn. “Pillsbury came out with the first microwave popcorn,” he explained, “but it had to be refrigerated to preserve the fat and everything that’s in there to pop it with. ‘Shelf-stable’ meant we could put it on the shelf for a minimum of seven months [without spoiling].” This shifted popcorn consumption back to where it all started—the home. Today about 90% of retail popcorn sales are microwave popcorn.
POPCORN TRIVIA
• Americans today eat 17.3 billion quarts of popcorn a year. The average American eats about 68 quarts.
• About 70% of all popcorn is prepared and eaten in the home. Most of the remaining 30% is sold at the movies, sports events, etc.
• A popped kernel will form either a “snowflake” shape (popped bigand shaped like an unruly cloud) or “mushroom” shape (popped into a ball).
• Newly harvested popcorn is better than old corn—the water content is higher, which means more of the kernels will pop. One way to preserve moisture content: keep popcorn in the refrigerator, in an airtight container.
----
Who invented the wooden coat hanger? Historians say Thomas Jefferson.
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Nutrition
• According to The Almanac of Food , four cups of air-popped, plain popcorn have only 92 calories, with 1 gram of fat. If oil is used, the calorie and fat content more than doubles.
• Nutritional content: 71% starch and other carbohydrates, 10.5% protein, 3% fat, a sprinkling of vitamins and minerals, and up to 14% water.
Popcorn Weirdness
• Orlando, Florida created the world’s largest box of popcorn on December 17, 1988. A square box, measuring 25 feet on each side, was built at Jones High School. Thousands of citizens showed up, with popcorn and poppers. When the signal was given, the poppers were turned on. Volunteers dumped the popcorn into the box. When the day ended, the box was filled to an average depth of 6.06 feet, and ended up
THE POPCORN HERO
Popcorn was still a long way from being an international agribusiness in 1941 when a 34-year-old, Purdue-educated agronomist named Orville Redenbacher decided to make popcorn his life’s work. His axiom was: “Learn one thing, but know it better than anyone else.”
The self-proclaimed “King of Popcorn” began a series of crossbreeding experiments to increase fluffiness. Up to that time, the popped grain was 15 to 20 times the size of the uncooked kernel. Redenbacher’s new strains of popcorn doubled that. They had a volume of 40 times the original kernel.
----
Sports note: A healthy pig should be able to run a mile in 7.5 minutes.
----
For the next three decades, Redenbacher continued his pursuit ofthe perfect popcorn kernel. At least five new strains were developed and tested. Finally, in 1960, he announced his ultimate discovery—a new strain he labelled Gourmet Popcorn.
Redenbacher tried to sell it to large food companies, but no one was interested. Finally, he decided to market it himself. He planned to call it Redbow , a combination of his and his partner’s (Bowman) names. But a consulting firm insisted that he use his own name and photo instead.
Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popcorn was first sold at the Marshall Fields Department Store in Chicago. Five years later, it was the leading brand in the U.S.—and popcorn had been reborn as a sophisticated snack.
Redenbacher was so closely identified with popcorn that, when his company was sold to the giant Hunt-Weston conglomerate, they kept his name on the package.
MEANWHILE...
From 1980 to 1990, two consumer products combined to double America’s popcorn consumption: the microwave oven and the VCR. People were starting to watch movies at home. When Pillsbury invented microwave popcorn in 1982, it was suddenly simple to make popcorn part of the experience.
A year later, Redenbacher developed the first “shelf-stable” microwave popcorn. “Pillsbury came out with the first microwave popcorn,” he explained, “but it had to be refrigerated to preserve the fat and everything that’s in there to pop it with. ‘Shelf-stable’ meant we could put it on the shelf for a minimum of seven months [without spoiling].” This shifted popcorn consumption back to where it all started—the home. Today about 90% of retail popcorn sales are microwave popcorn.
POPCORN TRIVIA
• Americans today eat 17.3 billion quarts of popcorn a year. The average American eats about 68 quarts.
• About 70% of all popcorn is prepared and eaten in the home. Most of the remaining 30% is sold at the movies, sports events, etc.
• A popped kernel will form either a “snowflake” shape (popped bigand shaped like an unruly cloud) or “mushroom” shape (popped into a ball).
• Newly harvested popcorn is better than old corn—the water content is higher, which means more of the kernels will pop. One way to preserve moisture content: keep popcorn in the refrigerator, in an airtight container.
----
Who invented the wooden coat hanger? Historians say Thomas Jefferson.
----
Nutrition
• According to The Almanac of Food , four cups of air-popped, plain popcorn have only 92 calories, with 1 gram of fat. If oil is used, the calorie and fat content more than doubles.
• Nutritional content: 71% starch and other carbohydrates, 10.5% protein, 3% fat, a sprinkling of vitamins and minerals, and up to 14% water.
Popcorn Weirdness
• Orlando, Florida created the world’s largest box of popcorn on December 17, 1988. A square box, measuring 25 feet on each side, was built at Jones High School. Thousands of citizens showed up, with popcorn and poppers. When the signal was given, the poppers were turned on. Volunteers dumped the popcorn into the box. When the day ended, the box was filled to an average depth of 6.06 feet, and ended up
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