Cooking For Engineers

[Mary]

TV chef Alton Brown makes MW-popcorn by putting popcorn+oil+salt in a brown paper lunch bag, and zapping it as usual. This sounds easy and cheap and fun. But I worry that there might be dangerous chemicals in brown paper lunch bags. Any ideas?

[kgb1001001]

Paper lunch bags are already meant to come in contact with foods, hot or cold. If they contained anything toxic, the FDA would already have sounded the alarm about their intended use. Alton's use is not that far off -- the only difference is that the heat is maintained for a few minutes in the microwave -- they should be perfectly safe.

[Gabrielle]

There is no problem with using the paper bags. I would, however, not use recycled ones.

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies. They gave me courage to try it last night, and it worked great!

[GaryProtein]

I wouldn't use a pastic bag because it would lock the steam in making tough popcorn.

[Guest]

Plus I'd be afraid that plastic would melt, or give off toxic fumes, when heated.

I've settled on paper lunch bags (labeled as such) with the open end folded over twice. I've tried (1) plain popcorn, (2) popcorn with oil, (3) popcorn with oil and salt, (4) plain popcorn in a bag with holes, and (5) popcorn with oil in a bag with holes. (The holes were punched with a standard paper punch).

The lightest, fluffiest was (5). It came out even better than popcorn popped on the stove in a pot with oil.

[GaryProtein]

When you make popcorn on the stove, NEVER cover the pot with anything but a screen type pot cover. A collander upside down covering the pot is also fine. The steam MUST be allowed to escape unimpeded. The steam is what makes popcorn tough.

[LoraA444]

I always use the brown bags for popped corn. Yummy!

[kim]

Check it out here - there is a chemical used to make butter flavoring called diacetyl that releases toxic fumes when heated and has "completely destroyed the lungs" of popcorn factory workers. No one knows if it is dangerous on the consumer level since the FDA won't investigate the issue and the EPA is limiting the release of their information to flavor manufacturers (personally, I don't think they should be allowed to withhold any information - tax dollars fund the studies which I do think should be done, but all information should be made public).

[kim]

as for the paper bag leaching chemicals, i'd imagine unbleached would be better as the aforementioned article suggests. really not sure about potential chemicals in paper or if recycled versus non recycled would be better. haven't come across literature on that yet. you might also consider the glue they use on the paper, though i'd imagine they'd use something as non toxic as elmer's. but you never know.

[pilot guy]

Check it out here - there is a chemical used to make butter flavoring called diacetyl that releases toxic fumes when heated and has "completely destroyed the lungs" of popcorn factory workers. No one knows if it is dangerous on the consumer level since the FDA won't investigate the issue and the EPA is limiting the release of their information to flavor manufacturers (personally, I don't think they should be allowed to withhold any information - tax dollars fund the studies which I do think should be done, but all information should be made public).

Just about any oil that is aerosolized will cause serious lung problems, so I doubt it is just the result of the chemical. Haven't you ever heard of lipoid pneumonia for example.

[IndyRob]

I'm a big fan of AB, and have tried the microwave lunch bag trick. But IMHO, pop your corn in a pan with coconut oil. It's still not healthy, but a far more pleasant way to die .

[JulieB]

Here's another thought for a quick toasted cheese sandwich, to avoid the grill. . .not the same, but less the fat. Toast bread, make cheese sandwich, place in lunch bag, heat very quickly. . .about 2 seconds. Will depend on your microwave. Not like Grama used to make, but it's a warm Office Special alternative in crunch time.

[livinlargeinthesun]

I have never heard of popping popcorn this way. I will definitely have to try it. Thanks!

[Dude111]

Welcome.....

I dont see why they wouldnt be OK..