How to Make Kettle Corn Without a Kettle

If you're like us at Food52, you look to the seasons for what to cook. Get to the market, and we'll show you what to do with your haul.

Today: The snack everyone wants to eat this time of year -- and how to do it with only 4 ingredients and no special equipment.

How to Make Kettle Corn from Food52
How to Make Kettle Corn from Food52

Kettle corn is a multigenerational food, much like peanut butter and chicken fingers. (Before you disagree with me about the latter, try to tell me you wouldn't eat these

>>RELATED: How to Make Any Caramel Corn in 5 Steps

It's a food you can make with your kids, for them -- on top of them, if you're Nicholas Day. You can also make it all for your adult self. You can pile it high in a big bowl and nestle it in your lap and drink a beer with it and be happy, and if you're doing everything correctly, a little high from sugar. Isn't it the time of year for that, anyway?

You can give it to your kids before, during, or after they trick-or-treat tomorrow. Or you can eat it huddled in the dark, lights-off, curtains closed, anxiously hopeful that the little bumble bees and ghosts walking around outside the window don't come to your door. Everyone likes kettle corn.

How to Make Kettle Corn from Food52
How to Make Kettle Corn from Food52

If you do not have these ingredients in your pantry already, you will get them. You will heat a slick of oil in a large pan (overachievers, put your kettles away -- you do not need them), and when it's nice and hot, you'll dump in your kernels. Tip your sugar in. Convince yourself that those bumble bees and ghosts outside your window are likely consuming at least double this much sugar. Continue popping.

In a very important, split second, you'll realize you've just made the plebeian version of caramel corn: as each kernel popped, its sugar caramelized into a light, nutty brown, coating the crown of each not unlike a sugary Ancient Roman commoner pielus. And instead of being hands on and worrying about wet caramels and candy thermometers, you're cool, calm, casual. Take another sip of beer.

I bet you're wondering where the seasonal ingredients are, and why, if I wanted to give you nostalgia-inducing seasonal fair food, I didn't just give you caramel apples. To which I will say that yes, you're right -- I'm mean. Here are your caramel apples. Go pop this now, and you'll forgive me.

Kettle Corn

Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup neutral oil (like vegetable)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot. Add 3 popcorn kernels and cover. When these pop, dump in the rest of the kernels and the sugar, and stir to coat.

2. Cover the pot, and shake it frequently until the popping becomes much less frequent. The minute you hear that, take it off the heat so as not to burn.

3. Turn the kettle corn out onto a parchment-lined tray for the sugar to dry -- and before it does, sprinkle generously with salt.

Save and print the full recipe on Food52

This article originally appeared on Food52.com: How to Make Kettle Corn Minus the Kettle

Photos by Eric Moran