Microwaves are really good at heating water. Dry things don’t heat very well compared to wet things.
When you start microwaving a bag of popcorn, almost all the moisture is inside the kernels, and so they absorb the microwaves and kernels begin to heat up. A kernel pops and becomes popcorn.
Microwaves continue to be absorbed by the kernels full of moisture. The dry popcorn is largely unaffected. Kernels continue to pop.
Eventually there are almost no kernels left, they have all popped into popcorn. Their moisture was effectively protecting the popcorn by sucking up all the microwaves, but now there are almost no kernels full of moisture to suck up the microwaves, and instead the popcorn is sitting in a cloud of super-heated vapor. The popcorn begins to burn
Just wanted to add that a bag of microwave popcorn actually has a metal layer in the bag. That is why it says to only put it a ceran way.
The metal layer getting really hot helps the popcorn pop.
After a certain amount of time the metal layer actually gets so hot it will burn the popcorn or maybe even start a fire.
If ever notice, a bag that only got a tiny bit burned, the burned popcorn is from the side of the bag that was down.
It wouldn’t happen if you just put a spoon popcorn kernels in the microwave.
Once they pop they don’t really absorb any more energy from the microwave.
They only burn if there is a hot metal layer underneath them.
Why do they do that?
Well it helps transfer heat and helps it pop up really fast.
The downside is you might make your entire house stink really bad if you cook it too long.
I recommend hot air poppers, or if you like to cook,. Do it the old way
Coconut oil is awesome, any oil works.
Do the 2 spoons of oil and a 1/4 cup of popcorn into a pot with a lid.
Takes 5 minutes, way more tasty.
I like olive oil and sea salt and some black pepper.
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