How To Butter Popcorn w/o It Wilting?

Is there a way to put butter on popcorn without having the popcorn wilt? It doesn't seen to happen at the movie theatre when that fake butter is poured on, so why does it happen at home?

Thanks!

[Pete]

There are a couple of things you can do to help keep your popcorn from getting too soggy, but it will always be a little soggy. Movie theaters don't use butter. They use a butter-flavored oil. That is why it doesn't sog out the popcorn. That said, when you melt your butter allow it to cook for awhile over low heat then let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. Slowly pour off the oil that is on top. At the bottom while be the butter solids and water. Throw this out as that is what is making your popcorn soggy. Of course you will lose some flavor. The other way to do it is to very slowly add the butter in stages, mixing well between each addition. Finally, the last solution is to skip the butter altogether. When I was a kid my parents used to use bacon fat in our popcorn popper (and old fashioned on-top-of-the-stove type). It gives the popcorn lots of flavor and all you need to add is salt.

Its true about the bacon fat. Except I use an ample amount of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan. The oil is the cooking medium and it clings to the kernels giving it just enough flavor and also stickiness to have the salt stick. Yumm

[Katherine]

Popcorn gets soggy after you butter it because of the water content of the butter. I put hot air popped popcorn into a roasting pan, butter and salt it, then put it in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes to dry it out. We can take leftovers to lunch the next day in a plastic bag, too.