Colby’s Kettle Corn

Kettle Corn and I haven’t had a very long relationship. I think I had my first taste only a couple years ago. Until then the only sweetness that I ever really had on popcorn came in a small box, was sort of a sticky mess and includes a little toy surprise. When I took that first ever bite of Kettle Corn the sweet and salty mix did a lovely waltz in my mouth and I would never be the same again.

Kettle Corn of course is best when it’s hot out of the kettle at our local Wednesday Night Market in Sonoma County. During the winter when it wasn’t available I would try different products sold in the package at the store. I’d soon discover that many of them were too sweet, or too salty, some lacked flavor, some of the popcorn had the consistency of brittle cardboard and yet others were simply wrong in every way possible. I’ll admit, I felt a little defeated. Like the painful wait for delicious pomegranates in the fall, I’d have to delay my first Kettle Corn taste until spring every year when the Farmer’s Market opened.

When I spotted Colby’s Kettle Corn in Oliver’s Market yesterday and I read the words Gluten Free on the bag, I knew that I had to try some despite my previous packaged kettle corn failures. I bought a bag and had it opened and was nibbling my first bite before I reached my car in the parking lot.

My immediate impression was the size of the popcorn, it was normal and not unnaturally over-sized like some bagged popcorn. It was as if it was authentic. Next I noticed the flavor. It was a perfect meld of the sugar and salt. It tasted so different than anything that I had ever tried before.

With a little digging around on their website, I discovered that they make all of their Salty Sweet Addiction in an actual kettle. They also use Real Salt which comes from an ancient sea bed in Utah. It contains 60 plus trace minerals.

Let’s see…..so they take corn, Real Salt, sugar and make it in a kettle? This is why it’s the best tasting Kettle Corn that I have ever tasted. There are also actual grains of salt and sugar on the popcorn which I think is a huge wow factor as well as that lovely natural caramelized effect that occurs with Kettle Corn. The only thing really missing was the warmth of it coming fresh out of a kettle.

The solution: gently warm the Kettle Corn for a couple minutes in a large pot on the stove top. Perfect.

Colby’s Kettle Corn is:

• Gluten Free
• Dairy Free
• No Transfat
• No Preservatives
• No Cholesterol
• Low Sodium
• Vegetarian Friendly
• Good Source of Fiber
• Good Source of Antioxidants

The ingredients are simply: Popcorn, Corn Oil, Sugar and Sea Salt. What more do you really need?

If you can’t find it at your local grocery store you can order from them directly. You can follow them on Facebook here.

Now I need to get my hands on their Chili Cheese Obsession.

Turquoise Bowl in the second photo is a vintage Vernonware Metlox dish.