How To Make Caramel Corn

Years ago I started making caramel corn every fall. Sometimes I'd form it into popcorn balls, but most of the time I leave it loose and store it in an air tight container. It is so good and cheap to make. There are different varieties, and it can be baked in an oven to make it more like Cracker Jacks, but I prefer it following the recipe below.

This recipe I took from the Betty Crocker Cookbook we received in 1969. (Ihave doubled this recipe with excellent results)

1 cup popcorn, popped, and in pans large enough to stir in the caramel

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup (for a deeper flavor, you can use dark corn syrup)

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter

Combine sugars, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and salt in a 2 quart saucepan. (I Have found that a non stick pan helps here) Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally until it reaches 260 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Reduce the heat to lowest level and stir in the butter. After the butter has all been stirred in, pour the caramel over the popcorn in a thin stream, and stir the popcorn-caramel mixture until the caramel is evenly distributed over the popcorn. After it has cooled, store it in an air tight container. If you want to make popcorn balls, before the popcorn/caramel mixture has cooled, butter your hands, and form into balls, you choose the size, and let them rest on waxed paper. After the balls have cooled completely, wrap in plastic wrap.