Popcorn is definitely one those simple treats that love. It’s crunchy. It’s salty. It’s (relatively) light. You can make it sweet! It’s versatile and super easy to customize and make it your own. When Kernel Season’s offered to send me some samples of their popcorn seasonings, I was definitely on board and couldn’t wait to try them out.
I picked three flavors from their lineup: BBQ, Milk Chocolate Caramel, and Sour Cream & Onion.
They also sent me samples of their popcorn corn to make homemade popcorn, popcorn spritzer (which is all natural) is some stuff you spray on the popcorn to make the seasonings stick and their flavored oil blend for popping and topping the popcorn.
They also sent me some of their own microwavable popcorn to try.
Jake and I brought the seasonings with us to try on movie theater popcorn when we went to see the new Star Trek back in May.
The only problem I saw with using this stuff on movie theater popcorn is that we ended up putting a ton of the seasoning on since we had trouble making it stick (hence, the spray stuff). Using a ton of the seasoning just makes the popcorn taste way too salty and I didn’t enjoy it so much. Jake and T though enjoyed it far more than I did and thought the BBQ flavored one was the best of the bunch.
As for me, I preferred the sour cream and onion and actually used on more than just popcorn. I sprinkled a little bit on a baked potato for some extra flavor and liked it as that application.
I also tried it with the spray stuff and it was easy enough to apply, though it felt really weird spraying my popcorn. I felt like I was using hairspray or something on it with the strong blast that came out of the can! It’s easy to add too much and it’s better to spray into the sink first to get a feel for it before spraying up your popcorn. A light coating is all you need to make the popcorn stick.
Using the spray makes it easier to apply less seasoning so the flavor was a bit more pronounced.
The milk chocolate caramel flavor gave the popcorn a tiny mint of caramel flavor but mostly it just tasted like sweet kettle corn to me. It was hard to distinguish the actual flavors.
Overall, I don’t think I liked the seasoning method because artificial seasonings on my popcorn tends to upset my stomach. But if you don’t have a queasy stomach like me, then Kernel Seasons line of flavors could really help you spice things up.
I do have to say though that I totally loved Kernel Season’s popping corn to make my own homemade popcorn. The kernels popped up a lot bigger than other brands I’ve used and I was happy to see the fluffier popcorn. It also stayed nice and crispy for quite awhile! I’ve found that other brands might get soft after butter is put on, but not Kernel Season’s. I also preferred the kernels that I made myself rather than the bag of microwaved popcorn, which while good, was not quite as big and fluffy as the kernels I popped on the stove top.
I prefer my popcorn very simple: made at home over the stove top with coconut oil, a drizzle of pure melted butter, and a few shakes of grey salt. I’m a simple girl with simple popcorn needs, but I can tell you I’d buy these kernels again in a heartbeat!
Kernel Season’s products are available in the snack/popcorn aisle at most grocery stores. You can also purchase their seasonings, popping corn, oils and other popcorn products on their website.
Disclaimer: I received complimentary samples of Kernel Season’s products. I was not further compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve always wondered about gourmet versions of unpopped popcorn and wondered if they were worth the extra cost. It seems like popcorn kernels are the same across the board. But you make a good point about some being able to hold butter better than others. I have yet to try homemade version popped with coconut oil.
I’ve used the Trader Joe’s brand, the Wal-Mart brand, and Orville’s and I really liked Kernel Season’s brand a lot. I liked how crispy the popcorn stayed like I said, it did make a difference! Coconut oil is now my go-to for the oil used. I used the virgin coconut oil from TJ. It makes the popcorn smell like coconut but doesn’t really have the taste. I’ve used canola and olive oil, too, but preferred the flavor from coconut oil. It’s subtle! But tasty.
the jalapeno cheese is really strong, when you put the popcorn to your mouth, you better not breathe , it will make you cough, due to the jalapeno . this is not a good feature, maybe it needs to be added after you put some spray or something, not my favorite. just an fyi