By Mel Evans and Kevin Fuller

We LOVE making popcorn on the fire! Its an activity and a snack all rolled into one. Not many people DON’T like popcorn and its naturally gluten free, dairy free and (possibly,ahem) sugar free.

Everyone has to work together to collect lots of sticks for a nice ‘flamey’ fire and then try their hand at popping corn in our popcorn ‘machine.’ Lots of conversations can happen in the time it takes the popcorn to pop. What makes the corn explode? Who first discovered popcorn and how? What is the best topping? Does campfire popcorn taste the same as the one we make at home? Before all the questions are answered the popcorn pops and we share in the joy of delayed gratification.

We all often joke that it is an activity that ‘never gets old.’ No matter how many times we do it, the fun is the same as the first time.

Below we share with you how to make your own ‘Popcorn Machine’ and how to make a popcorn cone from a Sycamore leaf. If you want a tasty seasonal topping for your popcorn you could try our Elder Flower Sugar.

The Popcorn Machine

Essentially this is two sieves connected together and attached to a stick. The popcorn kernels are place inside the two sieves and then held over the fire until the popcorn pops.

There are a number of ways to connect them depending on the resources available. Our original popcorn machine was held together with wire, but Kev soon gave this an upgrade using Jubilee Clips and a clamp. The sieves were hinged together at the top with wire.

Another technique is to use a U nails (Gate Staples) to attach the sieves to the stick. Both these methods are depicted below and Kev has made a handy video showing how a popcorn machine is put together.

The Sycamore Leaf Cone

They’re 100% biodegradable and offer another little step in improving our tree I.D, not to mention lots of fun! Sycamore leaves are easy to identify owing to their size and shape. The Woodland Trust offer a full description here.

The method to make the cone is quite simple. You snap off the stalk of the leaf and roll the leaf into a cone shape. You then use the stalk to stitch the cone together and keep the leaf from unraveling.

Fill with popcorn and enjoy!

(Don’t miss Kev’s top tips for Campfire Popcorn below.)