# Does air-popped popcorn always taste so stale?



## emelsea (Jun 21, 2005)

I used a brand new container of Orville Redenbacher, but this stuff has that stuck-in-your-teeth stale taste.

Is that just the way air-popped tastes? (And if it is, why do people rave about it?)


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

That doesn't sound right to me. I usually buy a bag of (generic) kernals and use an air popper and it tastes fresh and yummy. I do add melted butter and a bit of sea salt, though.


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## Kismet_fw (Aug 7, 2009)

The Redenbacher label might have a phone number on it you can call to say how bad it was for you, they might want you to give them some batch info from the package. Or since it's a ConAgra product, you might try their site:

http://www.conagrafoods.com/utilitie...ookietest=true

Many companies will send coupons to replace a stale or damaged food so that you can taste it as fresh as it should be.


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## Chicky2 (May 29, 2002)

Mine sure doesn't taste stale. It doesn't taste like microwave popcorn, for sure. I think it tastes like popcorn, instead of chemically/fake oily, etc.


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## emelsea (Jun 21, 2005)

Hmmm...it must be the popcorn, then. This stuff is very stale, and not crunchy at all.

I just checked and the bottle says "use by Aug 8 2010", so it _should_ be fresh, right?


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## Chicky2 (May 29, 2002)

Should still be fresh. I'd call the company and tell them it tastes awful.


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## JessicaS (Nov 18, 2001)

I put butter and salt on mine too.


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## mommy2maya (Jun 7, 2003)

every time I make air popped popcorn it is chewy too, no matter teh kernels I use. When I pop in oil on the stove, crisp popcorn every time.


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## Sol_y_Paz (Feb 6, 2009)

That same brand was stale here. We only tried it once (one whole jar!)
I don't know if it was just the jar or what, but we no longer buy it.


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## EMS (Dec 9, 2006)

It shouldn't taste stale, but it is different than corn popped in oil. (Which I prefer, but it always burns the pot.)
I add olive oil and salt after popping in the air popper, which does help.


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## jpamama (Sep 23, 2008)

I used to always buy this brand until recently when we went through 2 jars that had the same taste as you are describing and no this is not normal air popped taste in my opinion and I made air popped popcorn ALOT







I have now switched to the more generic brand and it seems to be better. Air popped popcorn should taste yummy and crunchy I think.


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## nhplantlady (Jun 3, 2007)

Ever use brewer's yeast and/or SPIKE on your popcorn? Mix it with melted butter and it tastes like cheese popcorn and gives it a bit more nutritional value.


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## treemom2 (Oct 1, 2003)

I think air popped popcorn tastes stale. If you want to check your popcorn for freshness, you could pop some on the stove. . .you might just not like air popped.

(we eat a lot of popcorn in our house, our favs are: popcorn cooked in coconut oil then melted butter, cinnamon, sugar or melted butter, celtic sea salt, and nutritional yeast---yummy!)


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## ribbonaire (Sep 9, 2013)

Yes but...the term taste is one thing, but the consistency in your mouth is another.

Air popped popcorn takes out moisture and is ALWAYS chewy in consistency - exactly like stale popcorn. So it doesn't really "taste" stale, but chews like it.

Which is why no one likes those things. Too bad - the popcorn "looks" great! It's easy. No oil.

But that damn chewy taste. Dealbreaker.


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