Recipe: Tin Can Camp Popping Corn

You will need:

An empty can
Bendy wire or some long tongues capable of holding the can in place above the fire
Tin foil
Popping corn
Vegetable oil
Caster sugar
Cinnamon (Sweet)

I’m always looking for fun things to do around the fire with kids in the evening and this tin can popping corn really engages all of the ages as everyone becomes invested in listening for the first and last pop.

Throw some logs into the fire and get to work making your tin can.

Make sure your tin can is empty, clean and dry. Cover the bottom in vegetable oil and put about 1 inch of popping corn in. Place your hand on the top and give it a good shake to make sure that all the corn has a good coating of oil. This will help it pop and the sugar to stick to it. Remember that the popping corn quadruples in size when it pops so if you put any more than an inch and a bit in the can they won’t have space to pop and will just burn or overflow into your fire.

Tear off some tin foil and fold it a few times into a neat square that is about 3/4 layers thick. Use this as a lid for your tin can. Simply place it on top and scrunch the sides to secure it in place.

Wrap your bendy wire around the can to form a handle. Make sure its long enough to hold away from the heat.

Mix some caster sugar and some sweet cinnamon in a bowl and place to one side. Dab your finger in and do a taste test to make sure you have the ratio of sugar to cinnamon to your liking.

Remove the disk on top of the stove and dangle your can in over the flames. Wait for the first pop. When the popping starts to slow remove your can from the fire and using tongs or a parents fingers remove the tin foil lid.

Sprinkle with sugar and eat straight out of the can.

*Beware that some can openers leave rough edges on can when it removes the lid. In this case its better for adults to fill the cans and remove the popcorn into a bowl before eating.