Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Fresh Popcorn?

This is topic Fresh Popcorn? in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Angel Suarez (Member # 2448) on 05-31-2004, 05:14 AM:

The best customer question I got has to be back when I was a concessionist. I was on register and the lady pointed straight at the popper (which was popping popcorn out of it at the time) and ask me if it was fresh? I just turned around and started laughing.

Posted by Chris Medley (Member # 2145) on 05-31-2004, 09:23 AM:

I get that all the time...but you just have to smile and say yes...you gotta remember that most people have no freakin idea what goes on in our industry...but since we are on the subject.. why is it that some theaters pre-pop popcorn a week in advance and not one person complains, but when ours has been sitting out for five minites and a fresh bacth cannot be seen popping out then it is "stale"

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 05-31-2004, 10:25 AM:

quote: Chris Medley
but since we are on the subject.. why is it that some theaters pre-pop popcorn a week in advance and not one person complains, but when ours has been sitting out for five minites and a fresh bacth cannot be seen popping out then it is "stale"

Have you ever noticed that fresh popcorn out of the popper does taste stale until it completely cools? That's probably why...

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 05-31-2004, 12:55 PM:

A cinema I did years ago in Coral Gables ( Miami ) Florida could not install a popper since the city code guys classed it as a fryer device that required a "grease trap" drain on the premises [Roll Eyes]

The client bought the popper, did it at home and brought in the "fresh" product everyday for his warmers.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 05-31-2004, 06:45 PM:

My theater used to allow closing employees to take home what popcorn was left in the bins at the end of each night (minus bin to warm over for refills). But they had to put a stop to that when it ended up on the lawns of the kids' neighbors. [Razz]

Posted by Mike Williams (Member # 1140) on 05-31-2004, 08:23 PM:

quote: Steve Scott
But they had to put a stop to that when it ended up on the lawns of the kids' neighbors.

I wonder if popcorn seed would be worse in somebody's yard... If it is spread at the right time of year and the victim does not mow regularly, I would bet you could have corn growing within a few weeks. [evil]

Posted by Daniel Alt (Member # 2303) on 05-31-2004, 09:00 PM:

Would it still be viable, given that even though it hadn't popped, it had still been through the heat of the popper?

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 06-01-2004, 12:48 AM:

quote: Steve Scott
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But they had to put a stop to that when it ended up on the lawns of the kids' neighbors.

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...fastest way to attract hoards of seagulls... if you have them in your area. They LOVE the stuff!

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 06-01-2004, 02:34 AM:

Now only if the seagulls would pick up the rest of the garbage at the drive-in. OK, they usually do, but only to scatter it about.

Posted by Mike Williams (Member # 1140) on 06-01-2004, 05:28 AM:

quote: Daniel Alt
Would it still be viable, given that even though it hadn't popped, it had still been through the heat of the popper?

I am thinking unpopped seeds that have not been through the popper. When I worked in the theater, we had one of the big 50lb bags of popcorn bust apart when it was being unloaded from the Libertos truck. About 1/3 of its contents went into the grass.
The grass in the parking lot behind the theater never looked the same again. It was much more thick and tough. We all figured it was corn growing.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 06-01-2004, 01:38 PM:

I'll fess up here, as I'll admit I found an "argricultural science project" growing under my ice machine about two weeks ago.

Someone had spilled some un-popped kernels while filling up the popper bin, and they got swept under the ice machine. The water drip from the ice bin drain combined with the warm temps in the building were just enough to let the kernels actually sprout. I swept them out and found some type of root structure had formed itself to the floor and two of the kernels had about a two inch long green leaf on them.

I'm NOT proud of the fact, but I did find it.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-01-2004, 03:42 PM:

Seagulls like popcorn, and so do rodents. One of the job hazards of walking the lot at a rural drive-in. [uhoh]

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-01-2004, 07:48 PM:

A long time ago, in Cape Coral, Florida. We were expanding the old Cobb Coralwood 6 into a ten plex. Someone had thrown their left over popcorn bag over a contruction fence. Keep in mind, this was a very restricted area where no-one was aloud during construction. The bag sat there for months. I do not know how many months went by, but eventually a cornstalk grew straight out of the popcorn bag. When they went to take the fence down, I made it a point to be there. I picked all the ears of corn off the stalk before they cut it down. I took them home, cooked them and had real 'corn on the Cobb'.

true story........