(With Permission of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.)
Out of the more than twenty varieties of pop-corn you are advised to use White Rice, as that makes the largest popped kernel compared to the size of the raw kernel, and it is the most common commercial pop-corn.
As it is the expanding of the moisture in pop-corn by turning into steam that explodes and cooks the grain, it is necessary to have the right quantity of moisture, about twelve per cent., and to have that moisture evenly distributed throughout the kernel, and the kernel otherwise in fit condition for popping.
Some of the things that spoil the popping quality of corn are:
Seed from which the crop is raised not being acclimated to the locality in which it is planted.
Other kinds of corn growing near the pop-corn.
Picking before the pop-corn has fully ripened, or picking after the coming of frost.
Not sufficient ventilation while curing.
Too much drying out; shelled corn dries out faster than corn on the cob.
Shelling the corn too long before popping.