How to make homemade popcorn without an air popper

Did you know you don't need to buy microwave popcorn in order to, you know, make popcorn in a microwave?  Here's how to make homemade popcorn for so much less money, and without having to drag out any extra equipment like an air popper or pans for the stove.

Here's all that you need:

• 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels
• 1/2 tablespoon of oil, if you want
• a paper bag.

Toss the kernels in the bag and fold over the top so the popped corn won't go flying all over the place.  Microwave for a couple of minutes, until there's a second or two pause between the last kernels popping.  Salt or season to taste.  That's it!

I swear I'm not making this up -- it's even listed on Oprah's website.  I guess all the years I assumed thaat bag microwave popcorn came in had some secret, magical popping properties, and really it's just a receptacle for the company's seasoning blend.

I'm going to save so much money now that I know this trick.  You can buy bulk popcorn on sale so cheaply -- Green Fields Market has it on sale for 99 cents per pound through August 31st.

And since that quarter-cup serving is only 2 ounces, you'll be able to make around 8 full bags of popcorn with that 1 lb. you bought, so your cost per bag is around 12 cents each.  Microwave popcorn on sale rarely goes below $1.25 for a box of three bags -- so your cost per bag at best is almost 42 cents a bag.

My family probably goes through a 3-count box of popcorn each week, so I figure I will be saving quite a bit across the course of a year with this little switch.  Plus I'll be cutting down on the waste that comes along with purchasing microwave popcorn, and I'll be able to control the seasoning so it tastes just the way I like it.

Have you ever tried making homemade popcorn in the microwave?  Do you have any great popcorn recipes or seasoning blends to share?  Chime in below in the comments section, or join the conversation over on the San Antonio Budget Grocery Facebook page.