547140 Sat Aug 09 16:19:14 -0700 2008 8 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3943815 Cruising the aisles at our local Safeway, I espied that institution from my youth: Jiffy Pop stovetop popcorn. Thought I'd bring home the wired-handled wonder to impress the kids until I read the ingredients: hydrogenated oils out the wing-wang! Yikes! Is that what coursed through my veins back in the 60's and 70's? Is a Johns Hopkins quadruple bypass in my near future? Could be, but couldn't the suits at ConAgra do a more contemporary and healthy version, or is the current HVO scare overblown by the media and those who stand to profit from the expeller-pressed oils industry? Back to my Haffenreffer tallboy already! Sat Aug 09 16:19:15 -0700 2008 145213 Montebello 1 3943875 I wonder if ConAgra has tried to reformulate it but found that healthier ingredients didn't work as well? Yup...we all ate that stuff as kids and somehow survived :) One thing that always bothered me about Jiffy Pop---it always popped better in the commercials than it did at home... Sat Aug 09 17:05:09 -0700 2008 3943815 14984 MizYellowRose 1 3943886 That's what makes it taste good when you're a kid. You survived, and your kids will, too. <g> Sat Aug 09 17:13:52 -0700 2008 3943815 10624 MikeR 1 3943971 If you eat processed and/or packaged convenience foods, there's gonna be some things in there that might sound scary. Even if they're "all natural" or "organic" versions of additives. The food processors have to use them to make the food shelf-stable and to keep it decent looking. Try to keep it in perspective. There's a tablespoon or two max and a lot gets left in the Jiffy Pop foil popper. You split it several ways so your share isn't a lot. How often are you going to eat Jiffy Pop? There's hardly enough to "course through your veins." An occasional Twinkie, Slim Jim, or other chemical bomb isn't going to kill anybody or fill the Cardiac ICU at the local hospital. It's State Fair season. It would be un-American to skip funnel cakes, fried Coke, pork-chop-on-a-stick, fried Twinkies, corn dogs, and cotton candy. Eat a good healthy diet on a regular basis and enjoy the fun every now and then. Don't make a habit of it. Sat Aug 09 18:30:32 -0700 2008 3943815 32444 MakingSense 2 3945273 The consensus seems to be 'moderation', which is correct and something my Mom always harped on. I just may go back and get that Jiffy Pop and amaze the kids. But I must ask MakingSense, what is fried Coke? Have you had it? I'm intrigued. Sun Aug 10 14:01:51 -0700 2008 3943971 145213 Montebello 3 3945358 Ditto, Whats a fried coke? BTW being in my 40s, I can be somewhat removed from current popular culture. That said, I was surprised to hear what a 'Jiffy Pop' can be interpretesd as... Sun Aug 10 14:50:16 -0700 2008 3945273 176627 porker 3 3945635 From Wiki: "Fried Coke is frozen Coca-Cola-flavored batter which is deep-fried and then topped with Coca-Cola syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and a cherry. It was introduced by inventor Abel Gonzales, Jr., at the 2006 State Fair of Texas, where it won the title of "Most Creative" in the second annual judged competition among food vendors. It proved very popular in Texas, selling 10,000 cups in the first two weeks, and is now being adopted as a snack by fairs in North Carolina as well as Arizona. It is also very popular in California." Sun Aug 10 17:15:25 -0700 2008 3945273 32444 MakingSense 1 3943978 I have also thought about introducing the teens to this wonder and delight of my youth. No idea if formulas have changed, but this stuff is puffy, so the ratio of crud to corn is probably low. My fear is that they will think I am a loon to be so easily amused by such a simple thing- these kids are used to pyrotechnic style excitement! I may pick one up for myself personally just as a treat. Sat Aug 09 18:39:03 -0700 2008 3943815 17682 torty 1 3944310 The best thing I've seen with Jiffy-Pop is Johnny Storm, AKA "The Human Torch", popping it while holding it in his palm in the first Fantastic Four movie! Sat Aug 09 23:42:34 -0700 2008 3943815 95291 Richard 16