One of the upsides of the budget crunch is that the temptation to buy junk foods is greatly diminished when the cost/benefit ratio is factored in. This is especially true of potato chips and popcorn. However, I miss those snacks and from time to time feel a powerful desire to munch.
The colorful bags of popcorn and chips in the store are very enticing, but very dear. Typically they go for $2 or more for a 6 oz. package. Top grade steak is in that price range, and is both tastier and more nutritious. So, reluctantly, I pass those by. However, the basic ingredients, potatoes, popcorn kernels, salt and oil are still very affordable. In fact, I can grow or make all three of those at home.
The main ingredient, potatoes can be bought for $1 a pound, or even half that for seed potatoes (in season) at the garden store. Popcorn is even cheaper by the pound for kernels, and you can grow more from a handful of uncooked kernels, roughly $2 per lb. Oil can be bought for about $3 for 32 oz. Salt is cheap, about $1 for 26 oz. and if you are desperate, can be obtained from wood ashes by filtration.
Popcorn is easy to make. Just heat up about 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium high on the stove, add about 1/4 cup popcorn kernels, cover and gently shakes until the kernels stop popping - about 3-5 minutes. Shake salt and other seasonings (I like grated Parmesan cheese, rosemary and melted butter or olive oil on mine) on the popped kernels and serve. Since salt as it comes from the store is too coarse to stick well to the popcorn, I put it in the spice (or coffee) grinder until it resembles confectioner's sugar. That seems to work better.
Potato chips are a little trickier. I grew up when the brand Wise potato chips dominated the market that has since succumbed (at least locally) to Lays and various corn chip makers. They have their following, but for me, Wise was the standard chip and remains my favorite.
To make something like the Wise chip, heat a quality vegetable oil at medium heat on the stove. Peel and slice whole red potatoes about 3/32 in thick, as uniformly as reasonably possible. If available, put the slices in a wire basket that will fit in the pot of oil. Otherwise, carefully toss the slices by hand into the hot oil. The slices should boil vigorously as the moisture in the potato turns to steam. Watch them carefully and periodically (about every 1-2 minutes) pull out a sample chip. When they are crisp and lightly browned at the edges, remove and place on paper towel. Sort through them and toss back any that are still soft or very white. Remove and discard any burnt ones (eating them is OK). When cool enough to handle, place in a brown paper bag with plenty of salt (about 1 tablespoon for a lunch bag sized batch) and shack vigorously but gently (to distribute the salt evenly without smashing the chips.) A metal spatula or spaghetti spoon is handy for removing the chips from the oil (don't use plastic for obvious reasons).
Once you have made chips, it's a small step to making fries. I can't believe the fast food restaurants that charge $1 or more for a little 2 oz. bag of hot French fries. I used to enjoy buying them from little kiosks in Europe on winter days for as little as $0.10 a bag. It was such a treat to enjoy the fresh, hot, salty snacks with snow swirling around my face as I bit through the crisp exterior to the creamy inside that steamed gently in the cold air. They were wrapped in cleverly folded pieces of newspaper and thickly cut compared to McD's famous spuds. But they were delicious! Making my own brings back those pleasant memories. I figure a serving of fries take one 8 ox. potato, about 2 tbls of oil and about 2 grams of salt. That's less than $0.65 per serving. I've heard that a secret to McD's famous fries is beef tallow. I've experimented with a variety of tallows, including beef, pork and venison. Plain oil suits me just fine and there are no finer potatoes than what you can grow yourself!.
It's great to enjoy a treat like these now and then and some real satisfaction comes from knowing you grew it yourself and the profits stay local!
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