In Search of the Holy Grail of Popcorn Breeders

If you have ever wondered why some popcorn kernels don’t pop, researchers at Purdue University in Indiana have an answer. In order for popcorn to pop, the pressure of steam inside the grain has to hit 135 pounds per square inch to burst the pericarp (the outer hull of the grain). In the final moments of heating, chemical changes occur in the pericarp to strenthen it, so that it can hold in sufficient steam to build up the pressure. Kernels with weak pericarps don't build up enough pressure to pop.

The research will help breeders target pericarp strength for better popping and brings them one step closer to the Holy Grail of popcorn breeding — a popcorn where the pericarp disappears, leaving only the fluffy white treats.

Links:

• Science explodes with discovery of why popcorn pops from USA Today


• Popcorn interesting facts from the Popcorn Board, a non-profit organization funded by U.S. popcorn processors

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:32 PM on June 14, 2005