Product Review: Mini Pops Popped Sorghum

 Okay, so I have finally found a product that is as good as sliced bread!  Okay, not really apples to apples, but how about this.  I finally found a product that is as good as popcorn, but NOT corn!!!

Recently I asked people on Facebook if they knew of a good alternative to popcorn as my son used to eat popcorn like a champ (until, of course, we found out he was allergic to it).  One of our readers was super awesome enough to point me toward Mini Pops Popped Sorghum as an alternative.  So, desperate to find my son some alternatives that would work to replace the few snack foods he'd eat, I ordered some online.  And so, today, trying to get my sick kiddo to eat something resembling food, I popped some.

The website proclaims that you can make the Mini Pops the EXACT same way you'd prepare popcorn, but to keep your batches small because the less amount you make the more the sorghum will pop (although, unlike popcorn you can eat the un-popped kernels and they won't break your teeth).  So, I prepared it exactly like I would home make popcorn (since I ordered the "home pop" mini pops).

It took me a couple of tries to get this right.  The "kernels" (as I'm calling them) are smaller then popcorn kernals and are a lot less hard, so it doesn't take as long to pop them, for one, and for two the sound of the popping is a LOT softer, so you have to sort of stick yourself to your microwave to make sure you don't burn the sorghum.  I burned about 2 batches before I got it right. 

Finally I was rewarded with this.

Ain't it cute?  It's mini "popcorn"!!!

For the 1/4 cup of "kernels" I popped this is how much popped sorghum I ended up with.  Now normally in popcorn terms 1/4 cup of popcorn would have filled the entire bowl with popcorn, as a comparison. 

But, here's the exciting part.  This stuff LOOKS like popcorn, albeit mini popcorn (yes with my son that is an important point of interest). 

And the most important part?  The sorghum TASTES like popcorn!  I kid you not!  I brought it to the kids and told my daughter it was "mini popcorn" and she proclaimed it "cute" and proceeded to eat it like a champ and my son, my "I will eat nothing new that you present before me" son took a kernel and popped it in his mouth.  And he, get this, went back for MORE!!!  Now just to show that I did NOTHING to the sorghum all I popped it in was a bit of home made popcorn salt (kosher salt put through a coffee grinder) and some olive oil and once it was out of the microwave I added a tiny bit more salt.  That's it! 

I've so far made another 1/4 cup batch of this as the kids devoured the first batch, but the nice thing about this stuff too is that you don't need to eat as much as with popcorn to feel full.  I LOVE the taste of popcorn and I've found light snacking on this gets the job done for me in the "feeling full" department.  And it's good for you!

And, can I admit, that I was super duper mega excited to find that their white cheddar cheese sorghum contains cheese powder that is JUST cheese powder and doesn't contain garlic (my son LOVED cheese flavored snacks before the garlic allergy :)!!!!  I put in an order for 3 bags of that along with another 3 lb bag of the home popping sorghum (to go with the 2 lbs I already have) to make sure I'm all stocked up for a little bit :).

I am so very delighted with this product that I just HAD to share.  Finding an alternative to popcorn, a gluten and corn free alternative that TASTES good, and an alternative that also sold a cheddar cheese "popcorn" that didn't contain garlic just put me over the MOON today!

So, yeah, if you are looking for a good alternative to popcorn due to allergies or intolerances, I'd DEFINITELY recommend this product!

Enjoy!