Abbie's Monstrously Good Apricot Popcorn

It is amazing! Whoever thought that apricot popcorn could be so good!  Make this your amazing popcorn.

A long time ago, when we were children. We used to sing in our Sunday School class, “popcorn popping on the apricot tree.” It was a fun song but I never did understand why we sang it at church. Oh, well. This monstrously good apricot popcorn brought back memories of that song. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup unpopped gourmet popcorn kernels
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup white corn syrup (Karo)
1/8 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons Apricot Nectar Flavor
2 drops of Americolor Orange food coloring gel or equal

Yields 14 cups of candy popcorn. This recipe can also be doubled successfully.

Directions
1. Pop the popcorn kernels. Set aside in 2 large bowls.
2. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.
3. Add the corn syrup and water. Stir.
4. Add the sugar. Make sure not to let any sugar stick to the edges of the pan. If one
grain of sugar is left undissolved, it can cause the whole batch to crystallize.
5. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 235-245 degrees.
(Please use a candy thermometer). It is important for the mixture to reach this
temperature, if it doesn’t the candy will not harden properly.
6. Add the baking soda and stir quickly as the mixture begins to bubble. Once
bubbly and frothy, remove the pan from heat.
7. Add the flavor and food coloring until mixed in.
8. Pour over the popped popcorn in both bowls. Fold into the popcorn until evenly
coated.