by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
It could take years of experience to become a master popper of kettle corn, and some can never perfect a batch of the salty yet sweet popcorn, according to Susan Neal, who owns Neal’s Kettle Corn.
But for Neal, the two-day training course to become a certified popper has led to selling kettle corn across the nation, world, at festivals and at the Hemming Plaza Farmers’ Market for more than three years. Neal is also the longest existing vendor at the Market where she started with a hot dog stand, but switched to popcorn three years ago. She currently sells kettle corn two days a week and spends five days as a realtor, which she has done for 22 years.
“It (kettle corn business) is really phenomenal,” said Neal. “In two days we’ve just about sold out every time.”
In addition to kettle corn, Neal sells tea, boiled peanuts and cotton candy. Two of Neal’s three sons are also master poppers, which takes a keen sense of hearing and smelling the corn to correctly produce a good batch in her 80-quart stainless steel kettle, said Neal.
“Some people can never do it right,” she said. “But the real question is — can you handle a big festival and be cooking three to four hours straight on? Then, you’re a master popper.”