"I am pleased that with Ja! Natürlich popcorn, we can now offer fans of organic food a new snack of the highest regional organic quality from the Weinviertel region of Lower Austria. Many of us associate the smell of freshly made popcorn with memories of relaxing evenings at the cinema. Since we are currently denied this pleasure, Ja! Natürlich is now stepping in and offering popcorn that can be made at home in the highest organic quality," says Ja! Natürlich Head Klaudia Atzmüller introduces the new product on the snacks shelf.
Grains from two and a half to three organic corn cobs from the Weinviertel per package
The Ja! Natürlich organic popcorn is grown according to the highest organic standards and without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides in Lower Austria's Weinviertel region. With the highest production standards, which substantially exceed the minimum standard and consider relevant aspects of climate protection, Ja! Natürlich has been making an important contribution to people, nature, animals and the environment with its partners in domestic organic farming for more than 27 years. For every 250-gram pack of Ja! Natürlich popcorn, only the best kernels from two and a half to three organic corn cobs are used. Special corn varieties are needed to turn the grains into popcorn. For the Ja! Natürlich popcorn, the organic corn variety "Pop15" is used. It is grown in the same way as conventional corn, but the yield is slightly lower. The Ja! Natürlich popcorn is harvested in autumn, when the organic corn kernels have reached their ripe, hard husk.
14 to 14.5 percent residual moisture after drying is expressly desired
After the organic corn cobs have been harvested in the field, the so-called husking takes place. During this process, all leaves are removed from the cobs to ensure the highest quality of the remaining cobs during the subsequent selection. Afterwards, the organic corn cobs are dried, taking care to retain 14 to 14.5 percent of the residual moisture in the grain. This is necessary to trigger the "pop process" later on. After drying, a rebel machine detaches the grains from the cobs. They are then cleaned. Before filling, the cleaned grain is fed to the calibration. Here, sieves sort the organic corn according to size and shape.
