Old-Fashioned Soft Candy Popcorn Balls

First, pop your popcorn. If you're popping it on the stove (my preferred method), heat a small amount of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the popcorn kernels and cover with a lid. Shake the pot occasionally to prevent kernels from burning. Remember, only lift the lid when popping slows down to prevent the popcorn from overflowing.

Once your popcorn is ready, transfer it to a large mixing bowl, ensuring to remove any unpopped kernels. I find it helpful to put a large bowl upside down over the pot and flip both so the popped popcorn falls into the bowl. Then, I shake it a little to let the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, honey, water, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Bring to a boil and let simmer until the mixture reaches the hard ball stage (260°F on a candy thermometer). This is important, under-cooked syrup may result in chewy, sticky popcorn balls, while overcooked syrup might make them too hard.

Remove the pot from the heat and mix in the butter and vanilla extract.

Pour the syrup over the popcorn, mixing to coat each piece. Evenly distribute any added mix-ins now.

When the popcorn is cool enough to handle, lightly butter your hands, and shape the popcorn into balls. Pack the popcorn tightly so the balls hold their shape.

Let popcorn balls cool completely on a piece of parchment paper before serving. I've found it useful to twist each ball in a small piece of plastic wrap to make holding and eating easier, especially for the kids.