Also native Iowan.
I always liked the Jolly Time brand. I think it is from somewhere in SW Iowa (I’m from East Coast of Iowa, LOL.)
We also grew our own. Many nights watching television the family all growing callouses on our hands shelling it. We grew the yellow because we preferred it. And, almost as importantly, the kernels are more rounded, thus less painful to shell.
We popped it in an old seasoned pressure cooker bottom with a loose fitting lid. Usually in lard or left-over bacon drippings. Because that pan was so thick it was rare the batch was burned. I wish I had that pan today!
That sounds tasty!
Bacon drippings are perfect for popping corn. I use it when making cookies, too (not very often - have to maintain my chiseled abs, ha ha). I’m not poor, but plowing through 2 sticks of butter or more kind of puts the hurt on the dairy butter supply. A lot of doctors are giving the stink eye to hydrogenated or “seed oils”, too.
Bacon grease - the Healthy Choice!