• Prepare a very large bowl with the pre-popped popcorn in it. Preheat an oven to 225°F (107°C).
• In a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot, combine the sugar, corn syrup, molasses, butter, and 1 tsp salt. Heat over medium-high heat until combined. 
• Bring mixture to a boil. Boil while checking the temperature from time to time with the Thermapen until the temperature reaches 250°F (121°C) (subtract 1°F (0.56°C) for every 500 ft elevation where you are making the caramel). 
• Remove the caramel from heat and stir in the baking soda. The caramel will foam quite a bit. Continue to stir until well combined. 

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• Pour the caramel into the popcorn and stir it together, folding the corn from the bottom up onto the top until it is well and evenly coated. 

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If you like gooey/sticky caramel corn, give it a sprinkle with a good pinch of kosher salt, let it cool and start eating! If you like it crunchy, keep going. 

• To make crunchy caramel popcorn, pour it (pile it) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• When the timer sounds, put the popcorn back into the large mixing bowl, mix it around a few times to try to break up clumps. Add a hefty pinch of kosher salt for an extra punch of delicious flavor. 
• Pour it back onto the rimmed sheet and bake for another 20 minutes. 
• Remove the caramel corn from the pan to allow it to cool. Break up any large clumps. 
• 
• Dig in!