Is there a trick for making homemade popcorn with margarine rather than butter?

Please stop using margarine at all...it is very unhealthy due to hydrogenated oils. Do some research. Butter is WAY better for you anyway. I like the book "The Good Fat Cookbook" which is much more than a cookbook and explains a lot of research about health and fats/oils.

To answer your question...it is due to the water content in the margarine. Butter tastes better anyway.

Homemade Butter For Popcorn

You shouldn't use margarine. This is because it contains an average of (depending on brand) about 30% WATER...which is what is causing your popcorn to shrivel up. Butter is 100% milk fat, so you don't have the "shrivel factor" associated with margarine.

I wouldn't use the margarine at all that is made from an oil base which is why you are having that problem (butter always tastes better too)

nope. ^^ since margarine is basically all man-made chemicals, when heated, it is corrosive to certain foods, i.e. popcorn.

why would you want to use margarine anyways? if you want fake butter, use the spray like people at the movie theaters do. *shrugs*

Margarine??? Bleugh. If you don't want to use butter, you could try olive oil.

margarine is one molecule away from being plastic.. don't use it.. butter on popcorn is the best ever...

The short answer is "yes". I learned to make biscuits without using a recipe, so I can't give you specifics, but mine were made with self-rising flour, margerine and milk.