Cooking with Cannabis: A Beginner’s Guide to Making Edibles
It’s always fun buying pre-made edibles from your dispensary. Whether it’s cookies, brownies, gummies, rice krispy treats, etc. there’s nothing like picking up a sweet cannabis treat or getting some delivered right to your door. However, for all the bakers out there who would rather make a delicious treat themselves than buy one from the store, this guide is for you.
The first and most important step in this process is to know your ingredients. It might help to do some flower research ahead of time to figure out what products will give the flavors that you’re looking for.
Making Cannaoil and Cannabutter
When beginning with Cannaoil and Cannabutter, it’s important to know how they both interact.
Cannabutter: choose a butter with a high fat content, as this will help it better absorb the cannabinoids. Do not use margarine or any butter substitute!
Cannaoil: Select a cooking oil that pairs with what you are making: coconut oil tends to work better for baking, while olive or avocado oil is the better choice for more savory items.
Here are the basic steps involved in the infusion process:
1. Pick your Flower: It’s important to pick the right flower based on what you want out of your edibles. Sativa strains tend to have a more uplifting, active effect, while indica strains often have a more relaxing effect. When in doubt, check to see what the most frequently reported effects are from the strain.
2. Decarboxylate your Cannabis: Once you’ve got the right flower, it’s time to decarboxylate (or decarb) the cannabis. This refers to the process of heating flower to activate the cannabinoids (THC, CBD, etc.). If you skip this step, your infused goodies won’t have any psychoactive effect. Here is a step-by-step guide for decarboxylating cannabis:
Preheat your oven to 250°F. Also, keep in mind that this will make your house smell strongly of cannabis for a few hours.
Line a baking sheet or glass baking dish with parchment paper.
Prepare the flower that you previously selected.
Rip the flower buds into small pieces. You won’t need to grind the cannabis yet.
Now, decarboxylate the cannabis on 250°F for 25-30 minutes. You could also use a lower temperature for slightly longer time to preserve more terpenes (for example, 230°F for 45 minutes).
Note: if you’re working with a high-CBD strain and attempting to make CBD oil, double the time at any given temperature.
When the time is up, remove the tray from the oven and allow the cannabis material to fully cool. It should have changed from green to light brown.
3. Grind the Flower: Once decarboxylated, you will need to grind your flower into a fine powder. While some people use a clean coffee grinder or scissors, it’s best to use a regular cannabis grinder to get a consistent grind.4. Infuse with Your Ingredients: When infusing cooking oil or butter with cannabis, remember to use low heat and take your time. You’ll want to ensure the entire contents of the pan are infused with flower.
5. Strain & Store: After you’ve infused your oil or butter, you’ll need to strain out the flower, so you’re left with an infused product with a smooth consistency. You can use something like a cheesecloth to ensure you get all the chunks out for a smooth, consistent product.
Once you have your finished cannabutter or cannaoil, store it in the refrigerator for all your cooking and baking needs.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do's:
Use high-quality butter or oil to start
Keep your butter or oil at a consistent temperature
Cook your butter or oil for 2 - 3 hours
Choose quality flower that offers the effects you desire
Place cannabutter or cannaoil in the fridge as soon as it’s strained
Don'ts:
Rush the process
Skip decarboxylation
Overcook butter or oil
Summary
Cooking with Cannabis may seem like a very complex and intimidating process. However, if you follow this guide, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier than it appears and gets easier the more times you do it. There is also so much creativity involved in baking/cooking with cannabis. You have the opportunity to take any food, dessert, or snack you love and turn into a cannabis (within reason). Challenge yourself, see what you can make!
