Cooking With Cannabis: Infusing Your Culinary Creations

Let’s get cooking…with cannabis. The first thing you need to know about cooking with cannabis is that you can’t just sprinkle a little weed on whatever you want to eat, call it marijuana edibles, and call it a day.

If there ever was a wrong way to do something, that’s it. If you want to cook and make cannabis products like Martha Stewart and Snoop Dog’s love child, you must first create an infusion. 

An infusion is made by infusing cannabis into a fat used for cooking, such as butter. You can also make infused oil with oils like coconut or olive oil. Everything’s better with butter, so let’s just roll with it. (If you don’t do dairy, no worries. Substitute the butter in this guide 1:1 with the oil of your choice, and you'll have cannabis-infused oil)!

Decarboxylate Your Cannabis

First of all, raw weed tastes like, well, weeds. Moreover, raw cannabis won’t get you high. To become psychoactive, cannabis must be decarboxylated in a baking process with heat. This is why we smoke weed.

Blazing that joint  “decarbs” the cannabinoids so that THCA (and other cannabinoids) converts from its non-psychoactive acid form to become the THC you know and love. 

You can also just heat cannabis to 240 degrees to decarb it. 

Choose Your Butter

If you want a quality infusion, you need quality ingredients, especially if you’re health conscious. Butter comes from cow’s milk. This is important because what cows eat significantly impacts the flavor and nutritional value of their butter.

The bottom line is that butter from grass-fed tastes better, and it’s better for you. Let us count the ways:

  • Grass-fed butter is more nutritious: Grass-fed butter is higher in vitamin K2 and healthy fats, such as omega-3s and CLA.

  • Grass-fed butter has more beta carotene: Beta carotene is an antioxidant linked to a reduced risk of several chronic diseases.

So, take a moment when you’re at the grocery store and reach with some thought. 

Choose Your Cannabis

The cannabis you use will make a difference. Consider these factors and make the choice that’s right for you:

Infusions Made with Trim

Infusions made with sugar leaf trimmed from the cannabis flowers after harvest work well. Some say the chlorophyll in trim may make your infusion bitter. The only real downside to making your infusion with trim is getting access to trim. If you know a home grower, hit them up.

Infusions Made with Indoor Flower 

We know what we said about quality ingredients, but there are limits. Dropping $60 on an exotic indoor eighth to make your infusion may be overkill. With weed like that, you’re paying for attributes that won’t make your infusion any better, such as flower size, structure, and appearance.

That said, some people like to go big and ball hard. If that’s you, get after it.

Infusions Made with Sun-Grown Flower

If you can’t find trim, quality sun-grown cannabis is the next best thing. It’s more cost-effective than indoor as well as environmentally conscious.

Choose Your Strain

Here are a few we recommend:

  1. Go with what you know: You can’t go wrong with a cultivar you already like. If you’re unsure or new to cannabis, Cookies & Cream is fantastic. 

  1. Choose a strain for its effects: How do you want to feel? Do your research, talk to your budtender, and find the strain that will take you there. If you’re looking for a functional high that relieves anxiety, Blue Dream is for you.

  1. Pick a strain for its terpenes: Does a terpene profile pair well with your recipe? Everyone loves cooking with truffles. Why not make your infusion with this amazing White Truffle cultivar?

  1. Choose a strain for its cannabinoids: Do you want your infusion to be high in THC? This Jealousy Mints tests at over 31% THC.

How to Decarboxylate Cannabis

To decarboxylate your cannabis, just follow this simple guide:

  1. Preheat your oven: Preheat your oven to 240°F (115°C). This temperature allows for efficient decarboxylation without degrading the cannabinoids.

  1. Prepare the cannabis: Grind or break up the buds into smaller pieces, ensuring they are evenly sized. Avoid grinding them too fine. It may result in a loss of potency during decarboxylation.

  1. Line a baking sheet: Use parchment paper. It prevents sticking and makes it easier to collect the decarboxylated cannabis afterward.

  1. Spread the cannabis: Spread your weed evenly in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Make sure there is enough space between the pieces for even heat distribution.

  1. Bake your weed: Put the loaded baking sheet in the oven for 40-45 minutes. 

That's it! You’ve successfully decarboxylated your cannabis, and it's now ready to be infused with your butter.

Pro Tip: Slow cookers and crock pots cook at the perfect temperature to decarb marijuana. If you have one, you can skip this decarb process and simply decarb your cannabis in the slow cooker with your butter and water. Two to three hours at 225°F should do the job just fine.

Making Cannabutter: How to Infuse Butter (or Oil)

cannabis infused butter

Let’s use that decarbed flower right away. But first, let’s make sure you have everything you need:

  • Candy thermometer

  • Small saucepan

  • Four sticks/8 ounces butter (more on that later)

  • 1/8th ounce decarbed cannabis flower

  • 8 ounces water

  • Cheesecloth

  • Food-safe (use glass) storage container

Got it all? Good. Now just follow these simple step-by-step instructions to start cooking: 

  1. Melt the butter: In a saucepan, melt the butter and water over low heat. Adding water helps prevent the butter from burning during the infusion process.

  1. Add the decarboxylated cannabis: Once the butter has melted, add the decarboxylated cannabis to the saucepan. Stir well to ensure all the cannabis is evenly mixed into the butter.

  1. Simmer on low heat: Keep the heat low and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Avoid boiling the mixture, as high heat can degrade the cannabinoids.

  1. Strain the mixture: Use the cheesecloth for this. Squeeze the cheesecloth to extract as much liquid as possible.

  1. Cool and solidify: Allow the infused butter to cool at room temperature and refrigerate until it solidifies. The infused butter will separate from the remaining water, and you can drain the water from the container. 

  1. Store the infused butter: Transfer the solidified infused butter to an airtight container. Label it clearly, including the date and potency. Store it in the refrigerator for freshness. It should last for a few weeks.

That’s it. You’re set. Now you can make your own delicious cannabis edibles in any recipe that calls for butter. But before you put the bud in Betty Crocker, let's pump the brakes and talk proper dosing. With edibles, too much of a good thing can lead to a bad trip. 

Calculate Proper Cannabutter Dosing

If this is your first batch of homemade edibles, dosing can be unpredictable. Many variables will affect how potent your infusion is:

  1. The potency of the cannabis

  2. How much cannabis is used

  3. How much butter/oil is used

  4. The temperature used

You probably didn’t learn this in your high school algebra class, but there’s a mathematical formula for infusions that can help nail down potency. TBH, they probably should teach this in algebra. After all, it is called high school. 

How to Calculate Milligrams of THC Per Serving

This formula will change depending on how much butter you use, the strength of your cannabis, and how many servings of edibles are in your recipe.

In addition, there will always be some THC loss in the decarboxylation, infusion, and cooking processes. That said, this will get you close, and close is much better than winging it.

  1. Calculate milligrams of THC per gram of cannabis: Divide 1,000 by 10 (one gram of cannabis is 1,000mg). One gram of cannabis with 10% THC equals 100 mg of THC per gram.

  1. Calculate milligrams of THC in your cannabutter: This recipe used 3.5 grams of cannabis with 100 mg of THC per gram. That calculates to 350 mg of THC in this infusion. 

  1. Calculate milligrams of THC per dose: A safe starting serving size is 5 mg of THC.

  1. Calculate the number of servings per recipe: 350 mg of THC divided by 5 mg per serving equals 70 servings. So, if you’re baking brownies, use enough brownie mix to bake 70 of them.

Be Careful With Homemade Edibles

The thing about edibles to remember is that your body metabolizes THC into the more potent 11-hydroxy-THC. Moreover, edibles take longer to kick in, and the high lasts longer. Here are some guidelines to follow to ensure you don’t overshoot the mark and end up on the wrong side of a bad trip. 

  • Start with a low dose: 2.5 mg is a good jumping-off point with an edible you haven’t tried yet. You can always reload, but if you take too much to start, you can't put the genie back in the bottle, and it can be a very unpleasant experience.

  • Be patient: Your edible may take 90 minutes or more to kick in. Don’t jump the gun. If you don’t feel anything after an hour, wait another 30 minutes before you double down.

What Can I Make with Cannabis-Infused Butter or Cannabis Oil?

There is no limit to what you can do when you make your own cannabis edibles. There are savory recipes that delight the taste buds as well as numerous other cannabis recipes that make delicious edibles, such as:

  • Cannabis-infused tea

  • Cannabis-infused cookies

  • Cannabis-infused pot brownies

weed brownies

What are the Benefits of Making Edibles?

Making your own edibles unlocks the door to cooking with cannabis and all the benefits offered by edibles:

Eating Edibles is Healthier than Smoking Weed

Inhaling smoke from burning plant material is not the best program for long-term respiratory health. While smoking weed is not nearly as harmful as smoking cigarettes, the hot smoke, resins, and toxins from burning cannabis aren’t good for you. 

Edibles are Convenient

Portable and discrete, you can take edibles anywhere and consume them in any setting. Rad.  

The High Lasts Longer

It may take a bit longer to feel edible's desired effects, but the wait is worth it. The high can last as long as 4-6 hours.

FAQ

How do I store edibles, infused butter, or infused cooking oil?

Stick it in the fridge, just like any other perishable. 

What kind of container should I use?

A glass, sealed container is the best.

Can I freeze my infusion?

Yes. Freezing will also extend its shelf life to six months.

Can an infusion get contaminated?

Yes. Ensure all your instruments are clean, and never touch them with your hands. The oil and bacteria on them may transfer to your infusion and cause it to spoil.

How do I know if my infusion is spoiled?

In the same way you know you know that any other food item is bad. It smells rank. 

Cooking With Cannabis is Easy With STIIIZY 

STIIZY always rolls deep with the best selection of cannabis flower anywhere. No matter what strain you want for your infusion, you can always find it at STIIIZY.  Visit STIIIZY today, or order online for convenient pickup or delivery!

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