Cooking with Cannabis
MAKING CANNABUTTER
Like many other herbs, cannabis is a food-friendly plant that is full of aromas, flavors, and nutrition. Whether you're planning to cook with CBD or THC, there are several techniques that you can use to ensure your infused foods turn out well after baking, mixing, and heating. The major difference between cooking with THC versus CBD is the intoxicating effects you want or don’t want to achieve but the technique to infuse cannabis is the same for both. Below are the steps every beginner should know before stepping foot in the kitchen.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT STRAIN
The first step to creating infused foods is selecting the correct strain or product that will be used in the recipe. This is where the terpenes come into play and remember, a plants terpene profile determines the taste and smell of the cannabis. We recommend that you smell different strains and find the flower that smells best to you. The nose knows best!
Like many other ingredients, quality products make a huge difference and you can really taste the difference when high quality flower is used versus old, dry or stale material.
This next step is calculating the dosage per serving and is critical to determine the desired effect and ensure everyone has a great experience. Using the cannabinoid percentages listed on the packaging, calculate the desired CBD and THC per serving. It’s incredibly hard to accurately measure dosages in infused beverages and cuisine, so do your best, stick to one strain per infusion, and serve responsibly. You can find many dosage calculators on-line and you can follow this link (VERIHEAL - DOSAGE-CALCULATOR) to a simple example.
If you don’t plan to use cannabis flower in your infusion, there are other products that you can use in your recipe. Cannabis oils are a good example and are a great option if flower is not your first choice. Before integrating it into a recipe, make sure to taste the product so you know how the flavors will interact with your other ingredients. Again, calculate the proper dosages before you start cooking.
CHOOSE YOUR INGREDIENTS
Now that you know what cannabis product you’d like to use in your recipe, it’s time to think about the ingredients that you’ll be cooking with. Will the flavors work with the strain or product you’ve selected?
As you might have encountered, at-home infusions and professionally made items can often have a green taste to them. Some chefs are experts at masking herbaceous flavors, while others like to enhance cannabis and hemp’s natural characteristics by using complimentary ingredients. Trust your palate on what flavor combinations work best. As you will learn, mastering flavor pairings takes practice, but it’s incredibly fun.
DECARBOXYLATE!
TThe number one mistake that’s frequently made when cooking with cannabis flower is improperly decarboxylating it or, even worse, forgetting to carry out this essential step altogether. If you truly want more intense and enhanced effects from your edibles, then decarboxylation is a necessary process and undoubtedly your best option. The process of decarboxylating involves carefully heating the cannabis flower, which serves to activate the beneficial compounds CBD and THC. Activation for these compounds occurs within a precise range of temperatures between 240–295°F (115–146°C) and typically takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes when maintained at this temperature. While opinions vary on the exact temperature within this specified range, there is a general consensus that exceeding 300°F (150°C) can be detrimental to the quality and effectiveness of the cannabis.
What you’ll need:
½ oz cannabis flower
Parchment paper
Glass baking dish or sheet pa
Grinder or scissors
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 220°F.
Gently break the buds into large pieces and evenly spread the plant material onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Slide it onto the centre rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes if using old or lower-quality weed; 45 minutes for cured, high-grade weed; or 1 hour or more for anything that has been recently harvested and is still wet.
Check on the weed frequently while it’s in the oven, gently mixing it every 10 minutes so as to not burn it. You will notice that the color of your herb will change from bright green to a deep brownish-green. That’s when you know it has decarboxylated.
Remove the weed from the oven and allow it to cool on the baking sheet. Once it has cooled, break up the decarbed weed using a hand grinder, scissors, or with hands until it’s the perfect consistency for rolling a joint—fine, but not too fine. Anything too fine will slip through cheesecloth (or a joint, for that matter), murking up your butter. You want your cannabutter to be as clean and clear as possible.
CONSIDER INFUSION OPTIONS
After successfully decarboxylating your product, the next important step in the process is creating your infusion. Using a substance that is fat-based, such as butter or coconut oil, to extract the beneficial compounds like CBD and THC is one of your best options, especially when it comes to mixing with food for enhanced flavour and potency.
Stovetop infusion steps:
This will require a cooking time of roughly 4 hours to allow the cannabis to fully infuse into the fat of your choice. While infusing weed in butter is a popular technique, you can infuse decarbed cannabis into any fat—such as olive oil, sesame oil, or coconut oil—and the infusion process is the same no matter which type of fat you choose. If you do want to make weed butter, we recommend using unsalted butter so you’re able to control the salt level of the final product.
The longer the melted butter and cannabis simmer together, the more potent your cannabutter will be. We opt for a four-hour infusion here, which delivers just enough potency and a grassy but not overpowering flavor.
Adding water to the pot prevents the cannabutter from scalding, eliminating the need for a double boiler. As long as you keep the saucepan on very low heat (and watch the pot), it’s not likely to burn—though it may perfume your kitchen with a certain, ahem, aroma. (That’s thanks to the terpenes, a.k.a. the aromatic compounds responsible for cannabis’s signature smell.) If you’re still concerned about scalding or want a more discreet, hands-off approach, you can also cook weed butter in a slow cooker set to the lowest setting.
Ready to make weed butter? Use this simple stovetop method.
What you’ll need:
1½ cups water
8 oz. clarified butter, unsalted butter, or oil
½ oz. decarboxylated cannabis
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Thermometer
Cheesecloth or mesh strainer
What to do:
In a medium saucepan on very low heat, add water and butter or oil.
If using butter, wait for it to melt, then add the ground decarboxylated cannabis. Mix well with a wooden spoon and cover with lid.
Simmer gently for 4 hours, stirring every half hour to make sure the butter isn’t burning. If you have a kitchen thermometer check to make sure the temperature doesn’t reach above 180°F.
After 4 hours, strain with cheesecloth or mesh strainer into a container. Let the butter cool to room temperature. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container (a well-sealed mason jar will work) in the refrigerator or freezer for up to six months.
GET COOKING
The last step on this checklist is to finally make the recipe by incorporating your infusion. Treat the infusion as an ingredient and make sure you have the proper equipment and accessories on hand that allow for accurate measurements. This is the most important part of creating infused cuisine. Know your dosages and measurements!
Now armed with essential knowledge, unleash your creativity, and test your cooking with cannabis. Whether you're a seasoned cannabis user or a curious newcomer, there's a perfect pairing out there for everyone. Visit us in-store or online at www.somaleaf.ca for more information. Cheers to a night of good food, good company, and an unforgettable cannabis-infused experience!