Cannabis has a reputation for being an ingredient that’s difficult to work with, but this doesn’t have to be the case.
With some basic know-how, anyone can make their own cannabis-infused ingredients at home!
Edibles are becoming increasingly popular among cannabis users due to their convenience and potency.
By understanding how to infuse cannabis into your favorite recipes, you’ll be able to reap all of its benefits in one delicious bite.
In this article, I’m going to walk through the basics of edible DIY so you can get started making your own infused goodies today.
Understanding Cannabis Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates are an essential component for any edible DIY enthusiast. Imagine the endless possibilities of having access to a range of powerful, potent and pure cannabis extracts – from waxes and shatters to oils and distillates.
With such a wide selection of products available on the market today, it’s important as a consumer to understand how these concentrates are made so that you can make informed decisions when selecting your strain selection.
The process starts with solvent extraction: where either butane or CO2 is used to strip plant material of its cannabinoid compounds in order to produce concentrated extracts. This method results in highly-potent ingredients which retain all their beneficial properties while also making them easier to consume than flower alone.
From here, more sophisticated techniques may be employed by expert manufacturers who specialize in producing high-end concentrate products like shatter and live resin.
Once you have chosen your desired concentration level, the next step is choosing the right fat for infusion – something we will explore further on this journey into understanding edibles DIY. So join us as we uncover what makes cannabis concentrates so special and why they should play a role in your home kitchen creations!
Choosing The Right Fat For Infusion
When it comes to infusing cannabis into food ingredients, the type of fat you choose is important. In fact, fats are the most commonly used method for edibles because they absorb cannabinoids more effectively than other methods.
As a cannabis grower and user, here’s what I recommend:
1. Vegetable oils like canola oil or coconut oil are great choices due to their neutral flavor profile, but keep in mind that some vegetable oils may have higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids which could affect your infusion results.
2. Butter or ghee (clarified butter) provide greater cannabinoid absorption than regular butter — plus they produce edibles with an amazing flavor!
3. Animal-based fats such as lard or tallow offer excellent absorption rates too, though you should be aware that these types of fat will impart a unique flavor to your infused ingredients.
No matter which type of fat you select, be sure to measure carefully when dosing out your infusions so you know how much THC or CBD each portion contains. With a bit of practice and patience, you’ll soon master the art of making delicious DIY cannabis edibles at home!
Decarboxylating Your Cannabis
Decarboxylation is an essential process for making cannabis-infused recipes. It’s important to get the temperature and timing right in order to achieve the desired effects of your infusion.
| Temperature | Time |
|---|---|
| ———— | ——– |
| 220°F | 30 min |
| 250°F | 25 min |
| 300°F | 20 min |
By decarboxylating, you activate the THC molecules, which then convert THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) into delta-9-THC – a form that can be absorbed by the body when consumed orally. Decarbing also enhances aroma and flavor profiles. To ensure quality results, it’s recommended to use lower temperatures with longer times or higher temperatures with shorter times when using a regular kitchen oven. For example, if you want to decarb at 220°F for 30 minutes, baking will take about 45 minutes total due to preheating time. Alternatively, if you choose to go with a higher temp of 300°F for 20 minutes, your bake time would be reduced to about 25 minutes total.
It’s worth noting that some people prefer not to decarboxylate their herb prior to infusing because they enjoy raw cannabinoid benefits from consuming non-decarbed plant material. However, this method generally yields lesser potency compared to traditional decarbing – so make sure you do what works best for you! With these tips in mind, let’s move on and learn how we can make infused butter & oils out of our freshly decarbed flower/concentrates!
Making Infused Butter & Oils
When it comes to cannabis-infused ingredients, the possibilities are truly endless. Just as a painter has an array of colors and brush strokes at their disposal, so do those who wish to create with cannabis in the kitchen.
Decarboxylation is the first step on your journey into the world of making your own edibles, but what follows is where things get really interesting.
Making Infused Butter & Oils requires understanding how cannabinoids interact with fats and oils. To begin this process, one must first know that for every 1 gram of fat or oil used you will need 5-7 grams (or .17-.25 ounces) of decarbed flower or concentrate:
Once infused butter or oil have been made they can then be used directly in recipes such as brownies, cookies, sauces etc., or even further utilized for infusing honey or other extracts like tinctures and salves!
As long as temperature remains controlled throughout each stage of preparation edibles created from scratch should yield potent results without sacrificing quality taste nor texture desired when cooking with cannabis!
Infusing Other Ingredients
Cannabis-infused ingredients are an easy and delicious way to add cannabis into your favorite recipes. If you’re a home chef looking for ways to customize flavor profiles, or if you have solubility issues with marijuana cooking oil, then this method is perfect for you!
| Flavor Profiles | Solubility Issues |
|---|---|
| :—————: | :—————-: |
| Savory & Spicy | Heavy Separation |
| Sweet & Fruity | Clumpy Texture |
| Earthy & Herbal | Poor Absorption |
The best part about making infused ingredients is that there’s no limit to what can be used. You could infuse butter with garlic and rosemary, olive oil with basil and oregano, even honey with lavender buds! The possibilities are endless — so get creative and experiment until you find the right combination of flavors that work best for you. Be sure to keep track of how much cannabis was added in each batch as well; it’s important to know how strong your infusion will be when using it in recipes.
By taking control of the dosage and flavor profile of your edibles, you’ll unlock a world of exciting new culinary options! It may take some trial-and-error before mastering the perfect balance between herbal flavour notes and potency levels — but it’ll definitely be worth the effort. Now let’s move on to discuss dosing & storage considerations for these tasty treats.
Dosing & Storage Considerations
When it comes to dosing and storage of cannabis-infused ingredients, precision is key. According to recent studies, up to 75% of recipes involving marijuana are estimated to underestimate the potency needed for a successful edible!
This means that if you want your homemade edibles to hit the mark in terms of desired effects, then proper calculations must be made when determining levels of THC or CBD.
To make sure you get accurate dosing measurements for each batch you create, it’s best practice to invest in potency testing kits. These test out various components such as terpenes and cannabinoid content before they’re infused into other ingredients like butter or oil.
Doing so will give you an idea what kind of dose should be taken per serving size, making it easier for people to self-regulate their intake depending on personal preference and tolerance levels.
Knowing how much THC is present in any given product can also help with proper storage considerations. Edible products tend to degrade over time due to light exposure and environmental changes – but with reliable measurement results at hand, one can determine how long an item will stay fresh and potent until consumed.
Accurate testing data gives producers better control over producing safe food items that meet consumer expectations without risking accidental overdoses or health issues down the line.
Conclusion
As a cannabis grower and user, I can attest that making your own cannabis-infused ingredients is an exciting and rewarding experience.
You’ll be able to customize the potency of each ingredient according to your needs, as well as make sure you are getting the best quality product available.
Once you understand the basics of decarboxylating, infusing fats, and dosing, you will have everything you need to create delicious edibles right in your kitchen!
So don’t hesitate – get creative with your DIY edible projects today!
