Many people say that cooking can ease stress and improve your mood. Well, imagine baking or preparing a dish and the end product resulting in something that also benefits your health.
Cooking with cannabis may sound like a difficult task to accomplish. It’s not hard at all, though, once you’ve all the necessary information. In addition, you’ll come to discover the joy and benefits of consuming your homemade edibles instead of purchasing them.
If you’re wondering which strains to use or which method is best, you’ve come to the right place.. Keep reading to find the answers to your questions on how to cook with marijuana.
Why try to cook with cannabis?
A lot of users like to experience the benefits of marijuana but don’t necessarily want to smoke it. Due to weed legalization, edibles have become one of the more popular ways of consuming cannabis.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of cooking with weed.
Health benefits of cooking with marijuana
Cannabis cooking gives you control over the amount of weed you consume and the level of potency. Patients who use pot for medicinal reasons can ingest it in a manner that’s more enjoyable to their palates.
Those suffering from respiratory disease would much rather enjoy an edible than risk their health by smoking pot.
Some store-bought treats also have unhealthy ingredients, which can be harmful. Cooking with marijuana assures you that all ingredients are wholesome and beneficial to your health.
More money and a wider variety
Buying edibles from a dispensary or retailer regularly can become quite costly. Making your own can save you from burning a hole in your pocket.
Cooking with marijuana gives you the freedom of ingesting it in varied forms, which makes it easier to fit it into your daily diet as it suits you.
What strains are best for cooking?
As you embark on cooking with weed, there are a few elements to consider. An important one is deciding which strain to use. This choice varies from person to person and depends on their personal preference.
Some may choose to cook with indica and others with sativa. You need to understand the terpene profile to ensure you get the most from your strain.
Before you start cooking with cannabis, some recommend that you select a flower with the best smell. If it has a pleasant aroma and flavor, then it’ll make cooking easier.
Your strain selection is also dependent on what effect you want to experience from your edible. So the levels THC, CBD, THCA, and other components are essential.
For the novice consumer, strains with low THC levels are advisable due to their euphoric effect. Test the different levels every time you use marijuana for cooking to allow you to reach the perfect combination that suits you.
What you’re making will also influence your choice of strain. For example, if you’re baking and using chocolate, then perhaps a strain with a bitter taste will work best. Again, it’s what you prefer.
The following are a few strains that are worth considering when you next plan on cooking with pot:
Super lemon haze
As its name indicates, this strain has a vibrant lemony flavor and will go well in your lemon meringue and muffins. It’ll increase energy levels and enhance your focus, so it’s best consumed in the morning.
White Widow
This strain is one of the more well-known among marijuana users. It has a peppery flavor—an excellent addition to many dishes. You’ll feel more sociable once you’ve had a bit of a white widow-infused edible, making it perfect for parties.
Blue Dream
This strain is a fruity blueberry-infused cultivar that originated in California and is highly favored on the West Coast. It’s guaranteed to relax you completely and give you a modest feeling of euphoria—a suitable addition to a blueberry pie or any candy.
Cooking your weed edibles can be delicious, and you could easily neglect the cannabinoid content and consume more than you intended. So be cautious with the THC and CBD content in your treat.
How much cannabis do you need for cooking with weed?
When cooking with cannabis, your weed quantity depends on the recipe and ingredients you use. How you want to feel also determines the amount.
Before you start using your marijuana to cook, you need to decarboxylate it. You have to heat your ganja to a particular temperature to experience the cannabinoid psychoactive effects.
Raw weed doesn’t have any altering effects, you might be surprised to hear. You need to convert the THCA and CBDA compounds to THC and CBD through a heating process called decarboxylation.
This process will affect the amount of marijuana you’ll use, as it can lose some of its potency the more you heat it.
Before starting decarb, you need to ensure that your cannabis is completely dry. You can do this by loosely spreading small pieces on a baking tray in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. The color will slightly darken, at which point you can remove it.
When cooled, break into finer pieces and cover your tray with foil sealing the sides, returning to the oven at 220–235 degrees. Bake for another 45–60 minutes.
When cooking with THC, you lose a little bit every time—approximately 10% during decarb and 40% during food prep. You can refer to this as a guideline as to how much marijuana to use when cooking. It’s best to start small and increase the measurements as you go along.
What do you need to cook with marijuana?
During the decarboxylation process, you need a baking tray if you’re using an oven. You also need a grinder or food processor for the flowers.
When infusing your weed in oil or butter, you need a strainer and cheesecloth. You can use a coffee strainer, but you’ll only be able to strain small amounts at a time.
Like any other ingredients you keep in your kitchen, you need storage containers, preferably airtight ones.
What methods can you use for cooking with weed?
Learning how to cook with marijuana isn’t just about throwing the dried leaves into your dish, and voila! Unfortunately, many people have misconceptions about edibles and assume that cooking with cannabis is limited to baking only.
You can use weed in savory dishes too. The ideal way of cooking with pot is to make ingredients infused with the herb and then use them in your recipes.
Cannabis Oil
Instead of combining dry weed with your food, you can infuse it in your oil and do your cooking with cannabis oil. To create this extract, you need to use an oil with high-fat content. You could choose one that your recipe requires or that you prefer.
After grinding the marijuana, you can combine it with the oil in a saucepan, covering your weed with oil.
A measurement to use is one part weed to two parts oil, which translates to one tablespoon of cannabis to two tablespoons of oil. Stir frequently while heating.
When using a saucepan, cooking the marijuana can take approximately three hours. With a double boiler, it can take six to eight hours on low. Stirring regularly prevents scorching. You can even add a little water.
After cooking, strain the oil well and store it in an airtight container to use later. The oil should last for up to two months and longer when refrigerated. When ready to use, you can substitute it for your usual cooking oil.
Cannabutter
Cannabutter is butter infused with cannabis, which is used in cooking or baking.
You need to mix one pound of unsalted butter with about two cups of water, bring it to a simmer over medium heat, at which point you can add a quarter pound of your ground decarb weed.
This mixture should cook for two to three hours over low heat. Regular stirring and adding additional water will prevent scorching. The process is complete once the butter thickens and appears shiny.
After straining it thoroughly through cheesecloth, drain any other liquid and soak up the remaining moisture with a paper towel. Your butter is now ready for use and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Marijuana flour
Before grinding your flower, you need to ensure that it’s completely dry. Then after the decarb process, you can crush it as fine as possible.
Grinding it a few times will guarantee a finer powder form. Sift it to get rid of any rough particles, and your flour is ready. You can store it in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to use it, substitute a quarter of the flour needed in a recipe with your canna flour. Sift it together with your regular flour for a consistent blend.
Cannabis coconut oil
Coconut oil on its own has many health benefits. It has a high concentration of fatty acids, making it a great binding agent for cannabinoids and suitable for cannabis cooking.
The method used is the same as previously mentioned with cannabis oil. However, the quantity is 1:1, i.e., one cup of coconut oil and one cup of ground weed.
You can combine these two ingredients with a small amount of water and regular stirring to avoid the mixture scorching.
The duration will depend on the cooking utensil you’re using. A saucepan will take approx three hours. A double boiler takes about eight hours and a slow cooker six hours. You should maintain a temp of 245℉.
Strain the oil after completion. Over time, the mixture will solidify and can be used for cooking or as a topical application. You’ll be able to store it for up to two months on a shelf and longer in a fridge.
What edibles can you make with cannabis?
There are a wide variety of edibles you can create with whatever strain you choose. Here are a few suggestions to try:
Canna shortbread cookies
All you need is a ¼ cup of sugar, ½ cup of cannabutter, and 1½ cups of flour. After combining your ingredients into a dough and chilling it for 20 minutes, you’re ready to bake them until brown. Quick and easy.
Chocolate brownies
Brownies are a favorite when it comes to homemade edibles. To make this chocolate treat, you can follow a standard recipe and replace the usual butter with your cannabutter. It remains an all-time classic.
Guacamole
When mixing your guacamole, you can add an ounce of cannabis oil. Using the lemon haze strain with its spicy herbal undertone is a great choice for this dip.
Mac ‘n Cheese
This dish has been popular for many years and is amazing comfort food. As you make your white sauce, split your butter quantity between cannabutter and unsalted butter.
Top experts tips
Don’t skip the decarboxylation process
Avoid cooking with raw cannabis as it has an unpleasant taste. It also has no active THC. To achieve the highest THC extraction, you need to always decarboxylate before doing any infusion cooking.
Cooking with cannabis isn’t limited to baking only
Many believe that weed should only be baked edibles. However, with the right strain, you can make some scrumptious savory dishes. There’s a wide variety of recipes available online.
Avoid over-grinding
When grinding your marijuana, try not to grind too much. You don’t want your weed in powder form as more of the unwanted particles of the plant end up in your cooking and can result in a bitter taste. It can also be slightly coarse.
Start cooking up a storm
Whatever your reason for cooking with cannabis, recreational or medicinal, you’ll soon get the hang of it with regular practice. Browse our range of cannabis seeds to order a delicious strain and impress friends and family with your new dishes in the kitchen. Bon appetite!
