Since legalization we’ve seen various ways people can safely consume cannabis slowly grow in popularity. One of these ways is eating baked cannabis goods. This is one of the safest and popular ways to get high, as you no smoke gets into your lungs. These edible products are also known to produce much stronger highs compared to simply smoking or vaping. However for this article, we take a deep dive into the delicious world of baked cannabis.
Baked Cannabis Goods?
There are many types of edible cannabis products on the market out there, from capsules to brownies, and even beer. But the most common and popular of these products has to be baked goods. The earliest instance of people taking in cannabis orally goes all the way back to India, where people would eat and drink products made with bhang; which is basically cannabis ground up into a paste which is then mixed with different foods and drinks.
The type of baked cannabis products we have today are actually prepared in a much similar manner to how it was done in India way back in the day. The baked goods most of us see for sale in cannabis shops usually contain cannabutter; which is simply butter that has been infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is the compound in cannabis that gets people high.
Since cannabis has been legalized recreationally in various different places, these edibles have become a staple in stores all over. They have grown in popularity because of the long-lasting and strong highs that it can cause; as well as being a more discreet way of taking in cannabis. That said, one should proceed with caution when trying any edible for the first time, the experience can be intense.
Can I Make It At Home?
The quick answer is yes, and it’s actually relatively easy. All you’ll need is: some butter, some cannabis, and a couple of hours. Below are the steps in making proper cannabutter which you can use in a variety of baked goods.
Step 1: Prep The Cannabis
For a good batch of butter, you’ll need around one cup of butter and around 7-10 grams of cannabis. But before any of the cooking starts, you need to make sure the herb is ready to be processed. You’ll need to grind up the cannabis fairly well to get the best results, so you can either use a grinder that can grind up cannabis very fine, or you can simply get some scissors and start grinding it manually. Once that’s done, the next step is to decarboxylate the herb.
Step 2: Decarboxylate
Decarboxylating or decarbing cannabis is one of the most important steps in making cannabutter, as it activates the THC in the buds. To do this, all you need to do is heat up the bud. The easiest way to do this is to lay out all the ground cannabis on a baking tray and put it in the oven. Make sure to put parchment paper on the tray before baking to avoid sticking. The oven should be set to around 245ºF and the cannabis should stay in the oven for around 30-40 minutes. Mix up the buds every ten minutes or so to make sure all the heat is evenly distributed. After that, you can move on to the next step.
Step 3: Infuse The Butter
To do this, start by melting a cup of butter in a saucepan over low heat, making sure not to burn the butter. You can keep the butter from boiling by adding a little bit of water from time to time. Once the butter is melted, you can put in the decarbed cannabis into the pan and let it simmer for around 2-3 hours, making sure to stir it every now and then. It’s very important the butter doesn’t boil and burn, so make sure it’s kept on very low heat.
Step 4: Strain The Butter
Once your butter has been simmering for a couple of hours, it’s time to strain it. The easiest way to do this is to line a funnel with cheesecloth and put it on top of a jar. Slowly pour the mixture in and let gravity do all the straining for you. You can sometimes squeeze the cloth to get more butter out of the mixture, but that can force some plant material in which taste pretty bad.
Step 5: Freeze The Butter
This is done so that you can chip away the excess water that was left in the butter very easily, and also allows you to store the butter in your refrigerator. Once the butter has solidified, you can take the butter out of the jar, drain the water, and put it back in. After that, your butter is all but ready to be infused into your favorite brownie or cake recipe.
The Delicious Takeaway
Cannabutter is relatively easy to make, albeit time-consuming. Eating baked cannabis goods can be an easy, safe, and convenient way to get high, even if it takes some time to kick in. But it’s very important to remember that these edibles can be much stronger than smoked cannabis, so make sure not to take too much as that can result in an unpleasant high.
With all the information laid out and the steps explained, feel free to try it yourself! Just make sure to get the products only from reliable stores to ensure yours and everyone’s safety.
For another easy to follow how-to-guide on making cannabutter, click right here. And click here to browse our selection of baked cannabis goods.
