Cooking canna-infused foodstuffs is a great way to try cannabis if you’re not a smoker. Edibles don’t bear the sharp taste and flavor that weed buds typically have, so you’ll hardly tell a canna cookie from a regular one. But how can you make your cooking experience frictionless and your dishes – more delicious? Use our pro tips from seasoned canna chefs.
#1 Never Use Poor-Quality Flowers
Thinking that any kind of weed will do for the edibles is deeply wrong. You need to hand-pick the weed you’ll use in cooking as thoroughly as you would for smoking. Low-quality buds may be contaminated or contain the wrong balance of THC and CBD, thus betraying your expectations for the weed effect.
#2 Don’t Use Raw Weed
Throwing a bud or two into your bowl with cookie components won’t work. If you learned chemistry well, you know that cannabis should be heated properly for the THCA and CBDA (acidic forms of cannabinoids) to transform into THC and CBD. Only the latter chemical formulation can give you the desired effects of being high or relaxed. Process the weed correctly to enjoy the whole spectrum of sensations from it.
#3 Go the Extra Mile to Choose the Right Strain
It’s critical to research the effects and potential side effects of weed strains and hand-pick the one you need before setting on the cooking adventure. Strains differ widely, and if you plan a jolly part with canna cookies, you’ll definitely want to avoid marijuana strains with couch-locking effects. Here are a couple of suggestions.
- Sunset Sherbet strain causes the feeling of sleepiness and full relaxation. It’s ideal for an evening meal or before bedtime, giving you high-quality sleep and rest.
- Black Diamond strain is more about the euphoric, happy effect you’ll enjoy at a party or a get-together with friends.
- Blue Velvet strain will stimulate your appetite and help you combat stress and fatigue.
- Cascadian frost is often used to achieve a better focus and concentration effect, coupled with a talkative, uplifted, and giggle mood. It’s good for a gaming marathon or a party.
As you can see, strains differ profoundly in their effects and strength. So, make sure you understand what weed you’re holding in your hands before preparing the canna-butter or canna-oil infusion for your future dishes.
#4 Follow All Decarboxylation Rules
As we’ve mentioned above, weed should be properly processed to preserve its psychoactive and relaxing effects. The process of weed preparation for edible infusion is called decarboxylation. You should grind the weed buds and distribute the pieces on an oven tray, heating them at no more than 2400F for around three hours. Once the decarbed weed is ready, it’s time to continue with your cooking.
#5 Choose Coconut Oil for Infused Oil Preparation
It’s common for inventive stoners to experiment with the infusion of products, but the evergreen classic is canna-butter or canna-oil. Everything might be straight and clear with the butter, but the oil-related choice is really broad. Cooking experts recommend sticking to coconut oil, as it has a high smoke point, and its combination of fats is ideal for proper cannabinoid absorption.
#6 Don’t Overheat the Products
Keep in mind how much is too much for cannabinoids. When it comes to the temperature of cannabinoid release, it should not exceed 3500F by all means. Exceeding that maximum means the weed will lose all its psychoactive effect, and the cannabinoid compounds will destroy irreparably. So, we recommend keeping the oven’s temperature at no more than 2400F when decarboxylating the weed and preferring simmering to boiling at later stages.
#7 Keep Records
Keeping the cannabinoid dosage under control is always critical. So, you should always use a precise cannabis calculator when cooking your infused substances. Input the data about your weed’s THC and CBD constituents and the mass of used weed and oil/butter in the cooking process. Use these figures to determine the concentration of CBD and THC per gram of the resulting canna oil. Don’t exceed the reasonable limits of canna-oil or canna-butter use, as edibles come with greater overdosage risks.
#8 Start Low when Tasting Your Dishes
Again, caution is key when it comes to weed consumption in the form of edibles. You should start the test with half a dose you initially planned to consume, listening to your sensations and waiting for the full effect for 60-90 minutes. Don’t haste to eat more until a couple of hours pass; edibles transport cannabinoids to your stomach, thus slowing down the absorption speed.
#9 Try Something Simple for Starters
What can be easier than cooking canna pancakes or baking a pile of canna cookies for several days? Try some simple recipes first if you’re not a chef and don’t feel like cooking all day long. Once you obtain more confidence and enjoy the culinary hassle, it’s time to proceed to more complicated dishes.
