Marijuana (or cannabis or "cannabutter") butter can be used in any recipe that calls for the use of butter. It is most widely used to prepare brownies. Infusing butter with marijuana allows you to bypass the disadvantages of smoking (potential health risks, bad smell) while maintaining the benefits guaranteed by cannabis. As an added benefit, for an ideal result, it is advisable to use a less potent or coveted marijuana strain, such as pruned buds or buds that have begun to produce pollen.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Making Marijuana (Decarboxylation)
Step 1. Understand that, while not mandatory, decarboxylation is a simple process that allows you to get the most out of each gem
This step, also known as "pre-cooking", serves to intensify the taste of cannabis. Marijuana is rich in several substances, only a few of which have medicinal / psychoactive properties. Decarboxylation allows you to eliminate unnecessary substances from the buds simply by cooking them at a low temperature. Cooking causes substances such as THCA to vaporize, which will then become psychoactive, guaranteeing a butter with more potent effects.
If you prefer, you can also use leaves, flower processing residues, or a mixture of buds and leaves
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 115 ° C
You need a medium temperature, as too high a heat would cause unwanted substances to vaporize too quickly with the consequence of also eliminating some beneficial compounds, such as terpenes (which give each strain unique aromas and flavors). 115 ° C is a suitable and safe temperature.
Step 3. Manually crumble the buds into a baking sheet
Distribute them evenly making sure there are no parts where the metal from the pan is exposed. Basically you have to chop the gems into pieces no larger than 1 cm in diameter. Use a baking sheet that is just large enough to hold all the buds. Remember that any empty parts would cause the pan to heat too quickly and consequently uneven "cooking".
Step 4. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring approximately every 10 minutes to avoid burning the marijuana
When cooked, it must have assumed a golden color and a crumbly texture to the touch.
Step 5. Grind the marijuana until you have a coarse blend with some still recognizable buds
You don't have to pulverize it, just crush it into small pieces comparable to fine gravel. You can use a fragrant herb grinder, a simple blender, or a food processor, in which case it is advisable to turn it on at short, regular intervals.
Step 6. If you wish, you can soak the marijuana in water about 20-60 minutes before cooking
This step is to wash off soil and fertilizers as well as remove some of the chlorophyll that could give the butter a herbaceous taste. THC and other cannabinoids are substances that do not dissolve in water, so they will not suffer any damage during soaking.
After soaking it, strain the marijuana with a colander, then pat it dry with kitchen paper
Method 2 of 3: Making Marijuana Butter on the Stove
Step 1. Bring 60ml water and 450g butter gently to a boil using medium heat
Pour both ingredients into a small saucepan, turn on the heat, then heat the mixture while stirring constantly. Wait for the first bubbles to come to the surface, but don't allow the water to boil properly.
- In this recipe, 30g of marijuana is used for every 450g of butter. If you don't have enough buds, adjust the doses to the indicated ratio.
- If you have a cake thermometer available, check that the mixture reaches 88 ° C.
Step 2. Incorporate the marijuana, then reduce the heat
Pour the previously cooked and chopped cannabis into the water and mix carefully. Set it to medium-low heat. The secret to obtaining a good marijuana butter is to proceed in a "slow and constant" way to allow the buds to release their substances and essential oils without risking distorting them.
Step 3. Let the mixture simmer gently for about 2-5 hours, stirring every half hour
If necessary, top up the water level. The cooking time varies according to the strength you want to give the butter. The more you cook it, the more consistent the sensations triggered by the butter will be. If you decide to cook for a long time, don't forget to add a little hot water from time to time if it has evaporated.
- Generally the cooking time is around 3 hours, but 2 hours may be enough to obtain an acceptable result.
- If you know you want to cook the butter for 4-5 hours, increase the amount of water initially added. Instead of 60 ml, use about 120-240 ml.
Step 4. Line a fine mesh colander with muslin food gauze, then place it on a glass bowl
Use the container you intend to store the butter in once it is ready. The strainer lined with the gauze will help retain the solid parts of the marijuana. [Image: Prepare Marijuana Butter Step 8-j.webp
Step 5. Pour the liquid butter into the bowl and filter it as described
Transfer it slowly without waiting for it to cool. Use a kitchen spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out any liquids trapped in the herbaceous residue.
If you wish, you can maximize the squeeze of the marijuana by using a French press
Step 6. Before continuing, wrap the gauze around the buds, then squeeze them one last time
Make sure the last drop of liquid butter also falls into the bowl to avoid waste. At this point, you can discard all the remaining solid parts.
Step 7. Place the liquid butter in the refrigerator, covered, for about 3-5 hours
As it cools, the water will separate from the fat. From time to time, pour the water down the sink, then put the butter back in the refrigerator.
Step 8. You can use marijuana butter in a variety of recipes
In practice, you can replace it with classic butter in any preparation that requires it. You can spread it on toast or use it to make your favorite chocolate chip cookies. It will keep in the refrigerator just like regular butter.
Method 3 of 3: Alternative Cooking Methods
Step 1. If you want to increase or decrease the effects of marijuana, change the amount of buds, not the amount of butter
The whole process remains the same, as the water serves to prevent the butter from burning, not to dilute it. Maintain the proportion of water and butter indicated above, changing only the amount of buds added to the mixture. You can also alter the cooking time, reducing it if you intend to obtain a more delicate butter or prolonging it to give it more strength. However, note that the best way to mitigate the intensity of the final product is to decrease the quantity of buds by increasing the cooking time, the result will be identical but will avoid unnecessary waste.
- 30g of buds can be used to make a strong or medium-strong butter, but you will probably need to use 45g if you only have leaves or flower processing residues.
- If you plan to increase your marijuana doses a lot, you also need to increase the amount of butter to allow it to absorb all the THC. However, 30g of buds per 450g of butter is generally more than enough.
Step 2. If you are in a hurry to enjoy the butter, make a small amount by cooking it for less than an hour
The following method is ideal for cooking around 120ml of marijuana butter quickly and easily. In this case it will not be necessary to perform a "pre-cooking" of the buds. Here is what you need to do:
- Finely grind about 7-8 g of cannabis buds (in this case you cannot use the leaves or residues from the processing of the flowers).
- In a small saucepan, melt 120ml of butter using medium heat.
- Gradually incorporate the marijuana, stirring frequently.
- Let the butter simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring often. The bubbles on the surface should be small in size.
- Filter the butter using a fine mesh strainer lined with food gauze.
- Cool the butter before use.
Step 3. For added convenience, you can use a slow cooker
This is the perfect way to ensure the "slow and steady" preparation process required by the recipe. In this case all you have to do is:
- Pour 240ml of water, 450g of butter, and 30g of finely ground marijuana buds into the pot. Stir before continuing further.
- Turn on the pot by setting it to a low temperature.
- Close the lid and let the butter cook for about 8-24 hours, stirring only occasionally.
Step 4. Try using clarified butter (ghee) for a milder tasting result
Clarifying the butter essentially means depriving it of water and the protein component to isolate the fat part. Ghee is healthier and lighter, absorbs THC more easily, and produces less smoke if ingredients are accidentally overheated.
Step 5. After roasting them in the oven, sprinkle the buds with pure food grade alcohol
Scientifically, this trick promotes the breakdown of cellulose, ensuring greater THC release and a more delicate shade of green than the final product. However, remember that this method only works after decarboxylation has been performed. Simply mist the rubbing alcohol on the buds immediately after taking them out of the oven, then let them sit for 10-15 minutes as the butter begins to melt.
Step 6. If you want a milder tasting and smelling butter, boil the marijuana before you start
This method involves very quick cooking in boiling water followed by a cold bath to extract the chlorophyll and foul-smelling chemicals contained in the buds. Also in this case it will also be necessary to carry out the decarboxylation, therefore the total preparation time will increase to several hours. That said, boiling cannabis is super easy:
- Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.
- Meanwhile, prepare a bowl full of water and ice.
- Put the buds in a tea ball filter, then dip it into boiling water.
- After 5 minutes, remove the filter from the water and immediately transfer it to ice water. Leave the buds to soak for 1 minute.
- Repeat until all the buds are boiled.
- Dry them in the oven at 115 ° C for about an hour.
- Make the marijuana butter as described in the previous paragraphs.
Advice
- You can also use any variety of oil, for example olive, peanut, coconut, sunflower seed. You can also use any food fat, such as lard or lard.
- This recipe is best suited to low-potency cannabis, i.e. the less valuable parts of the plant such as stems, stems, pruning of the selection of buds and buds that have started to produce pollen.
- Now on the market there is also salted butter, be careful not to get confused when buying.
Warnings
- During cooking, the butter will give off a very intense fragrance. Make sure you don't disturb roommates and family members.
- Marijuana is illegal in most countries, while in others it is only legal for medical use. Before you try your hand at this recipe, make sure you can legally obtain and possess it.
