If you are a cannabis lover, you definitely want to understand how long to cook cannabutter do you incorporate in your baked foods. Making it is pretty simple, and it is a lovely cannabis edible product. The cooking time of cannabutter may vary, but it’s necessary to check that you do not overheat the cannabis.
Maintaining the terpene scent and flavor in the cannabutter is what we want in the cannabutter. So leaving it to cook for too long might not be really necessary since cannabinoids are already infused into the butter in 30 minutes. Let us learn more on how long cannabutter should be cooked.
What is cannabutter?
You might already have a clue as to what cannabutter is. Just like its name suggests, cannabutter is butter infused with cannabis. Yes! You read it right! Cannabis! Cannabutter is a perfect edible for those who choose not to smoke this drug. This cannabis-infused butter is made by mixing the butter ingredients with some cannabis oil or some cannabis plant material.
Cannabis is a recreational drug and is also used for medicinal purposes. There are edible cannabis-infused food products made with cannabutter and are available in the market and rapidly gaining popularity. The drug is illegal in some countries, and it is necessary to understand your countries policies before using them.
Cannabutter can be used in making baked goods and can be stored in the refrigerator after whipping. Upon reserving, the cannabutter can be used for up to six months.
How long to cook cannabutter in a crockpot?
One thing about cooking cannabutter in a crockpot is that you just need to toss your ingredients, close the lid and leave the rest of the work to the pot. Cooking can take up to 18 hours, depending on your recipe and the rate you want the cannabis to infuse.
The time the cannabutter takes to cook is influenced by factors like the condition of the cannabis flower. The flower should be decarbed. The decarboxylation process helps convert cannabinoid acids in flower to the compounds responsible for the ‘feel high’ effect the drug gives you.
The decarboxylation process typically involves placing your cannabis flowers onto a tray then baking them in the oven for 30-40 minutes. You will need to keep shaking the tray, so the flowers bake evenly. Decarboxylation significantly reduces the cooking time of the cannabutter in the crockpot. Thoroughly cooked cannabutter can take from 4-8 hours in the crockpot.
Tips to preparing cannabutter in the crockpot
The decarboxylation process is not really necessary when cooking with a crockpot. You, however, need to take extra care when cooking cannabutter because the cannabis’ potency doubles once cooked. So following the tips below will ensure you get the best cannabutter.
- Always use unsalted butter because it contains lesser impurities.
- Grind your cannabis flowers before adding them to the butter.
- Always cook at low temperatures as high temperatures destroy the cannabinoids.
- Understand the condition of your flowers. If they are decarbed, they should take shorter periods to cook and vice versa.
- Occasionally stir your butter and cannabis for better infusion.
- Infusing cannabutter with some water will help prevent burning and maintain cannabis potency.
- Strain the excess liquid and any sediments after cooking your cannabutter without pressing it. The liquid should be left to flow freely by itself.
What color should cannabutter be?
Cannabutter can have varying colors depending on the starting material used. The cannabutter can take a brown or green color. It can also take the color of the butter, which can either be an off-white or light yellowish color. The brown color is an indication that you left the cannabutter to cook for long. To avoid such mistakes, cook the cannabutter at low temperatures. Cannabutter should never be black in color; if so, it should be discarded and considered unsafe for consumption.
What does cannabutter look like?
After making your cannabutter, the end product color should be light green, indicating that the cannabis has melted and cooked correctly. You can then go ahead and store appropriately, either in the fridge or freezer. If you mistake and cook for long, then your cannabutter will take another color like dark brown.
Your cannabutter can also take a very green color that can be cleared by pouring some moonshine on the container holding the cannabutter. You can then shakethe mixture, strain, cover with a clean towel, and leave it to sit in the shade on those sweltering days to lighten the cannabutter.
How to make cannabutter with mason jar ?
There are a dozen ways you can prepare cannabutter. It can be made using a Pyrex measuring cup or with a butter machine. Making cannabutter with mason jars involves indirect heat transfer. The jars can, however, stand the heat from the simmering water.
What you will need
- A mason jar
- Cannabis(crumbled)
- Piece of cloth (cheesecloth or coffee filters)
- A saucepan
- Slow cooker
- Baking tray or aluminum foil
- Butter
- Kitchen towel
- The first step is decarbing your cannabis so that you activate the THC molecules. You can make pouches with aluminum foil where you can add in your cannabis. Place the pockets on a baking tray, then bake for 30 minutes at 2500F.
- Place your kitchen towel onto the bottom of your saucepan, then add the mason jar into the pan.
- After that, add some water into the saucepan until it gets halfway to the jar.
- Cut your butter into smaller cubes and place them in the mason jars.
- Then add your decarbed cannabis into the jar, then close it tightly.
- Place your saucepan over medium heat and wait till your water starts to simmer.
- Leave the butter to infuse for 2 hours in the simmering water while checking that the water doesn’t evaporate. Ensure that you also stir the mixture and release the accumulated pressure in the jar.
- After that, you can take out the jar and strain the butter with a cheesecloth. If the cheesecloth you are using doesn’t fit the jar, then you can use coffee filters. You should not squeeze the cheesecloth hard, so that plant materials don’t get through to the butter.
- After filtering, mold the butter together and allow it to cool. After that, you can place it in the freezer for 45 minutes.
- You can skip tossing it in the freezer if you will use the butter immediately.
Important details to remember when making cannabutter with the mason jar method
You should never forget these tips before you start preparing, so you end up with quality cannabutter: –
Cannabis flower
You will need the best cannabis according to your preference. It may be sativa or hybrid, and the THC levels should also match your needs. Flowers with woody strains make the best butter for use in savory dishes and citrus terpenes in sweet dishes. Do not also forget to decarb the cannabis, so it produces potent THC.
Butter
There are so many butter types in the market, high and low quality alike. Going for high-quality butter will ensure you have the best baked products in the long run. Choosing unsalted better will serve both the sweet and savory dishes without tampering with their flavor.
What temperature to make cannabutter
There has been so much confusion on the ideal temperatures to make cannabutter at. You will find that most recipes call for temperatures between 2000-2500 F. cooking at high temperatures degrades the cannabinoids THC to CBN, so you should, at all costs, keep checking that they never get to 3000F. CBN is best for persons recovering from injuries; if consumed without injuries, it could leave you feeling exhausted and drowsy for a really long time.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQS)
How can I avoid using too much butter?
You can take a strand test that involves taking a small amount of the oil and tasting it. That way, you can gauge whether you need more of it or not. You can also estimate the amount to use based on previous recipes.
What are some ways I can use cannabutter?
Cannabutter is very versatile and can be used in:
- Frying vegetables
- Baking and roasting potatoes.
- Infuse it with some garlic and use it as a salad dressing.
- Whipping it to make mayonnaise
- Pouring it onto your pancakes
Can I add cannabutter to drinks?
You can add some cannabutter to your morning cup of coffee. It will enrich the flavor and enhance the texture, especially when coupled with some cream and sugar.
Can I use ghee to make cannabutter?
Ghee has higher fat butter levels. Making cannabutter with it is very possible, and you will have a slightly nutty flavor in your cannabutter.
Does the dark brown color in cannabutter mean I messed it up?
It means you used very high temperatures when preparing it. Always use low heat to get the best cannabutter. Brown or green color is alright, but it should never be black.
How do I safely store my cannabutter?
Storing your cannabutter in the freezer will give it a longer life. Cannabutter lasts only weeks in the freezer.
Conclusion
There we go! that’s all on how long to cook your cannabutter. You can now walk into that kitchen confidently and make the best cannabutter of all time! Just be keen on temperature settings, so your efforts don’t get wasted in the long run.