Cooking with cannabis has become a celebrated art in the era of medical legalization as more would-be edibles chefs have access to quality cannabis than ever before. However, there is one ingredient that should be kept close at hand by any seeking a convenient way to infuse their meal with the wonders of THC.
Like cannabis oil, cannabutter has become a go-to solution for imbuing any dish with cannabis. Rather than adding cannabis directly to the recipe itself, cannabutter can be used as a substitute for butter in almost any dish that calls for its application. For those interested in the versatility that cannabutter can offer, here’s everything you need to know to craft a batch of your own.
What You’ll Need to Make Cannabutter
The ingredients used to create cannabutter are fairly basic. While one can make any number of variations on the recipe, the fundamental components of cannabutter are butter, water and cannabis. For the purposes of this recipe, you will need 4 sticks of unsalted butter, around a quarter-ounce of cannabis, and two cups of water. The quality of your cannabutter will depend on the quality of the constituent ingredients employed in carrying out the recipe, so it is recommended not to use butter substitutes like margarine or cheap, dry cannabis to make your cannabutter.
As cannabutter is a versatile recipe, herbs and spices can be added during the process to create unique concoctions like garlic or cinnamon butter. The taste of cannabis will be readily apparent in any dish you add your cannabutter to, so adding other flavors into the mix can assist with masking or mitigating the overwhelming sensation of bud.
How to Make Cannabutter
First, grind your cannabis into a fine material, but not so fine that it becomes like a powder. Mix your butter with the water into a saucepan and heat over a medium flame. As soon as the butter has melted, add your ground cannabis into the mixture and begin to stir gently until the cannabis is evenly distributed throughout your butter.
Set the flame to low heat and keep stirring every so often for around 2 hours, until you notice the butter become thicker and congeal towards the top. Careful attention should be paid to maintaining a temperature of 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid burning your cannabutter.
Once your cannabutter has reached its ideal state, the next step is to filter it. Place a metal strainer lined with cloth over an appropriately-sized bowl and begin to pour your mixture directly through the strainer, allowing it to rest until your butter has been properly purified. Sometimes, it’s possible to use the leftover cannabis in the creation of more cannabutter, so it can be worthwhile to store it for later use.
Once you have strained your cannabutter, the final step is to refrigerate the mixture for an extended period of time. Depending on how chilled you prefer your cannabutter, approximately 3 hours will be enough to begin utilizing it in any number of edible recipes.
When your butter has been cooled sufficiently, the only work remaining is clearing away liquid byproducts of the cooling process. Simply pat down your cannabutter with a napkin or paper towel, and you will be left with a finished product that will last in your refrigerator for up to 8 weeks with vacuum-tight storage.
Of course, there is one drawback to homemade edibles. Unlike dispensary purchased edibles that have been tested for THC content, homemade edibles can vary widely in their cannabinoid ratio. Be very careful with dosing and always start with a small amount. Make sure you give yourself enough time (1.5 – 2 hours) to feel the effects before indulging in more.
Looking for high-quality medical cannabis? Whether you want to cook it or smoke it, Remedy Columbia can help. Check out our online menu to see what’s available or stop by our Columbia medical cannabis dispensary.
