What is Cannabutter, And Why Should You Make It At Home?
Marijuana butter, or “Cannabutter,” is a common cooking ingredient used to infuse a strong Marijuana flavor into various recipes. Butter contains approximately 30% milk fat and has a long shelf life, making it an excellent medium for Cannabis infusions.
Making Cannabutter at home is one of the easiest ways to infuse Cannabis into your cooking. Making your Cannabutter is undoubtedly worth the time and effort. You can save money by buying Marijuana in bulk. You also get to know the quality of the product before it’s turned into an edible, and you have total control over what goes into it.
What is the Difference Between Cannabis Butter and Marijuana Extract?
Marijuana extract is made by extracting the oils from Cannabis leaves and flowers, whereas Cannabis butter is made by infusing Cannabis with butter or oil.
Some people prefer using Cannabis butter over Marijuana extract because it’s easier to measure the dosage. Different Marijuana strains can be stronger than what you are used to, so it is essential to know how much you are consuming.
Below are some reasons why people choose one over the other:
- Marijuana Butter is more palatable than Marijuana Extract
- Cannabis Butter has a higher fat content
- Marijuana Extract is generally more potent
The differences between Marijuana extract and Cannabis butter may not appear to be substantial at first glance. Still, they are pretty different regarding health benefits and the culinary experience they provide.
Cannabutter vs. Cannabis-Infused Oil
Cannabutter is a traditional way to take advantage of the THC in Cannabis for cooking purposes. However, if you want to cook with less fat or in a vegetarian dish, there are other options. Cannabis-infused oils are becoming more popular because they are typically made with vegetable or plant-based oils instead of butter. More on Cannabutter later.
Infused oils are a great way to consume Cannabis because they’re easy to store and don’t require any smoking or vaping. Cannabis oil is a concentrated form of Cannabis created by extracting the plant’s Cannabinoids. It is used mainly in cooking or skincare.
For cooking, you can use Cannabis oil in sauces, dressings, dips, and marinades.
You can blend Cannabis oil with hemp seed oil to create an anti-aging cream that helps reduce wrinkles and signs of aging for your skin.
Cannabis-infused oil is an effective way of administering medicinal Cannabis. The oil can make edibles or be consumed alone by placing a few drops under the tongue.
The Health Benefits of Using Cannabutter
Cannabutter is butter infused with Cannabis, and some people find it a tasty alternative to smoking. You can cook with it or eat it alone. Some people even put it in their coffee for an extra energy boost! Plus, you get all of the medicinal benefits of Cannabis by consuming Cannabutter rather than smoking Marijuana, limiting any carbon residue in your lungs.
Many people are turning to Cannabutter as an alternative medical treatment for pain and inflammation, as well as:
- Helps with chronic pain
- Improves your mental health
- Helps with insomnia
- Controls seizures and muscle spasms,
- Reduces anxiety
- Increased Appetite: Eating Cannabis can increase your appetite, which is helpful for those with eating disorders and anorexia nervosa.
The Best Way to Decarboxylate Cannabis Before Making Cannabutter
Decarboxylation refers to a chemical reaction when you heat a Cannabis plant.
Decarboxylating your Weed before cooking it in butter is essential in Cannabutter-making. This process helps make more THC available to you by converting the non-intoxicating acidic cannabinoid in Marijuana named THCA to THC.
Decarboxylating Cannabis before cooking it in butter is a necessary step to create a delicious, potent Cannabutter. Decarboxylation allows Cannabis to release its full flavor and have a more intense psychoactive effect.
The best way to decarboxylate Cannabis is by placing it in an oven at 245 degrees Fahrenheit. Follow the easy instructions below:
1) Preheat your oven to 245 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Put your Cannabis on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and ensure it’s in one layer with no overlap.
3) Place the baking sheet with the Cannabis buds in the oven for 25 – 35 minutes or until it is amber (if you can still see green, it needs more time). Gently shake the baking sheet every 10 minutes, ensuring the buds are evenly toasted.
4) Once the Cannabis is done, take out the baking sheet and let it cool
5) Coarsely grind up Cannabis to finish the prepping process. You can do this with your hands, a grinder, or a food processor.
The Best Recipe for How To Make Cannabutter At Home
There are many ways to make Cannabutter, and it doesn’t involve any complicated steps. The easiest way is to use a slow cooker or crockpot; the most popular is a double boiler.
What You Need:
-1 pound of unsalted butter or ghee
-1/2 ounce (can go up to 1 ounce depending on your desired strength) of decarboxylated Cannabis flower (or trim)
-Butter knife for cutting the butter and Cannabis
-Filtered water
-Strainer or muslin cloth for separating the Weed from the butter
-Double boiler or pot with heatproof glass jug or glass bowl
The Process: Double Boiler
Step 1: Grind Cannabis and decarboxylate it if it’s not already
Step 2: Bring 2 cups of water to the boil in the bottom half of your double boiler or base pot. Place the second bowl or jug over the base pot and slowly melt the butter.
Step 3: Once the butter has melted, add the Cannabis. Very gently infuse the butter or ghee with the Cannabis for 2 – 4 hours. Do not allow the butter to boil; keep the temperature below 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4: Strain the mixture with a cheesecloth, coffee filter, or muslin cloth while still liquid.
Step 5: Decant in a sterilized glass jar and store in the fridge for up to 3 months once thoroughly cooled.
The Process: One-Pot Cannabutter
Step 1: Place 1 ounce of butter and 2 cups of filtered water in a heavy-based pot. Gently bring to the boil.
Step 2: Add the decarboxylated Cannabis and simmer over low heat for 2 – 3 hours, never bringing the mixture to a full boil (below 200 degrees Fahrenheit)
Step 3: Gently stir every 20 – 30 minutes.
Step 4: Strain the infused butter through a cheesecloth or muslin cloth into a sterilized jar. Allow it to cool completely before placing it in the fridge.
Notes:
The strength of the Cannabis and quantity used will affect the strength of the Cannabutter. We suggest starting with smaller dosages and building up a tolerance from there.
Cannabutter can be stored in the fridge in an airtight jar for up to 4 weeks. Enjoy responsibly.
What To Do When It’s Done Cooking?
You can add a bit of Cannabutter to a dish or a meal, but don’t worry if you have excess goods. There are plenty of other things you can do with it.
Some people like to add Cannabutter to their pasta sauce so that it’s rich and creamy. You can add it to salad dressings or grilled chicken or steak sauces. Imagine using Cannabutter as a base for Cafe de Paris butter; I’m in!
You can use the leftovers from Cannabis-infused butter for baking pies, brownies, cakes, cookies, and more.
Cannabutter FAQs – Everything You Want To Know About Cannabutter
How Long Does it Take for Cannabutter to Set or Harden?
It takes about an hour for the Cannabutter to set or harden completely. This time can vary depending on how strong you want your Cannabutter and the temperature of your surroundings.
How long will my Cannabutter last in the fridge after I make it?
Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is 2-3 weeks.
It can, however, last anywhere from 2 weeks up to 3 months. It largely depends on a few factors:
- Water content, salt content, and storage method.
- Store it in an airtight container to avoid mold growth.
- Always keep your butter in the fridge for extended shelf life.
How much Weed should I use for a one-pound batch of Cannabutter?
There are many different opinions on how much Weed should be used for one pound of Cannabutter. One rule of thumb is ½ – 1 ounce per pound of butter. We always recommend on the side of caution; less is more, after all.
One ounce per pound is considered a low dosage, 1-2 ounces is deemed moderate, and anything over 2 ounces per pound will result in a high dosage.
1 ounce = 28 grams
1/4 pound = 112 grams
1/2 pound = 224 grams
1 pound = 448 grams
You must experiment with this and find what works best for you.
What kind of Weed can I use to make Cannabutter?
Many different types of Weed can be used for making Cannabutter. The kind of Weed you use will depend on the desired effects, scent, taste, and strength. We recommend using Indicas for a calming effect, CBD strains for medical purposes, and Sativas for an uplifting experience.
The best way to make Cannabutter is to use high-quality Cannabis, preferably Indica or “Indica dominant.” The higher THC content in Indica Weed will result in a smoother and more potent product.
How does Cannabutter taste?
The taste of Cannabutter can be affected by different variables such as Cannabis strain, type of butter, length of cooking time, and amount of THC extracted from the plant material into the fat. To better understand how Cannabutter tastes, you should experiment with different variables until you find your desired flavor profile.
When cooking with Cannabis, it is essential to note that it tastes very different from some other herbs. It has a piney, herbal taste that can be overpowering. We enjoy incorporating Cannabutter in spiced treats like Ginger snaps and Pumpkin spice muffins.
Cannabutter tastes like Marijuana, but it has a more intense flavor and is more potent than smoking Cannabis. It also smells like Marijuana because of the terpenes in the plant.
What’s the difference between CBD and THC for cooking with Cannabis butter?
THC is the chemical compound in Cannabis that produces a euphoric high. CBD is another chemical compound in Cannabis, but it doesn’t get the user high.
CBD has been shown to have medicinal benefits, including relief from anxiety and PTSD symptoms, while THC has psychoactive effects. Users typically feel the effects of THC more immediately, while CBD may take up to an hour or two, depending on the person’s metabolism and tolerance level.
How To Store Cannabutter For Long-Term Storage?
There are three main ways to store Cannabutter: in the fridge, freezer, or with a vacuum sealer.
If you’re in a hurry and want to store your Cannabutter for later use, you can put it in the fridge. This is not recommended for long-term storage, but it can help keep your product fresh for a few days.
If you want to keep your product fresh for up to two months at best, then putting it in the freezer is what you need to do.
Lastly, if you’re looking at long-term storage and don’t want any moisture content in your butter, then using a vacuum sealer might be just what you need.
