If you’re a fan of cannabis but not into smoking, cannabutter is a great way to incorporate it into your lifestyle through your diet. Cooking with cannabis is fantastic for beginners and connoisseurs alike to gain access to all the benefits it brings.
Cannabutter is simply cannabis mixed with butter. You can treat cannabutter as a substitute for regular butter, which means the variety of ways you can use it are endless. You can spread it over a piece of warm toast or use it to make weed brownies or cannabis cupcakes. It can even make a great gift for newbies and non-smokers.
Making cannabutter in the comfort of your home is easy. It takes just two ingredients, a little bit of time and a step-by-step recipe to follow.
Thankfully, we got you covered with that last part.
Cannabutter Recipe
What You’ll Need:
Before you get started on making your cannabutter, you will need to get a couple of things together first.
- 8 -10 grams of THC or CBD flower
- 1 stick of butter (at least 228 grams)
- A cup of water
- Aluminium foil
- Baking tray
- Grinder
- Jar for storage
- Cheesecloth
Now that you have your ingredients and equipment, we can dive right into the recipe.
Cannabutter: Step by Step Guide
Step 1: Decarboxylate Your Flower
Decarbing is an essential step in your cannabutter journey, as heating your buds will allow you to activate the cannabinoids (THC or CBD) in the flower so that you can reap the full benefits.
- Preheat your oven to 240°F (115°C). Meanwhile, lay a piece of aluminium foil on the baking tray. Crumple it a little, to conduct the heat better.
- Grind your cannabis to ensure it bakes evenly. Do not grind it too fine, as it may burn easier.
- Spread the cannabis over the foil, place another foil on top, and put it in the oven for 45 minutes. Place the oven rack in the middle to bake evenly.
- Let it cool for 30 minutes, and after that, your decarbed cannabis is ready for use. You can now move on to step 2.
Step 2: Mix Your Butter and Cannabis
- Place a medium pot or saucepan on low heat, add butter and water. Water keeps the temperature down and helps prevent the butter from burning.
- As soon as the butter melts, mix the decarboxylated cannabis with a wooden spoon and cover it with a lid.
- Let the mixture gently simmer for 4 hours. Stir every half hour to make sure your butter isn’t burning. If you have a thermometer, check to ensure the temperature doesn’t reach above 180°C.
Step 3: Strain the Cannabutter
- After your cannabutter is ready, strain it into a container with cheesecloth supported by a metal strainer. Use a rubber band to keep it in place while you strain. If you don’t have a cheesecloth, you can also use a coffee filter.
- It is important to give it enough time to drain. Then, once the straining process is complete, you can dispose of any residue.
- Leave the butter to cool at room temperature. After at least 30 mins, the butter will solidify, and you will see the layer of water you added at step two. Gently pour out the water, and your butter is ready for use.
How Can You Store Your Cannabutter?
Storing your cannabutter is an important step so it stays fresh. Any product that contains THC or CBD can lose potency over time if not stored correctly.
The best way to store cannabutter is in a jar or airtight glass container and kept in the refrigerator. It will last for about two weeks in the refrigerator.
If you don’t use up all of your cannabutter in that time, you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
Just make sure before you use your cannabutter, you smell it and observe the colour. A light yellow or brown are the perfect colour. Your cannabutter may even turn dark brown, but it is still good to use.
How Do You Dose?
It’s a good idea to start slow if you’re new to cannabis or have a low THC tolerance. Start with a small portion and wait at least two hours to feel the full effects of the cannabis before you take another bite.
We also suggest using the edibles dosage calculator to dose your cannabutter or other homemade cannabis-infused recipes before you consume them.
The calculator will give you an accurate estimate of the potency of your cannabutter.
Here’s a Tip!
One of the most essential things that can make or break your cannabutter is the type of flower you use. We recommend using good-quality strains to get the full flavour and the desired effects.
Depending on your desired outcome, you may want to select a high CBD strain for milder and relaxing effects or choose a higher THC strain for a more euphoric effect. At Leaf Lab, we offer a variety of cannabis strains suited for any occasion – from Sativa, Indica to Hybrid. And while you’re picking out quality strains, don’t forget to buy the best butter you can find!
