This is something that scares a lot of people. It really doesn’t need to. Edibles do not have to be made as strong as they often are and can be really quite nice at a low dosage. The effects last much longer than smoking and it is a great way to stretch out your stash if done correctly.
First off – almost ANYTHING can be transformed into an edible. Try not to get too caught up in this narrow mindset of cookies and brownies. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a great treat and for the sake of simplicity this post focuses on them, but if you’re making edibles for medicinal purposed those calories will add up fast. Also note that I have included some extra suggestions at the end of this post for those with mobility and fatigue issues or those who simply have trouble juggling time.
I like to start with infused coconut oil. THC and CBD will infuse in some fats easier than others and coconut oil happens to be high up on the list of best choices. I have included a link on how to do this below. The main issue that causes most people to worry is how to know how strong your oil is. There are plenty of ways to calculate approximately how strong it should be, but the true concentration is always going to be off one way or another and everyone has a different tolerance. Instead of making up the entire batch of brownies, gummies or cookies etc and blindly hoping you get the dosage right why not just sample it yourself beforehand. How? Well you could try something fun and simple like drizzling half a teaspoon of infused oil on some toast. If you’re a heavy cannabis user then you can start with a bit more. Top with some peanut butter and jam and viola! Nom nom nom. You have just taken your medication with breakfast, you can’t taste it at all, and after an hour or two you know how high you’re going to get after consuming half a teaspoon of your oil. How does that help? A quarter cup of oil is 12 teaspoons. If you like where your half teaspoon of oil got you then you know that there are 24 servings of that strength in a 1/4 cup of oil. If you feel you could have doubled your dosage great. That means 1 teaspoon of oil is the dose you want and 1/4 cup is 12 servings. Check your recipe. How many servings does it make or how many pieces do you plan on cutting those squares into? Are you going to make brownies and cut it into 12 pieces? Perfect, just make sure you only use 1/4 cup infused oil and use regular oil or butter for the remainder of the fat in the recipe. For example a boxed brownie mix will likely call for 1/2 cup of butter or oil. Use your 1/4 cup of infused oil and the other 1/4 cup plain.
Honestly, unless you’re planning on sharing some treats with friends or just keeping some brownies handy in the freezer, it is actually easier and safer to simply keep it in infused oil form and mix it in with your meals as needed. This stops cases of unexpected dosing with your spouse or kids. Young children don’t often get into the oil and vinegar cabinet and proceed to consume the contents. It really isn’t a pleasant experience. The same is true for solidified oils. You can keep infused coconut oil in the fridge for months.
Why not try whipping some up? Check out this article by Macey W. from wikileaf.com:
Sidenote regarding this article: I always leave the leaves in the oil while it cools and keep them there at least overnight. I rewarm it from the fridge when I want to use it and I use a French press to strain it. A French press is reusable and does not absorb any of your precious oil.
Don’t want to go through all the bother of making oil but want to try to make a fun and easy edible at home? Try making firecrackers. They are versatile, fast and beyond easy. If you can make toast, you can make a firecracker. Here is a great article from Wikileaf:
I like firecrackers made with oatmeal cookies, peanut butter and Nutella. Yummers.
Looking for cookbooks to help guide you through some exciting savoury dishes? These two are wonderful. There is a short write up on each in the book section of my website if you want to hear me gush about them. The links here will take you to Amazon and the “official” descriptions.
Bong Appétit: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Weed [A Cookbook]
Until next time I’ll be playing in kitchen just like my buddy the Swedish chef:
*** I have mobility or fatigue issues ***
Well then this section is for you. I know. You read the list of things you need to do and simply laughed. As if, right? Keep in mind that all of these things can be done one day at a time and the dosage can be made much stronger as needed.
Day 1: Have some nice flower? Decarboxilate it. Now that step is done. Check. Put it in a nice sealed container.
Day 2 (which can be several days or even weeks later): Make a firecracker! Edibles complete. OR make up some oil. If you really want to you could skip the decarboxylation day and do a VERY long slow oil infusion. The link below will take you to an article by Jessica McKiel from rxleaf.com which uses a slow cooker. Infused oil can be kept for months.
Day 3: Mix your oil in your food a single serving at a time or, if you’re feeling adventurous, use your oil with a prefab boxed mix. Just replace part or all of the oil with your infused oil and share with your friends. I like adding a little vanilla and a thawed mashed banana to these things too. I always have a few in the freezer that I didn’t get to quite in time. As much as I would prefer cooking from scratch the extra reaching, measuring and dishes make it a daunting task. However, a lovely warm, chocolate, bananay cannabis infused treat is really worth it sometimes and Betty Crocker certainly helps make it easier.
PlantieKatie 