If you want to learn how to infuse your own butter with cannabis, this is the blog post for you. We’ll walk you through the entire process, from start to finish, so that you can enjoy all of the benefits of this potent combination.
Checkout this video:
Decarboxylation
You’ve probably heard of decarboxylation, but what is it? Decarboxylation is the process of heating cannabis to a temperature that activates the THC. This is important because THC is the cannabinoid that gets you high. By infusing your butter with cannabis that has been decarboxylated, you are ensuring that your finished product will be potent.
What is decarboxylation?
Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that removes a carboxyl group from a molecule. In the context of cannabis, decarboxylation is the process of converting THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) into THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
THC is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, while THCA is inactive. For this reason, it is necessary to decarboxylate cannabis before using it to make edibles or other THC-infused products.
Decarboxylation can be accomplished by heating cannabis at a specific temperature for a specific period of time. Though ovens are most commonly used for this purpose, microwave ovens and even sun exposure can also get the job done.
Once decarboxylated, cannabis can be used to infuse butter or oil, which can then be used in all sorts of recipes. Decarbed cannabis can also be added directly to food or drink recipes that will be cooked or baked.
Why is decarboxylation important?
The process of decarboxylation is important when making cannabis-infused butter (or any other edible) because it activates the THC in the plant material. When cannabis is fresh, it contains THCA, which is not psychoactive. In order to experience the psychoactive effects of THC, THCA must be converted into THC through a process called decarboxylation.
There are a few ways to decarb your weed. The most common is to bake it in the oven. This can be done by spreading your ground cannabis on a baking sheet and baking it at 240F for about 40 minutes. Alternatively, you could use a food dehydrator set to 115F for about an hour.
The infusion process
Before you start infusing your butter, you need to decarboxylate your cannabis. This process will help to activate the THC in the cannabis so that it will be more potent. To decarboxylate your cannabis, you will need to bake it in the oven at a low temperature for about 30-40 minutes.
Step one: Gather your materials
In order to infuse butter with cannabis, you will need the following materials:
-1 cup of butter
-1 cup of water
-1/2 ounce of ground cannabis
-A cheesecloth
-A saucepan
Step two: Prepare the cannabis
The first step is to grind your cannabis. You want to grind it so that it is a fine powder, but not so fine that it turns into dust. If you are using a grinder, this should not be a problem. If you are grinding by hand, it might take a little longer to get the consistency just right. Once your cannabis is ground, set it aside in a bowl or on a plate.
Step three: Melt the butter
Put the saucepan on the stove and turn it to medium heat. Put the butter in the saucepan and stir occasionally until it is completely melted.
Step four: Add the water and cannabis
Once the butter has melted, add the water and ground cannabis. Stir until everything is mixed together well.
Step five: Let it simmer
Let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The water will prevent the butter from burning and will help extract more THC from the cannabis. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat but do not remove the pan from the stove just yet.
Step two: Prep your cannabis
Now that you have your butter melted and your cannabis ground, it’s time to mix the two together. You can do this by adding the ground cannabis directly to the melted butter, or by mixing it into a cold liquid such as milk or oil first.
If you choose to mix it into a cold liquid first, make sure that the mixture is warm enough to fully activate the THC but not so hot that it will burn off. You can do this by heating the mixture in a water bath or double boiler until it reaches between 160-220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once you’ve mixed your cannabis and butter together, it’s time to let it infuse for at least four hours. You can let it infuse for longer if you want a stronger finished product, but four hours should be enough to get the job done.
Step three: Melt the butter
Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low and add the butter. Allow the butter to melt completely; this will take about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to help it along.
Step four: Add the cannabis
After the butter has melted, add in your ground cannabis. Stir it around so that all of the plant matter is fully covered by the butter, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 2-3 hours. The warmer the better, but make sure not to let it get too hot or else you risk burning off all of the THC.
Step five: Strain the mixture
Once the mixture has cooled, it’s time to strain it through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a clean, airtight container. Be sure to squeeze the cheesecloth to get all of the butter out. The infusion process is now complete, and your cannabutter is ready to use in any recipes that call for butter.
Step six: Let it cool and enjoy!
Now that you’ve let your butter cool and solidify, it’s time to enjoy! You can use cannabutter in any recipe that calls for regular butter, like this awesome chocolate chip cookie recipe. Keep in mind that the effects of edibles can take up to four hours to kick in, so go slowly at first and see how you feel. Enjoy!
Recipes
The process of infusing butter with cannabis is known as “cannabutter”. Cannabutter is a key ingredient in many cannabis-infused recipes. The process of making cannabutter is relatively simple and only requires a few ingredients.
Cannabutter recipe one
Ingredients
1/2 ounce ground cannabis
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup water
Slow cooker or saucepan
Strainer or cheesecloth
Instructions
Place the cannabis in the slow cooker. Pour in the melted butter and 1 cup water. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
The longer you cook it, the more potent it will be.
Strain the cannabutter through a strainer or cheesecloth into a clean bowl or jar. Discard the solids. Allow the butter to cool completely before refrigerating. It will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer
Cannabutter recipe two
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, melted
¼-1/2 ounce of cannabis, ground
1 cup of water
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 245°F. Decarb your cannabis (see our guide on how to decarb cannabis). Spread it out on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 40-60 minutes. The longer you cook it, the less potent your cannabutter will be, so if you want super strong cannabutter, stick to the shorter end of that cooking time.
2. While your weed is decarbing, melt your butter in a saucepan on low heat.
3. Add water and ground cannabis once the butter has melted.
4. Simmer on low for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Place a cheesecloth over a bowl and secure it with a rubber band or string. Pour your mixture over the cheesecloth-lined bowl and let it drain into the bowl. Squeeze the cheesecloth to get all of the butter out.
6. Let it cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.”
Cannabutter recipe three
Ingredients:
-1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
-1/2 ounce of cannabis flower or trim
-Double boiler or saucepan
-Cheesecloth
-Strainer or funnel
-Airtight container
Instructions:
1. Decarboxylate your cannabis. Preheat oven to 245°F (120°C). Spread cannabis evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Cannabutter is more potent when made with already vaped bud (AVB). If you have some on hand, use it in this recipe! 2. Grind decarboxylated cannabis with a coffee grinder, food processor, or mortar and pestle until it resembles coarse sand. Don’t grind too finely, or you’ll end up with weed tea! 3. Melt butter in a double boiler or saucepan over low heat. Add ground cannabis and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer you simmer, the more potent your cannabutter will be. Just don’t let it boil, as this will cause the THC to evaporate. 4. Line a strainer or funnel with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour the cannabutter mixture through the cheesecloth-lined strainer to strain out the plant matter. 5. Let the cannabutter cool completely before spooning it into an airtight container for storage in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
