If you’ve taken so much time to nurture your cannabis crop and get it ready for harvesting, you’ll certainly want to make the most of it. Once you’ve got those high-quality buds and leaves off and are doing your drying and curing, our advice is don’t just throw away the rest. There’s plenty that you can do with those leftover trimmings and lower-quality buds. Here, we’ll show you how to cook cannabutter, a favorite with many who grow crops regularly.
What is Cannabutter?
Cannabis is great for using in edibles and not just the traditional brownie. In U.S. states where cannabis has been legalized, there’s a whole industry that has grown up around cannabis-infused foods. You can get everything from crisps and nuts to pineapple bites. One of the long-time staples of homemade edibles is cannabis butter, also known as cannabutter.
If you’re wondering, how do I make cannabutter, the recipe is pretty simple. Cannabutter is basically cannabis-infused butter, and it can be used as the base for many recipes, including those scrumptious traditional brownies. The cooking process is designed to extract the terpenes and cannabinoids found in the less enticing cuts of your plant, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. If you prefer to ingest cannabis rather than smoke or vape it, you can also cook cannabutter from high-quality buds and leaves to create a more potent and better-tasting product. For most, however, it’s seen as a way of getting a little bit extra out of the harvest.
There is plenty of advice on how to cook cannabutter online, but one thing you will need is time. You’ll need anywhere from 2 to 8 hours to simmer the mixture before it’s ready for use. Some advocates even slow-cook their cannabis for an entire day to extract the most potency.
The Benefits of Cannabutter
- You can use it in baked goods without worrying about the carcinogenic effects of smoking or vaping – it’s an ideal alternative for those who take medicinal cannabis.
- Butter contains high levels of saturated fat, which THC binds to, ensuring it doesn’t get ‘cooked out.’
- It’s easy to make and can be stored in your fridge for a couple of weeks.
- Cannabutter tastes better than other recipes where cannabis is combined with other fats and oils.
- You can use it in a wide range of recipes—both sweet and savory.
- As an edible, cannabis takes longer to take effect, but it also stays in your system longer.
Basic Ingredients for Cannabutter
For the first step in how to cook cannabutter you need your trimmings, and they should be properly dried and cured. The best parts of the plant for cannabutter are the smaller, sugary bud leaves and the blossoms. You should have a mix of each to make your butter but the big challenge you are going to face is making it at the right strength. Of course, a lot is going to depend on the potency of the cannabis plant you are using and you need to take this into account when measuring out the ingredients for your cannabis butter.
- Trimmings: Make use of the smaller, sugary bud leaves and blossoms. These should be properly dried and even cured for around two weeks before cooking.
- Measurements: Start with about 28g of leaves and half that of blossoms from a moderately potent cannabis plant. If you want a less strong cannabis butter, reduce the quantities accordingly.
- Butter: You’ll need about 250g of salted butter, which can withstand higher temperatures and is less likely to burn.
- Water: 300ml of ordinary tap water is necessary to prevent the butter from burning while simmering.
What Utensils Do You Need?
You don’t need much in the way of equipment to make cannabis butter – a reasonably sized pot, something to stir with and a cooker ring, that’s about it. You will need some cheese cloth or a very fine sieve to strain the end product once you have finished simmering. The final thing you need are good storage jars.
- A medium-sized pot
- A stirring utensil
- A stove or cooker ring
- Cheesecloth or a very fine sieve for straining
- Storage jars (glass or plastic, sterilized before use these can be either glass or plastic depending on your preference. As with any container, you should wash and sterilize before you use each time.
Word of warning: The pungent cannabis smell is a major part of how to cook cannabutter and if you don’t want the aroma wafting through your home, you need to choose your location carefully. At the least, you’ll probably want to do it in an area where there is plenty of ventilation.
Step-by-Step For How To Cook Cannabutter
Making cannabis butter is a pretty simple cooking process that involves infusing, simmering and then straining. It can take anywhere from 3 to 24 hours depending on your own personal preference. Some people use kitchen equipment like an electric crockpot to keep things simmering for longer cooking times.
Stage 1 of How To Cook Cannabutter: Preparing the Cannabis
If you’re cooking in your kitchen, make sure you have good airflow so that you can disperse the smell. Finely chopping your trimmings and buds is a key part of how to make cannabutter. This can be a little laborious and there’s no problem with shoving everything in a blender if you have one. Some recipes advise you to put your trimmings on a tray and throw them in the oven for about 40 minutes. This is to activate the THC in the cannabis and is a process called decarboxylation. In this recipe, however, we’re looking to do everything through simmering and taking it slow.
Stage 2: Melting the Butter
- In a pan, gently melt the butter in 300ml of water. The water prevents burning.
- Stir continuously until the butter dissolves and forms a yellow, oily liquid.
- Maintain a low simmer rather than a hard boil.
Stage 3: Adding the Cannabis
The next step is to add your finely cut cannabis trimmings and buds. Stir the mixture together and bring it gently to the boil and then turn down to a constant simmer. Don’t be tempted to put a lid on the pot as you want the water to evaporate but don’t be afraid to top up with fresh water if the pan begins to get low. A key factor in how to cook cannabutter is time: The longer you simmer your cannabutter mixture for, the better strength you should get out of it. Many experts say that a minimum of 3 hours is required and the average should be around 8.
Quick Tips:
- Ensure cannabis trimmings are always covered with water.
- Top up with water every hour if it runs low.
- Keep heat low to maintain small, fine bubbles.
- The mixture will darken as cannabis infuses—this is normal.
Stage 4: Straining and Storing
After about 8 hours, your cannabutter is ready:
- Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Place cheesecloth over a bowl and strain the mixture, allowing the butter to separate from plant material.
- The liquid may separate into a brownish water layer at the bottom and butter at the top.
- Transfer the butter into a jar, screw on the lid, and refrigerate. Discard the liquid residue.
- Your final product will have a green/brown color but retain a butter-like texture, ready to be used in any recipe that calls for butter.
Eating Cannabutter – Proceed with Caution!
There are plenty of cautionary notes when it comes to how to cook cannabutter, but there should be another word of caution about eating cannabis butter (in fact, any food product that contains cannabis). You can’t always be certain about the potency but the big issue you need to watch out for is the delay in the effects of the cannabis. It can take much longer than with other methods of taking cannabis such as smoking. Don’t be fooled into thinking that your freshly made brownies aren’t having any affect – give yourself at least a couple of hours before you decide to eat more. Eating too much can have all sorts of side-effects, of course, including making you sick as well as affecting you if you are driving a car. In other words, don’t simply assume nothing is happening!
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to cook cannabutter, you can get the most out of your cannabis harvest by creating a delicious and versatile cannabis butter. Whether you use it in brownies, cookies, or even savory dishes, it’s an excellent way to enjoy cannabis in a smoke-free form. Better still, have a look at some of the fantastic recipes on the Seedsman blog to put your cannabutter to use!
