How to Make Edibles: Bioavailable Infusion Methods
Intro
Cannabis is widely known for its versatility, but did you know almost any type of Cannabis Product can be used to create at-home edibles? Whether you use RSO, BHO, CO2 Extract, Tinctures, Hash, or simple Cannabis Flower, any adult can create quality Marijuana edibles in a few simple steps. Below, we’ll cover how to infuse these various products into your food.
In this article we will go over the best types of food to infuse with Cannabis, cooking recommendations, and which types of products infuse with which foods.
The Basics of Making Edibles at Home
To start, let’s cover some basic vocabulary that is used when making edibles.
There are three basic steps that almost all edible infusion methods have in common:
Decarboxylation, or “Decarbing” - This step is the most important. Raw plant material or inactive products have a form of THC (THCA) that is non-psychoactive. It must be converted into Delta-9 THC through a method of low temperature heating.
Too high of a temperature or too long of a decarb can risk boiling off activated THC and other cannabinoids.
Infusion – The process by which your activated compounds are added to your edible. This can be achieved by adding activated cannabis material to your ingredients, or steeping the cannabis material in a fat source such as butter or coconut oil. This is the most common and ideal method for infusion, since all of the most desired compounds in cannabis are very fat soluble.
Straining – This step is only required when infusing the edible with a cooking oil. Straining removes the bulk plant matter and minimizes strong cannabis flavor and green color of your infused oil.
How to Make Edibles with Cannabis Flower & Shake
1. Decarb your Cannabis
For shake:
Pre-heat oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread your material out in a single layer. Bake the cannabis for 45-60 minutes and let cool. Always remain cautious when portioning and sampling your edibles.
For Buds:
This process is practically identical to the shake infusion process. You will want to grind up your buds into a coarse consistency similar to table salt, prior to decarbing. Avoid over-grinding, as this can release a higher amount of plant compounds resulting in a stronger taste and darker color in your infusion.
For Kief:
Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your material in an oven-safe, covered container and cook for 7-10 minutes maximum. Kief is much stronger in THC percentage than cannabis flower, so we recommend cutting your final oil with a non-infused version to dilute the potency.
2. Infuse your activated cannabis into your cooking oil or final recipe.
For shake or Buds:
Start with a warmed cooking oil, portioned in the volume indicated by your THC calculations.
Add your cannabis material and simmer for between 3-8 hours on low heat.
*Between 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit, never exceeding 200 degrees Fahrenheit
You can also add equal amount of water to melted oil to help “wash” your infusion of plant matter and control the heating temperature.
Strain your infused oil. We recommend using heat resisting gloves and a fruit press or layers of cheese cloth. Allow collected liquid to strain into a clean container and seal to settle overnight. Remove the separate layer of cooking oil from any remaining water. Allow the oil to melt again at the lowest temperature possible. Strain one more time to purify.
Use solidified infusion in your recipe and enjoy.
Avoid cooking infused recipes above 340-350 degrees Fahrenheit maximum
For Kief:
Stir until your kief is fully dissolved into your cooking oil, and remove from heat immediately.
Use infusion in your recipe and enjoy.
How to Make Cannabis Flour for Baking
Coarsely decarb your cannabis material at 240 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-55 minutes.
Allow cannabis to cool. Add to a food processor and grind to a fine powder consistency similar to flour.
Store in a well-marked and light resistant container, in a cool dry place away from sunlight.
Replace 1/4th of the normal flour in your recipe with your infusion, sift together thoroughly, and enjoy.
Infusing with Extracts – How to Make Edibles with Concentrates
Cannabis Extracts can be produced through a wide array of processes using different combinations of solvents, heat, and pressure.
Using extracts in edibles can be an ideal way to get the benefits of their active compounds, without inhaling and potentially exposing yourself to harmful side effects.
Making Edibles with CO2 Oil and BHO/PHO
CO2 Oil and BHO/PHO
These are the two most popular forms of cannabis extract. They create a more concentrated infusion, use less plant material to make, and require much less time and effort than a flower infusion. However, they generally lack the full-spectrum of cannabis compounds you get from flower infusions.
Decarb your extract. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread the material out on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, leaving plenty of room for it to spread as it heats.
Place your sheet in an oven safe dish and into the oven, heating for about 20 minutes.
Once bubbling has mostly subsided, place oil into the freezer for about 10 minutes to stabilize.
Infuse into cooking oil. Heat oil and infusion in a 1:1 ratio, depending on potency preference. Do not allow oil to boil or cook, stir thoroughly once fusion is melted with the oil to evenly distribute compounds.
Cut the amount of oil called for in a recipe with the infused oil to the desired potency and enjoy.
Edibles Infused with Rosin or Hash
Rosin or Hash
These extracts are preferred by some consumers because their production processes are free of harsh chemical solvents, meaning there is no chance of residual compounds like butane in the final product.
Infusing edibles with Rosin or Hash is nearly identical to the process of infusing with BHO and CO2. The only difference comes during decarbing.
Set oven to 220-240 degrees Fahrenheit, cover the Rosin or Hash and place on parchment paper in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
The decarbing process takes longer due to the lower purity of Rosin and Hash compounds compared to chemical solvent-extracted products.
Once bubbling has subsided, infuse the decarbed product into a heated up oil as directed previously, or add directly to recipe if it does not call for oil. Remember to stir thoroughly.
Infusing Edibles with RSO
RSO
(Risk Simpson Oil) is often used for topical application or sublingual absorption by placing under the tongue. Its use has been reported to have powerful effects on cancer cells. The extra high levels of Cannabinoids and Terpenes also give it strong anti-inflammatory effects. If you are looking to create something medical-grade, RSO edibles may be the most ideal.
RSO does not require any further decarbing, and it is advised not to apply any additional heat to RSO. Cooking with RSO is as simple as adding it to your readied consumable. The best use for RSO edibles would be an addition to finished sauces, toppings, or in no-heat recipes.
Dissolve your preferred dose of RSO into your finished sauce or topping, mix thoroughly to combine, and enjoy.
RSO has a very strong flavor, and is best used with heavily flavored dishes to mask any undesired notes.
Using Tinctures to Make Edibles
Like RSO, tinctures are ready-to-consume products with active THC.
Tincture is the simplest way to infuse edibles that there is, simply add drops to your final recipe for desired effects and enjoy.
Tinctures pair best with candy making, drink mixing, or sauce and topping infusion.