Cannabis-infused butter, also known as cannabutter, is quite the talk of the town nowadays. And with more states legalizing marijuana in the USA, people cannot seem to get enough of amazing cannabis infused butter recipes to stir up exotic dishes!
The health benefits of cannabutter are already known to all, and including a bit of cannabis infusion can double up the nutrition quotient offered by a meal, without impacting its taste at all. As a matter of fact, the health benefits coupled with the neutral taste of cannabutter have encouraged many chefs and food experts to include this wonderful element in food items to make them healthier. And with the growing popularity of cannabutter, people have also started to learn about various methods to work with cannabis-infused butter and oil.
But before you try out cannabutter food recipes, here are some practical points that can help you.
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Considering your Clientele
Different people around the country have different attitudes towards the use of cannabis. However, things are changing rapidly, and people have started accepting this wonder plant due to all the health benefits it offers. Even recreational marijuana is getting noticed all over the country. So depending on the area, and type of clients you have, determine whether including cannabutter in your food would work in your favor or not.
Using the Cannabutter Rightly
If you are into recreational weed and wish to experience the effects of THC cannabinoid, then using cannabis-infused butter in your food seems to be a good idea. With cannabutter, you will be able to control the dosage of weed intake and will be able to enjoy the “high” while consuming some delicious food. Of course, the easiest way to use cannabutter for any of your recipes is by substituting it with normal butter.
Preparing the Cannabutter
Note that you cannot make cannabis-infused butter by using raw weed. There is a thorough process that you will need to follow to bind the cannabinoids with the fat. Activating the cannabinoids is an essential step while making marijuana recipes, otherwise, it will lack all the true components you are looking for. To activate the THC and CBD cannabinoid in the weed, the chefs firstly perform the decarboxylation process- it activates the THCA with heat and turns it to THC.
Making Cannabutter from Butter
Once the decarboxylation process is completed, it is now time to churn your butter into the cannabutter. For this process, the butter needs to be melted with the herb. You can use a slow cooker for melting the butter properly, as it requires a steady temperature maintained over a given period to mix properly. Make sure not to use a microwave as it destroys the cannabinoids in the weed, along with THC. Also, do not heat it directly on a stovetop; you can use a double boiler to melt the cannabutter perfectly.
The Cooking Technique
There are different ways and formulas for making cannabutter- household people can do it with a pan and a wooden spoon while hotels and the food industry use complicated, slow cookers to do the task. Depending on the method and the quantity of cannabis you are using, the cooking time for preparing cannabutter can vary between 8 minutes to 24 hours. It is also essential to use the right quantity of ingredients for preparing the butter. Once made, store it in a refrigerator just like your regular butter.
Measurements
If you love cooking, you would know how vital ratios and measurements are. Putting the right quantity of each ingredient in your food makes it perfect. The same is the case with cannabutter; no matter how much butter or weed you are using or which cooking technique you are catering to, it is essential to mix them in the right ratios to get the perfect result. Do not add too much marijuana thinking it would create better effects; it would ruin the taste. With proper measurements and the right ratios, you will be able to prepare the best cannabis edibles.
Storing the Cannabutter
- Preparing the cannabutter is the first step. But once that is done, you need to store it with absolute care. Some tips for storing your cannabutter are as follows –
- Store all the cannabutter that you are not using right away in a refrigerator.
- It can also be frozen, just like your regular butter.
- Store the containers in airtight containers, preferably made of glass.
- If you want to have a cannabutter with perfect finishes, make sure that the bottom of the jar you are storing does not have rust.
Safety
We all tend to binge or eat more when we have delicious food in front of us. So, if you have whipped up something delectable using cannabutter, recommend a portion size for everyone. In that way, your patrons will not be able to overdo the dozes.
- You can make a QA sheet that will include all the safety standards followed while cooking with cannabutter.
- Also, guide your clients to have the right food portion.
- Write it clearly on your menu stating which dishes contain the cannabutter.
- Also, recommend the right portion size to your consumers.
The Latest Development
As cannabis has been legalized in many states throughout the USA, there has been constant work to develop new varieties of the plant. In addition, research and development have been conducted to make new variants of weed, which can effectively be used in the food industry. Being associated with the work, you should keep a close eye on the continuously developing strain.
Organic food has become popular worldwide, and since marijuana is organic, you can take advantage of this situation. There has been a considerable increase in the demand for marijuana edibles as they can be offered safely and controlled better. Renowned food brands are also thinking about incorporating marijuana in their products, from drinks to food items; and the skyrocketing customer demand is the main reason behind it.