Cooking with Cannabis: How to Make Your Own Edibles at Home

If you’re intrigued about this creative way of consuming cannabis, you’ve come to the right place. Our favorite plant offers us the possibility to create our own edibles and enjoy not only their exciting process but also their unique effects. 

Cannabis magic can also be experienced from the kitchen. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started, from choosing strains and the right ingredients for infusion to recipe ideas to get you inspired. Without any further ado, let’s begin!

THC Edibles: What You Need to Get Started

These are the essentials you’ll need:

1. Quality cannabis strains – you can take a look at our exotic flowers!
2. Baking elements like mixing bowls, parchment paper, and a mixing spoon, according to what you want to cook.
3. Containers to store your flowers.
4. A tasty recipe like brownies or cookies that can be garnished with the magic touch of cannabis.

This cooking trip starts with picking the right strains and measuring the amount of cannabis. Let’s get to it.

Choose the Strains

This might be the most important decision when cooking with cannabis. Although hundreds of strains are available, you don’t need to worry. Start by deciding whether you want more relaxing or uplifting effects with your edibles.

Consider the vibe you want, and look for strains with matching terpene and THC profiles. Look for THC strains to experience the classic high, while CBD-dominant strains will provide a more serene effect without the intense psychoactive trip.

Also, remember that quality is essential, so although you don’t need to buy highly expensive strains, be mindful to choose among the highest-quality options. Make sure to read all the details of the flower you are picking to learn as much as you can about the plant’s profile and effects.

Measure Cannabis Quantities 

Measure your portions to understand how potent your edibles will be. For beginners, we recommend starting with small doses. After your first experience, you can always adjust the quantity of your next preparations.

For precise dosing in your edibles, it’s vital to understand potency calculation. With the THC percentage of your strain in mind, you can better control how much cannabis you add to each portion.

For example, let’s say you have a strain with 20% THC. In a single gram of this strain, 20% of the dry weight is THC, equating to approximately 200 mg of THC per gram. If you use 1 gram of this flower to make cannabutter, your infused butter will contain about 200 mg of THC in total. This will help you divide portions accurately.

Decarboxylate First

Decarboxylation means heating the cannabis to activate its THC. This is a key step for experiencing the effect you expect. For this process, follow these steps:

1. Cover your baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 225°F.
2. Spread your flower on the baking sheet and heat for 30-45 minutes.
3. Remove the tray and let it cool down.
4. Store your flowers in a sealed container.

Chop it the right size

After decarboxylation and before infusing your edibles, cut your flowers into small pieces, but avoid grinding them. Breaking them into small and even pieces will make it easier to filter out plant material from your infused butter or oil, producing a smoother and more flavorful result.

Cannabutter or Infused Oil? Choose your ingredient for infusion

The next step is crafting a cannabis-infused ingredient, like cannabutter or cannaoil, to add to your magic mix. Each ingredient may work for different recipes, but the process of making them is pretty similar. 

Cannabutter Recipe

Simmer your decarboxylated cannabis with butter and a bit of water for about 2-3 hours at a temperature below 190°F. Set aside and wait until it’s cool. Pour it through a cheesecloth and store it in the fridge.

Cannaoil Recipe

To prepare cannaoil, follow the same process but use your cooking oil of preference. Heat slowly in a saucepan for 3 hours, set aside, strain it, and put it in the fridge. You’ll have a multipurpose cannabis-infused oil.

Extra Tips for Cooking with Cannabis

Other tips for this process include:

• Keep the temperature low to avoid burning off THC, ideally below 190°F for cannabutter and around 240°F for cannaoil.
• Avoid selecting poor-quality weed for your homemade recipes.
• Store your infusions in a cool and dark place for maximum freshness.

Recipe Ideas for Homemade Edibles

Are you looking for some inspiration to cook? Here are a few recipes to start testing your skills.

Classic Magic Brownies

For this classic recipe, you need to mix in the cannabutter right at the beginning with your wet ingredients. Then, you add the dry ingredients and bake.

Chocolate Chips Canna-Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are a delicious treat that’s very easy to make. At the beginning of the recipe, cannabutter is combined with sugar to create a fluffy cream. Then, all the ingredients are blended smoothly to make each cookie.

Cinnamon Rolls with a Twist

For this particular recipe, you can add the butter to the dough or add it as a layer over the surface before adding cinnamon and sugar. This ensures a concentrated effect.

What are the differences between edibles and smoking?

These two ways of enjoying cannabis have their distinct differences: 

• Potency: Edibles deliver a more potent high as the THC is processed in the liver.
• Onset time: Effects from edibles take longer to kick in but last longer.
• Discretion: No smoke means you can enjoy edibles more discreetly in public.

Time to Dig In

Ready to start experimenting? With the right strains and a great recipe, you’re on your way to a delicious and personalized cannabis experience. Explore our THC Flower Selection at Purple Penthouse and pick the strain that suits your cooking preferences. You’ll get the best quality for your new and creative recipes!