Cooking with cannabis just got easier! Making edibles is a favorite pastime of many cannabis enthusiasts, but the process is often delicate and time-consuming. It can also be difficult to produce consistent results.
Using cannabis concentrates can help streamline the process and result in edibles that are both delicious and properly dosed.
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We’ll show you how to make edibles with concentrate and share some helpful hints along the way.
Why make edibles with concentrate?
If you already know how to make weed brownies and other edibles, you may be thinking, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it!” So why opt for cooking with concentrates over tried-and-true dry flower? There are many advantages:
You may not need to decarb
Cannabis flower needs to be decarboxylated to convert the cannabinoid THCA to the active ingredient in cannabis: THC. Certain types of cannabis concentrates are decarboxylated during the extraction process, including THC distillate and RSO.
Other types, like traditional hashish or BHO, may still need to be activated before incorporating into edibles. If you purchase your concentrates from a dispensary, ask your budtender or check your supplier’s website to determine whether your products have been decarbed during processing.
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Save time and effort on prep work
We all know that making cannabutter or cannabis oil can be a time-consuming and sometimes messy process. Decarboxylation can take thirty to forty minutes, and infusing the cannabis flower into the oil can take up to three hours.
Then there’s the messy process of separating the plant material from the infused oil. After all is said and done, you still have to incorporate the oil into your edible. Making edibles with concentrate involves less prep time and eliminates the need for steeping and straining.
Improved accuracy when dosing
We always recommend sourcing cannabis concentrates from licensed dispensaries and looking for products that are lab tested for potency and purity.
Because there is no plant matter to separate with concentrates, you won’t have to wonder how much potency was lost in the process of making your edibles. This can make it easier to dose accurately and appropriately for your needs.
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Less bitter green flavor
Even in the presence of other strong flavors, edibles often come out tasting a little too earthy.Like spinach and kale, cannabis gets much of its bitter flavor from the chlorophyll that also imparts its green color. Concentrates separate most of the chlorophyll from the final product, which can result in a cleaner, less bitter flavor.
How to Make Edibles with Concentrate
Making edibles with concentrate is similar to cooking with dry flower, with a few special considerations. In fact, the process is slightly easier because the key components—cannabinoids and terpenes—have already been extracted. Let’s go over the steps.
Select your Concentrate
There are many different varieties of cannabis concentrates and it’s important to select the type that will work best for your edibles recipe. Some types of cannabis concentrates include:
Kief or HashIf you have been saving up your kief for a rainy day or you have access to traditional hashish, one of the oldest cannabis preparations on earth, you can incorporate it into a wide variety of recipes.
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Most of the kief that ends up in your grinder will contain some amount of plant material, which will result in a slightly more earthy and herbal flavor compared to other concentrate types. These types of concentrates pair nicely with sweeter recipes such as traditional Bhang and taste delicious when infused into sweeteners like maple syrup or agave.
- RSO: Rick Simpson Oil, commonly known as RSO, is a cannabis preparation specifically made to be ingested, rather than smoked. The cannabinoids are already in their active form, so heat is not needed to feel the effects of this type of concentrate. RSO is ideal for creating raw edibles such as basil pesto or hummus. It’s also easy to incorporate into smoothies or even soups!
- BHO/CO2 Concentrate: Many types of wax, budder, and shatter used for dabbing are extracted with butane. Butane hash oil (BHO) has gotten a bad reputation in recent years, but when created in a controlled and professional setting with lab testing measures, it’s a perfectly viable option for making edibles. If you want to avoid the use of butane, opt for concentrates that employ CO2 extraction methods instead.
- THC Distillate: The most pure and potent form of cannabis, THC distillate typically contains around 99% THC. Distillate contains no terpenes and is generally sold as a crystalline powder, making it an easy and virtually tasteless substance to add to any type of edible.
Calculate your Dosage
How much concentrate should you use? That depends entirely on your experience level and what you plan to use your edibles for.
It’s always recommended to start with a lower dose and increase gradually based on how you feel. If you know the THC percentage of your concentrate product, you can easily calculate the dosage per serving. Here’s an example:
If your concentrate contains 75% THC, one gram of concentrate will contain 750 milligrams of THC(1000mg 0.75 = 750mg). For reference, the state of Colorado limits the THC content of edibles to 10 mg per serving. If you chose to stick to Colorado’s recommendation, you could use one gram of concentrate to make 75 individual 10mg weed gummies.
If you incorporate the same amount of concentrate into a pan of brownies and cut it into 25 individual servings, each brownie would contain 30mg THC. Adjust the amount of concentrate you’ll use based on the number of servings in your recipe and your preferred dosage.
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Decarboxylate (or don’t!)
THC distillate or RSO do not need to be decarbed before use because the manufacturer has already done so during the refinement process. For CO2 concentrate, BHO, kief, or hash, the decarboxylation process is simple:
- Preheat your oven to 200°F/93.3°C
- Line an oven-safe dish with parchment paper and add your desired amount of concentrate. If using kief, spread it out gently into one even layer.
- For kief, bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring gently halfway through. If using other concentrates, bake until the concentrate becomes soft and begins to bubble, roughly 20 minutes, being careful not to overcook.
Infuse your concentrate
Once decarbed, you can infuse your concentrate into a carrier oil to allow for better absorption in the body. Look for oils with a high saturated fat content like coconut, MCT, or avocado oils. For best results, heat the oil in a saucepan on a low setting and add your decarbed concentrate, stirring until all of the concentrate has dissolved into the oil.
Once infused, you can add your cannabis concentrate oil to any hot or cold dish for a medicated treat. You can also add your concentrate directly to high-fat foods such as peanut butter or guacamole.
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Now that you know just how easy it is to make edibles with concentrate, we hope you’ll give it a try. When cooking with cannabis, remember to avoid cooking temperatures above 300°F/148.8°C and be sure to dose carefully for best results.