This week, several interested parties asked, "How do I bake with pot?"
A timely question, with the recent passage of Prop 203 and the potential business opportunities for supplying baked goods to medical marijuana dispensaries. Budding entrepreneur, are you?
(Note: We're not saying we've tried any of this firsthand. That would be illegal -- for a while longer here in Arizona, anyway.)
Quality baking results depend on an understanding of the chemical reactions of ingredients and the time, baking temperature, and methods applied to those ingredients. The THC (a psychoactive substance) in marijuana is not water-soluble. Adding ground pot to a recipe adds only the unpleasant texture of the ground weed, not the THC.
more on pot baking techniques -- and a recipe for pot-infused vodka! -- after the jump
THC is soluble in fat and alcohol. To bake or cook with marijuana successfully, butter, oil or alcohol is used to extract the active ingredients and act as a transfer agent. The potency of the "bud butter", oil or alcohol depends on the potency and the quantity of the marijuana.
Ingesting marijuana had a different effect than smoking. Eating marijuana baked goods or foods is preferred to smoking by medical marijuana users because of the harm of smoking on the body. Ingested marijuana delivers a longer-term experience than smoking, a benefit for use in control of pain and nausea.
The caveat in eating versus smoking is that you must take care in the quantity of consumption. When smoking pot, the user quickly takes notice of the impact of the pot. Pot that is ingested takes from 30 to 90 minutes to take effect. In other words, ingesting doesn't give a quick high, be patient not greedy.
Bud Butter Method I
1 cup marijuana buds, finely ground in food processor or spice grinder
1 lb unsalted clarified butter or ghee
Clarify butter: In a medium heavy bottom saucepan, over medium heat, slowly bring the butter to a boil. Reduce the heat. Skim the foam from the top with a fine mesh strainer. Discard the foam. Continue to remove any foam that forms. Cool.
Clean the saucepan. Add the clarified butter and several ounces of finely ground marijuana to the pan. Heat the mixture over medium low heat, slowly, cook together until the mixture is slightly thick, is green in color and gives off an herbal aroma.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. The strained weed can be discarded or saved and simmered with milk, alcohol and honey for hot toddy.
Use bud butter as a replacement for regular butter in recipes.
Bud Butter Method II
This method removes clears the water-soluble parts of the plant.
1 cup marijuana buds, finely ground in food processor or spice grinder
1 lb unsalted clarified butter or ghee
2.5 cups water
In a large saucepan combine water, clarified butter or ghee and marijuana.
Bring mixture to a low boil and boil for 30 minutes.
Skim the foam and ground weed from the mixture.
Cool and refrigerate until the butter solidifies.
Skim the butter from the surface.
Discard the water.
Notes on technique: Make sure to grind buds to a powder.
Do not rush cooking time by turning up the heat. Longer, slower cooking is recommended for Method I.
Infused Oil
1 oz marijuana buds
2 cups canola oil
Place the buds in a large heavy bottomed saucepan
Cover with oil
Heat the mixture, keeping the oil below boiling point
Stir mixture occasionally
The color of the oil will change from a light green to a darker almost brown color during the cooking time.
Cook on low heat (DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL) for 2 hours.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a sterilized jar.
Cool to room temperature.
Tightly seal the jar and store in a cool dark place.
Alcohol Infusion
1/8 oz of marijuana buds
1 litre vodka
Place the marijuana in a clean large bowl.
Pour vodka over the buds.
Cover the mixture tightly.
Store the mixture for 2 weeks.
Strain the vodka through a fine mesh strainer removing all the debris.
Store in a sterilized air- tight jar with a tight fitting lid.
Note: This mixture is ONLY recommended to be use as an ingredient in beverage mixtures or baking, not to be consumed on its own.
