How to Make Stovetop Cannabutter

It’s easy to learn how to roll a joint or pack a bowl, but how do you make pot infused edibles?

Edibles are still a bit of a mystery even to experienced cannabis users.

Everyone has heard a story about “space cakes” or “hash brownies.” The field is opening up to include candy and sweets, infused oil and pastry. The most renowned and varied recipes for cannabis-infused edibles are for pot cookies.

Why Marijuana Edibles?

Marijuana edibles shouldn’t be confused with hemp products, which are not psychoactive. Hemp is part of the cannabis plant family but is an industrial product used for textiles, food, even building materials.

People choose to consume their cannabis in edible form for a wide variety of reasons. Edibles present a healthier alternative to smoking, and they have a different effect than other types of consumption.

Now that we can buy legally, it’s easier to do research and use exact measurements – of both product and the THC level, when it comes to cooking with cannabis. How strong was the marijuana, and how much of it had been used? You can also determine the dosage from the strength of the “cannabutter” that was used in the ingredients.

DIY Pot Cookies

There are several reasons that consumers of marijuana edibles would choose pot cookies. The “baked goods” category of marijuana treats contains some of the easiest and dependable recipes for fun snacks and deserts we all recognize.

There’s plenty of variety for anyone who gets bored with one type of cookie or has specific dietary needs that are difficult to buy or find commercially.

For cooks or bakers, it’s a fun and easy way to infuse cannabis into your career or hobby.

Cookie recipes are simple, with ingredients that are easy to find and mistakes that are easy to cover up or correct.

Marijuana treats in cookie form are commonly one dose per cookie. The phrase, “take half and see how you feel” is usually associated with pot cookie consumption.

Pot Cookies and “Cannabutter”

“Budder” or “cannabutter” are the nicknames you’ll hear associated with the product that comes from infusing butter with marijuana. This is the classic combination of butter and cannabis.

The marijuana concentrate that started the modern “dabs” trend was also given the name “budder” but the two are nothing alike and shouldn’t be used interchangeably. That “budder” that you see on the menu at your local “Compassion Club” isn’t the same thing you use to make pot cookies.

If you’re going to learn how to make pot cookies, it is essential that you get to know this indispensable ingredient. Budder is easy to make. It can be made from the leaves and stem of the plant but is much more potent if the flowers are used. It’s also the base ingredient for several other marijuana treats.

Cooking with budder has several advantages. Those who regularly bake or cook with cannabis often use cannabutter for the sake of convenience. You can substitute it for regular butter in virtually any recipe.

Any oil or lipid can be infused with cannabis if you use the right technique. Butter is one of the most common household lipids. Not everyone has a bottle of olive or coconut oil on their shelf, but you can find all the butter you need at corner store.

The Art of Decarboxylation

Also shortened to “decarbing” The process is fairly straightforward. Butter is melted, infused with some cannabis, then cooled into a solid state to be used later.

The stovetop method requires more vigilance than the more popular oven method. Beginners should cook with strains of less than 10% THC, not only so they waste less valuable bud if they make mistakes but because novices often misjudge potency and dosage. Understanding what sort of sativa strains or indica strains you’re dealing with is also key.

Every recipe for cannabutter is exactly the same and requires only two ingredients, unsalted or salted butter (this depends entirely on preference) and dried, ground cannabis flowers. Vegans can use alternatives such as margarine or coconut oil and get the same result.

Melt the butter in a saucepan once it simmers, add the portion of cannabis. The ratio of one cup butter, to half a cup of cannabis is the general rule of thumb, and the mixture needs to be stirred at least every ten minutes on a medium-to-low heat. It’s a fairly labor-intensive activity that requires your strict attention. (Note: try not to sample the base product before making pot cookies.)

When it’s ready depends on how much you’re making. You need patience, as the process takes at least 40 minutes in most cases. A good guideline is to wait until the budder turns a dense, waxy, green color. The mixture needs to be strained of plant matter before being used, but at that point you can use it in melted form or put it in a mold and return it to the fridge for later.

If you want stronger, more concentrated budder, use more cannabis and less butter. For a less potent mixture, use more butter and less marijuana. Strength varies depending on the strain of cannabis you use, too.

What Kind of Pot Cookies Should You Make?

The crowd pleasers like sugar cookies, chocolate chip, peanut butter all require regular butter that you can substitute with cannabutter.

There are some rare entries or more complex cookie recipes for more ambitious bakers if you want to push the limits when it comes to marijuana cuisine. Make infused oils or drinks, or learn how to cook with cannabis extracts like hash.

This niche category of the vast and delicious universe of baked goods has a myriad of variations. Even if you’re not into edibles, it’s good to know how to make pot cookies and their base component, cannabutter.

Great with coffee, a healthy snack or with colorful icing, there’s a pot cookie out there for everyone. Once you know how to make the secret ingredient, cannabutter, you can make virtually any kind you want.

People have been making marijuana treats for as long as they have smoked and grown the kind herb. Recipes and ideas for infusing food with cannabis are ancient and still used throughout the world. That includes the colorful and varied world of pot cookies.

Cheladas

Posted by Kristy Ambrose

It’s that time of year again. The frost is on the ground, the Thanksgiving turkey is picked clean, and the winter holidays are approaching. If you’re heading to Mexico for some hot steamy fun, cool off with one of the many beer cocktails that are making waves south of the border. Bring a few recipes home and use them with your favorite local craft beer to remember your sunny vacation.

Before we swim over to the poolside bar, it helps to know a few things about Mexican mixed drinks, especially ones that include “chela”, a nickname that Mexicans have given to everyone’s favorite frosty beverage.

If you’re heading to Mexico for some hot steamy fun in the sun, make sure to try one of the many beer cocktails that are making waves south of the border. Bring a few recipes home and use your favorite local craft beer to remember your vacation.

Before we head to the bar, it helps to know a few things about Mexican mixed drinks, in particular ones that include beer.

Let’s start with some of the more surprising and exotic ingredients with this handy glossary.

Salsa. This is not the chunky variety that you use as a dip back home. In Mexico, salsa just means “sauce” and it can be any number of dips or toppings. Ketchup, Worchester sauce, salsa maggy, and Valentina are all examples of “salsa.”

La Ramona

A distinctive drink that’s often served in a large, bowl-like glass with the open beer bottle used as a garnish. Tequila, beer, clamato, salsa inglesa, salsa maggy, (petroleo) limone, tahini, orange juice.

La Ramona is a distinctive drink that’s often served in a large, bowl-like glass with an open beer bottle used as a garnish. It includes tequila and beer, Clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lime, and tahini.

Gummi Chela

Candy is dandy, liquor is quicker, and together they’re better. Limone, clamato, sal, mango gummies with red sauce, preferably dark beer. If you’re in the mood for something sweeter, try a Gummi Chela.

We’re not sure who had to the idea to combine dark beer, Clamato juice, and gummy bears with spicy red sauce and a rim of tangy salt, but kudos to that creative mind.

West Coast Michaleda

This one is more popular on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, where tourists from the northwestern US and Canada’s Lower Mainland tend to congregate. Coasties from the north like their seafood and beer, so why not combine them into one big happy glass? This drink that eats like a meal includes fried or peeled shrimp, pan drippings, other “chela” fixens. Dark beer is recommended but it’s not a requirement.

The West Coast Michelada was invented on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, where tourists from the northwestern US and Canada’s Lower Mainland tend to congregate. Visitors from the north like their seafood and beer, so why not combine them into one big happy glass? This drink that eats like a meal starts with a dark beer and includes fried or peeled shrimp, pan drippings, and other typical “chela” garnishes like lime, spicy red sauce, and salt.

Michelada de Sabores

Boilermakers. That means you get a shot glass either on the side of actually dropped into an oversized mug of beer. A frosty beverage with lemon, salt, and almost any flavor of alcohol but in particular tequila or mescal.

Pina Colada Chelada

Take away the sweet coconut milk and rum and replace it with beer, and you have this creative take on an old favorite. It might need a different name at that point, but there has yet to be a Beer Cocktail Committee ruling on what exactly this dink might be.

Hot and White

Posted by Kristy Ambrose

Enjoying Mexican food means eating and cooking with peppers.

It’s common to see the chipotle and jalapeno varieties these days in some Canadian cities. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one in a specialty store in Vancouver. Even the bigger chains like Safeway would have the trendy chipotle version.

The habanero-mayo is one I’ve only seen once anywhere in Mexico. This was the only size I saw them in, and that’s all you need.

First, I like these jars. They make excellent shot glasses and are great for storing smaller things like tacks, paper clips, and loose beads.

If you find this and want to add some spice to your egg salad or chicken sandwich, be careful. I tasted a bit just as a test and the level of picante made my tongue painfully numb for several minutes. In case you didn’t already know, this happy looking pepper is notoriously hot. The cheerful red, orange, yellow, or even pink habanero pepper hides a brutally high measurement on the Scoville index. This volcanic, molten magma lump of spiciness pretending to be a pepper makes the humble jalapeno cry in shame.

Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, has some interesting medicinal and recreational uses. The endorphin rush that goes along with the painful spicy flavor is used for pain relief for some and just for crazy fun by others.

This chemical is so badass that it attacks cancer cells and clears the phlegm from your sinuses. Your metabolism will speed up just to get away from it.

Use the same precautions with habanero mayo as you would with the actual pepper in its raw form. Anyone who has suffered the pain of “jalapeno hands” will tell you that those rubber gloves are worth it no matter how stupid you feel at the time.

Just for the record, I tried all of those home remedies at that link during our Christmas Chili Cook-off. None of them worked. That was just serrano and jalapeno peppers, so imagine how painful habaneros would have been. I wasted a lot of decent rum and yogurt, too.

If you happen to be in Puerto, check out the 6-17 Minisuper next to the gym. his little bodega has been here for years and has all kinds of crazy crap.

This store looks the same as other neighborhood bodegas, but it seems to carry a wider variety of condiments and preserved food in jars and tins. A worthy place to visit in case you’re looking for capers, pickles, olives or other such goodies in Puerto Escondido.

Updating this post to include another discovery, habenero salad dressing. I saw this at a quaint cafe on Rinconada today called Latte Chocolate. Awesome sammies and amazing loose-leaf tea, by the way.

I said I hardly ever saw this. Now, it’s haunting me.

References:

“All the Reasons Your Hot Sauce Obsession is Good for You.” By Nicholas Knock. July 1st, 2016. Taken from https://www.thrillist.com/health/nation/health-benefits-of-hot-sauce-why-capsaicin-and-peppers-are-good-for-you

“Capaisin: Risks and Benefits.” By Manouchehr Saljoughian, PharmD, PhD, Department of Pharmacy, Alta Bates Medical Center Berkeley, California. July 20, 2009. Taken from https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/capsaicin-risks-and-benefits