Cannabutter (Cannabis-Infused Butter)
Author: DeGangsta
Preperation time: 1H
Cook Time: 4H
Total Time: 5H
Recipe Yield: ~1/2 Cup of Cannabutter
Recipe Ingredients: 1/4 Oz. Ground Cannabis Buds (Decarbed), 1 Stick of Butter (1/2 Cup), 3/4 Cup Water
Recipe Instructions: Step 1. Heat up the butter and water Step 2. Put in the cannabis Step 3. Simmer the Cannabutter Step 4. Strain into container
Keywords: cannabis, butter, weed, cannabutter
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Cannabutter (Cannabis-Infused Honey)
For the following recipe we overview how to make the most potent cannabis butter, referred to as “Cannabutter” in the cannabis cooking community. This easy Cannabutter recipe uses just salted butter, water and cannabis buds to complete. We use a pot to cook the Cannabutter in, however a slow-cooker or any alternative can be substituted.
Note that in order to make the most potent Cannabutter, a long simmering process is required to help extract the active cannabinoids (THC, THCV, CBD, ect.) from the plant material and infuse into the butter. This recipe can take as long as you desire.
The first step is to decide what cannabis you are going to use for making the Cannabutter. Fresh or cured marijuana buds can be cooked, along with leaf trimmings, however for the best potency it’s wise to go for the most THC-filled cannabis material that you have. For example, trimmed, cured buds work great for Cannabutter and it is what we will be using for this recipe.
About Decarboxylation
Prior to using cannabis in cooking, it’s best to decarboxylate the cannabis material. Decarboxylating cannabis, also referred to as “Decarb”, is simply preheating the buds in order to convert non-psychoactive THCA into psychoactive THC. The heat creates a chemical change, a process that happens whenever we burn and smoke weed.
The exact temperatures vary, but at around 30-45 minutes of 220 degrees Fahrenheit heat the cannabis begins to decarboxylate.
For this recipe, since we’re only cooking the butter up to ~200ºF hot, that extra 45ºF we get from decarbing the buds will help to activate the most amount of THC.
To decarb buds just put them on a tray and stick the tray in the oven at ~245ºF. The decarb process will take only up to an hour. You can line the tray with paper if you are worried about crud getting into the buds. Watch the oven closely, especially if you have an old oven which could end up burning the buds which I’ve personally seen before. Every so often open up the oven door and flip around the buds.
Regarding the Potency of Cannabis
The potency of the Cannabutter largely depends on the amount of cannabis buds used to make it. Also important is the quality of the buds, relating to the amount of psychoactive cannabinoids produced by the plant. While all strains vary in potency, indica strains are usually more potent in the body while sativa strains are most potent in the head. Researching the differences is cannabis strains and also the affect of their growth conditions may shed some light on the buds themselves. Ultimately, the best way to test potency in cannabis is to sample some beforehand, in a joint or bong.
In most cases you will want to use at least 5 grams of cannabis buds per half-a-cup of butter to make a strong batch that can be used in any marijuana edibles. (1/2 cup of butter is one whole stick, a 1/4 pound in weight). We used a quarter of bud (7 grams) with a half-a-cup of butter for our Cannabutter recipe. You may choose to adjust the cannabis dosage to your preferences, beginners may want to start at a lower dose, using only an eighth of weed per half-cup of butter. Experienced stoners may opt for a super potent batch of Cannabutter by infusing a half-ounce or more of buds (14 grams+ per 1/2 cup of butter)
Cannabutter Recipe Instructions
Prepare cannabis: To start have the decarbed buds finely ground and measured out to your chosen dosage. We used a quarter ounce of bud (7 grams) for our example.
Step 1. Heat up the butter and water
Turn on a stove-top burner on low heat and add the butter into a pot. We will also add water, due to the cannabis material being added into the mix, water helps to keep a good consistency, and some will vaporize away as the Cannabutter is being cooked. About 3/4 cup of water with 1/2 cup of butter will do the trick for a quarter ounce of buds. More or less cannabis material may scale water amounts accordingly. Heat this mixture up hot, but don’t boil it.
Step 2. Put in the cannabis
Once the butter and water have heated up and melted together, you can add in the ground cannabis buds to pot. Then stir the mixture around with a spoon. Try to get an even mix of cannabis throughout the butter and water. Again, you don’t want to boil the butter – the secret to making high quality Cannabutter is about low temperatures.
Step 3. Simmer the Cannabutter
Cover the pot with a lid and keep the Cannabutter simmering at a low heat for as long as you want. Some cannabis chefs go as long as a full day, however we find that ~4 hours is an adequate time period for cannabis-butter infusion. Continue to check on the butter’s consistency and keeping the mix at low heat. You may want to remove the milk solids that form on the surface layer of the heated butter.
Keep in mind while simmering the Cannabutter, you want to look for the tiny bubbles that form on the surface level of the hot mixture. These bubbles indicate the Cannabutter is cooking at appropriate temperatures. Larger bubbles from higher temperatures are a sign that you may have the heat set too high.
Step 4. Strain into container
Line cheesecloth or other fine straining cloth through a funnel to filter out the cannabis material from the butter. The liquid that goes thru the cloth is your new homemade purified cannabis-infused butter. You will want to remove any floating solids that remain on the surface of the hot liquid.
Now you can move the butter into a cool location to harden up, like a fridge or cold basement. After the cannabutter is cooled down you can chop it up into pieces and use however you desire.
Finished
Congratulations you have just made Cannabutter, potent cannabis-infused butter. Use this new cannabis-infused butter as a substitute for any recipe that requires butter as an ingredient. Remember to start small and work your way up in dosage if you’re new to the effects of cannabis edibles.
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