The cannabis craze is real! Many people all over the U.S have made the most of the legalization of marijuana and certainly this has caused a surge in consumption.
However, we’re not too surprised by the overwhelming response, it has opened quite a few doors for cannabis lovers. While some are selling their products at dispensaries and cafes, others have another approach in mind. Many consumers want to know how they can incorporate their CBD into their meals.
Are you trying to mix up your cooking skills with cannabis, too? We’re so on board for this! However, before you get into it, we’d like to give you a few tips.
Don’t heat CBD oil over 295 degrees:
Decarboxylate is the process of activating CBD by putting it in high temperature of about 295 degrees F (146 degree Celsius) for about 30 to 60 minutes. All you have to do is line your baking tray with parchment paper, separate the flowers from the rest of the plant, cut them up into small pieces and spread them over the pan.
If you heat a cannabinoid over high heat, it will lose its effect and purpose. Cannabis must never be cooked over direct heat. But if you’d wish to incorporate it into your meals, you can drizzle it over cooked food as a topping. If the meal you’re cooking comes with a sauce, let it cool down and incorporate CBD as you like. With baked food, you can mix a few drops of oil into the frosting before you top off your dessert.
Mix CBD with high-fat content:
It has been found that when CBD oil is added to high-fat content, it performs a lot better. This could include things such as coconut oil, butter and even olive oil. The higher the fat content, the more likely you are to be able to increase bioavailability, almost by 4 to 5 times. The best way to go is to infuse CBD into ghee or butter of any kind and cook it on very low heat, this will prevent burning off or the vaporization of CBD while simultaneously deeply infusing your high-fat product deeply. Once have cooked CBD for long enough, you can strain out the leaf residue. Your butter or oil is now ready to be used and combined with your favorite foods.
CBD Dosing:
We advise that you add CBD oil separately to each serving. That way you can keep a track of your intake. Also, when you reheat food, it’s probable that the heat might affect the efficiency of CBD and may destroy the active fragments of CBD.
Incorporating CBD with baked foods:
If you’re looking to create a CBD infused meal for yourself or for your friends, we have some tips for you. You can add a few drops of CBD into a mixture of no-bake cookies or even fudge. Only do this after you’ve removed your batter off the heat. For other things such as cakes and cupcakes, you can incorporate CBD into the frosting and apply an even layer onto your baked goods.
Save your stock:
Now that CBD is openly available in stores, we advise that rather than making your own—though it can quite an incredible DIY project—you should just purchase CBD infused olive oil. That way, you know exactly how much of it to use. Since it’s made by professionals, you can be sure that the dosage is ideal and less likely for you to mess up. It can be much more cost effective as well.
Be patient:
CBD unlike THC takes a little longer to kick in. You can expect the effects to become more visibly apparent after the first 60 mins. The “high” lasts about seven to eight hours and may vary from person to person. The peak of the high is likely to be experienced after the first three hours. This is how the process usually pans out when directly consuming CBD. However, the effects may take slightly longer than when you mix it into food.
Be careful what you consume CBD with:
Although many people believe it to be a myth and some think it could be an exciting experiment, others advise against consuming CBD with alcohol. Though it may not do much harm, it is better to be safe than sorry. When you do serve food infused with CBD along with alcohol, make sure not to drive. It can not only be dangerous to you but all the passengers that you’re responsible for. Lastly, when serving CBD infused food to family and friends, be sure to let them know and to tell them the exact dosage so they can proceed with their meal accordingly. As we mentioned earlier, CBD can have varying effects from person to person, so informing your guests would be the responsible thing to do.
Now that you have all the information to get you started, we hope you’ll get to cooking soon! In case you’re not too much of a chef, you can add CBD oil as a topping to any of your food since it doesn’t require too much cooking to begin with. If mixing into food isn’t something you’re looking for, then add it to your tea, smoothies or even virgin cocktails!
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