Updated on April 9th, 2023
We all enjoy the tingly, exciting feeling of eating cannabis edibles, which explains why most of us make them at home. And you’ve probably come across various recipes that teach how to prepare them. Plus, you’ll agree that one of the most popular and flexible cannabis edibles is cannabis butter, called cannabutter.
But not everyone agrees on how long it should take to make this edible, especially when you’re preparing the butter in a crockpot. Well, this recipe will help you create a standard duration for your formula, so making cannabutter becomes easier for you.
Tips to Preparing Cannabutter in the Crockpot
Using a crockpot to prepare cannabutter has its perks. You get more of the ‘green taste effect due to the extra amount of chlorophyll released into the mixture for starters. And secondly, it’s easier and doesn’t require you to decarboxylate the cannabis before cooking.
It helps to know that cooking cannabis in butter doesn’t provide the same effects as when you vape or smoke it. Unlike the latter two, cooking produces a more potent dose of cannabis, and as such, you must take caution when making cannabutter. Luckily, some helpful tips are available to ensure you avoid this.
Use Unsalted Butter
Always use unsalted butter to make your cannabutter recipe. It’s more forgiving in terms of flavor and also contains lesser impurities.
Pre-decarb Vs. Non-decarb Flower
Take note of the state of your cannabis flower before you cook. If you decarb the flower before mixing it in the butter, you’d cook it for a lesser time. Otherwise, you would need a longer time to prepare it.
Grind
Use a coffee grinder to grind the flowers before mixing them in with the butter. The coffee grinder gives you a coarse grind that is easier to strain afterward.
Cook Slow at Low Temperature
Always cook your cannabutter at low temperature, as any higher will denature the flower, waste the cannabinoids and even lead to scorching.
Stir
You need the mixture to infuse, so be sure to stir the butter and ground cannabis occasionally properly.
Strain
Once the cooking time is reached, you’ll notice some extra liquid and sediments at the top. Strain this liquid after you’ve allowed the cannabutter to cool by pouring it over a funnel lined with cheesecloth. Make sure not to press the cannabutter but allow it to drain freely.
Cannabutter Cooking Time in a Crockpot
The duration needed to prepare cannabutter in a crockpot depends on the condition of the flower. As such, you can prepare cannabutter in two ways; either with non-decarbed cannabis or with decarb ones. The process of decarboxylation itself is necessary to convert the cannabinoid acids in the flower into the compounds responsible for producing that sought-after ‘high’ effect the flower gives you. This conversion is achieved by using heat to force the THCA and CBDA into THC and CBD.
To decarboxylate or decarb cannabis flower, you need to place the flowers in a non-stick oven tray and bake at 245°F for about 40 minutes. Ensure to shake the tray every 10 minutes to mix the flowers and expose their surfaces for more baking.
When you use pre-decarb cannabis flowers for your cannabutter, your cooking time is significantly reduced. This condition lets you use only about 4 hours for cooking the cannabutter thoroughly. But when using non-decarbed cannabis flowers, you’ll have to cook for longer; about 8 hours is what you’ll need to cook the cannabutter thoroughly.
How to Dose Cannabutter
Knowing how much cannabis you infuse into the butter is just as important as knowing how to make the recipe itself. This knowledge is fundamental as it helps you reduce the chances of under or overdosing yourself with the herb. And since our bodies react differently to cannabis, we must know how much of it we can use.
If you’ve been a former consumer of cannabis, it’s best to start with an amount you’re used to taking for your cannabutter recipe. After preparing the butter, eat about ½ teaspoon and observe how you react to it in an hour. By this, you can cut down or add to the amount of cannabis you’ve used till you reach your preferred dose. From that point, you can use that acquired amount for every recipe you cook.
If you’re new to consuming cannabis, you may need medical advice to know more about your endocannabinoid system- how your body reacts to the cannabinoid acids.
Now that you know how much time you need to prepare cannabutter in a crockpot, why not try out this easy recipe next time.
PrintHomemade Crockpot Cannabutter
Ingredients
- Cannabis flower, pre-decarbed, coarsely grinded
- Unsalted butter
- Water
Instructions
- Set your crockpot to low (around 160°F will do) and add a bit of water.
- Put the butter and grounded cannabis flower into the crockpot and allow it to melt. Stir the contents occasionally and let it simmer for about 3 hours.
- Switch off the crockpot and leave the cannabutter to cool, and then strain. Store the cannabutter in a jar in the fridge.
