For those that aren’t big fans of the cannabis plant’s aftertaste, it might be easier to either eat or drink it in something that’s delicious and familiar. Combining cannabis oil into food has been around for some time. Yet, it has seemingly been gaining popularity with more and more products being created across the globe where THC is legal.
There are many products that you can buy pre-made, several among the favorites are candies and baked treats — yet, many still don’t know how to make them. In this article we tell you how you can make your own foods infused with cannabis.
What Are Cannabis-Infused Foods?
Essentially, cannabis infused foods contain one or more active chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. This is typically either the popular THC, known to cause a high sensation in the body or CBD, a non-psychoactive compound, well-studied for its therapeutic benefits. Both sweet and savory, these infused foods can come in a variety of forms including gummies, baked goods such as brownies and cookies — really anything you could possibly think of, it can probably be made into an infused cannabis edible. Typically recipes for these foods require oil, butter, or any other type of fat that can easily be made 420-friendly.
While it may be difficult to believe that such a plant can provide any type of mental and physical relief cannabis possesses great therapeutic potential. While there is more research to be conducted, current science has demonstrated cannabis to be effective in helping with pain, anxiety, inflammation, stress, depression, and many other ailments.
Cannabis to Choose for Infused Foods
Just as you would use the best quality for any food you prepare at home, you want to also look at the quality of the cannabis you wish to use. There are several dispensaries and online stores where you can find top-quality products. Many do not know that foods can be infused not only with flower but with wax as well — better known as concentrates.
It all really comes down to your preference and sometimes, it can be as simple as asking a professional what particular type of strain may be best for your tastes and needs.
Perhaps the easiest way to decide what to choose is to make a list of the desired effects you wish to achieve and also the benefits that you wish to receive. This will not only help you enjoy your food, but also provide you the best cannabis infused food experience possible.
After choosing your product and considering its quality, you can move on to finding a delicious recipe to try at home — which will help you save a bit of money, experiment with different foods that you love and also enjoy all of the therapeutic benefits cannabis has to offer.
How to Make Cannabis-Infused Baklava
There are a few things that you will need in order to try cannabis-infused pistachio baklava:
Sugar Syrup:
1¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons glucose syrup (optional)
A squeeze of lemon
⅛ teaspoon table salt
One tablespoon of orange blossom water (do this according to your taste.)
You can add additional Canna-Oil to the orange blossom water
Nut Filling:
3 cups of shelled, raw unsalted pistachios
Pastry:
Two packages of phyllo dough, a total of 30 sheets thawed
1 ½ cups of Cannabutter or Canna-Oil
You will need to prepare each of the steps separately in order to get the desired outcome.
Directions To Make Sugar Syrup:
You will need a small saucepan; place all of the following into the saucepan: the sugar, water, glucose syrup (if you opt to choose to use this), lemon, and salt, and bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring to ensure that the sugar dissolves.
Once boiling, take off the heat and stir in the orange blossom water.
Transfer to a cup or bowl to let cool while preparing the additional steps.
Directions To Make a Pastry:
Use either the lower or middle rack and heat the oven to 150C/300F.
Throw pistachios in a food processor or cut them up as best as possible.
Brush a baking pan with the melted cannabutter or Canna-Oil. Unfold phyllo on a large cutting board and smooth out with hands to flatten. Prevent drying by covering.
Layer 7 more phyllo sheets into the pan, brushing each sheet with more butter or oil. Top with 1 cup of the ground pistachios evenly.
Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo into the pan, brushing each layer with more butter or oils and then again with pistachios.
Repeat with six more sheets of phyllo and more butter or oil.
Layer the remaining ten sheets of phyllo into the pan using the nicest, most intact sheets. You’ll want to continue the same routine of brushing each layer.
Brush the remaining Cannabutter or Canna-Oil over the top part of the sheets.
Bake your baklava until it looks crispy and golden. At about 1 3/4 hours; rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking throughout.
After you take the baklava out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup evenly over all of the cut lines.
Cool to room temperature for about 3 hours, then cover with foil and let stand at least 8 hours before serving. (Baklava can be kept at room temperature for up to 10 days.
We should mention that the onset of cannabis inside foods is slower than other delivery methods. Therefore, we suggest that you consume low and slow — especially for those who are new to cannabis or have a low tolerance for THC. While no one has ever died from consuming cannabis, overconsumption of THC specifically may lead to increased anxiety, paranoia, dizziness, dryness in the mouth (cottonmouth).
All that said, please be sure to monitor your dosage to ensure a safe experience.
Conclusion
Cannabis infused foods can be a great way to get your daily dose, in a tasty way and without sacrificing flavor.
While these are some pretty delicious recipes to try, if it is your first time cooking with cannabutter or Canna-Oil, we suggest that you seek a second opinion from either a budtender or cannabis professional as well as perform your own research for dosage recommendations. Enjoy eating your way to therapeutic bliss safely and responsibly!
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