Clankie's Cannabutter

So, you have some extra herb, and you want to make cannabutter? Do you want a pictorially illustrated guide, but don't want to use one of the approximately 7,000 already on the internet? Well, you're in luck, because cannabutter is one of the foundational ingredients for cooking with cannabis, most frequently used in baked goods and candies; both of which I will be discussing at great length in this Gob. While I will be getting into the recipes for goodies later, when building a house you start with the foundation, and so without any further ado I give you my recipe for cannabutter. Recommended dosages may vary, so feel free to copy my method, but take heed when copying my exact recipe. I make medicinal edibles for people who need serious pain relief and sleep aid from their medication.

First, you will need some supplies. For my method, you will be required to have a double boiler (first figure), or the ability to fashion one out of a mixing bowl and a saucepan (second figure). You will also need a whisk, a silicon spatula, a candy thermometer, some cheesecloth, and two containers to pour the butter into. Oh, and weed and butter. Don't forget those. Make sure all your utensils are incredibly clean and dry. 

I will be starting with 50g of K.O. Kush F4 (Sannie's Seeds) that I grew recently. I have dried them completely, then pulverized them using the freshly cleaned bottom of a shot glass. It is important that your bud be both dry and fairly loose or crushed. However, you want to be sure to contain as much of the product as possible, so make sure you crush it in a container that will contain the fine particulates that will be produced. I use a large 'glass' baking dish.

Put between 1 and 2 inches of water into the bottom of the double boiler, and set it on the stove on medium-high heat. Place the butter (I will be using 1 pound of unsalted organic butter) into the top of the double boiler. Once the butter has completely melted, slowly mix in the cannabis, making sure to evenly saturate and distribute the leaf throughout the melted butter. Once all the herb is mixed in with the butter, position the candy thermometer to get an accurate reading on the butter (usually 180-190°f) and get ready to do some waiting.

It is important to cook the butter for a fairly long period of time, stirring every 10-15 minutes. As long as you don't cook it too hot (almost impossible when using a double boiler) there are no downsides to cooking it past its point of readiness. Now, for me, the easiest way to determine this readiness is when the leaf matter no longer floats in the butter, but when not stirred completely settles to the bottom. There is also a definite change in the consistency and visual appearance of the leaf material as more and more of the essential oils are absorbed by the butter, and when done will be most similar to boiled, chopped spinach.  It looks very similar to leaf after it is processed for ice water hash (guide soon to come.)  It usually takes between 1.5-2 hours to reach this stage, depending on the herb used.

Now, very carefully and over a low heat, you will heat your butter up to approximately 250 degrees. This will activate the thc throughout the butter so that you do not need to do so in the cooking process, as many food products will not reach that temperature. Try to sustain this temperature briefly, just a couple minutes, and then place back into the bottom of the double boiler. It is now ready to be strained. 

 

I position a large square of folded cheesecloth (obtainable in either the cookware or canning section of most grocery stores) over a tupperware container at least twice the size of the butter you are making. Pictured is a 4 cup glass container. Make sure to squeeze out the leaf material in the cheesecloth, I press mine against the side of the container with the spatula, as it is quite too hot to handle with bare hands.  Try to squeeze every last drop from the butter, but be carefull not to rip the cheesecloth, as getting a bunch of nasty leaf in your butter will really be a bummer.

Now, simply let cool in the fridge overnight, and voila! Ganja buttter! Use sparingly, tends to be quite strong.