Move over marijuana there is a new form of cannabis that’s all the rave to cook with. More and more people are mixing their CBD oil into their foods and drinks. It makes taking your favorite supplement a breeze, and it greatly helps take away the less than desirable grassy hemp flavor.
If you’re already a fan of CBD-infused foods, you’ll definitely want to learn how to cook with them. Many states, such as Texas and New York are trying to outlaw food and drink products that contain CBD due to statements by the FDA. So today, we’re going to cover five need-to-know tips when cooking with CBD oil.
High-Quality CBD Oil
The is a sea of CBD products out there, some good, and others that are downright terrible. That’s why it’s important that you follow a few essential rules when selecting a high-quality CBD oil.
• CO2 Extraction
The CO2 solventless extraction process is regarded as one, if not the best way to extract CBD from hemp plants. The process is easy on the compounds in hemp, and this is what we want as the compounds won’t easily break down when cooking with the oil.
As well, it gives us a better starting potency, and the oil should retain its potency for longer. Alcohol and butane are regarded as safe extraction processes as well but are not as common.
• Certificate of Analysis
Never buy a CBD oil without seeing the certificate of analysis (COA) first. The COA is awarded to a company after they have had their CBD oil tested by an independent lab for accuracy and safety. It tests for the presence and amount of CBD, THC, and other compounds in hemp while also making sure the label clearly represents what’s in the oil.
• Organic
Hemp is a phytoremediation plant, and this means it can uptake heavy metals, and other harmful chemicals in the soil without directly harming itself. However, those dangerous chemicals can carry over into our CBD oil and harm us. CBD works by coming in contact and interacting with receptors on cells, and the last thing we need is a harmful chemical doing the same.
This is why you should always go with organically grown hemp where the soil is regularly tested for dangerous chemicals. A COA will also check for heavy metals, pesticides, and other hazards, so that’s another reason you want to always see it.
Tips For Cooking With CBD Oil
♦ Start Small And Make Sure To Stir!
Please start small, or you’ll regret it. While it’s true that CBD is non-toxic and there is no risk of an overdose, it can make you tired if you take too much.
Worse, CBD oil often has a fairly strong aroma and taste. If you add too much, which isn’t difficult, you will overpower your food and kill the flavor. Most people don’t have a problem with CBD oil’s flavor, but it’s not like they are running to guzzle it down either.
So start small to find your perfect ratio, and stir, stir, stir. Stirring helps ensure the CBD oil is coming in contact with all the fat in the dish you’re preparing. Not only does this help your body absorb the CBD better, but it will also help dial down the flavor.
♦ Watch Your Temperatures
Hemp has a conflicting, but crucial relationship with heat. Cannabinoids like CBD need heat to lose a group of acids attached to them that makes it hard for them to interact with receptors. This process is called decarbing, and most likely your CBD oil is already decarbed. You’ll need to decarb your cannabis if you’re making CBD oil from scratch.
However, if you apply too much heat, instead of just destroying the acids, you destroy the entire compound. When cooking with CBD oil try to keep temperatures down around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now, you’re probably wondering how people bake with cannabis when baking temps usually require temps in the 300s. The trick is while your oven is set to 300+ degrees Fahrenheit, the internal temperature of the brownies or whatever you’re baking won’t reach that temperature. This protects the compounds from breaking down.
♦ Pairing CBD with the Right Foods
We’ve just learned that high temperatures will destroy the cannabinoids, terpenes, and other fantastic compounds in hemp when it exceeds 300 degrees Fahrenheit. We’ve also learned that depending on the internal temp of the cooking, our oven can be set to 350+ degrees Fahrenheit without worrying about the compounds degrading.
This can make things confusing, but thankfully, there are hundreds, if not thousands of recipes that involve cooking cannabis safely. The first few times you cook, it’s a great idea to follow a recipe that someone else put together.
A cannabis recipe will also take into consideration two other essential components of cooking with cannabis. Here’s what you can expect the recipes to focus on.
- Perfecting Temperature – You’ll notice that recipes frequently focus on baking with CBD and cannabis often since internal temperatures stay cooler than what the oven is set to.
- Pairing With Fats – As well, you notice CBD is paired with fats since the compounds in hemp are fat soluble and not water soluble.
- Flavor Masking – Last, you’ll notice that the food cannabis is mixed often has a strong flavor that covers over the grassy flavor.
♦ Storing CBD
Store your CBD infused food the same way you would CBD. That means either in a cool, dark, and dry place at room temperature or in the refrigerator if the food itself requires it. Direct light is your biggest enemy.
Conclusion
That’s all there really is to cooking with CBD oil. It’s much simpler than cooking with raw cannabis since it eliminates the decarboxylation set. As well, most CBD oil is already paired with fat called a carrier oil, so you won’t have to focus adding additional fat to any recipe lacking in it.
Remember, to check out recipes that cook with cannabis first, as well there some great TV shows that cook with cannabis where you’ll learn a lot. After that, you’ll be cooking with CBD oil like a pro in no time.