The Herbivore: Holiday Cannabis Preparations and Recipes

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Holiday Cannabis Preparation and Recipes

by Brett Smith

This new year, resolve to gather with friends and family to enjoy good food and company. What better way to enhance the experience for all (Who are of age and have a medical card, of course!) than by adding a cannabis-infused dish to your menu? There are a variety of ways to infuse your dishes with cannabis to spice up your 2020, from creating your own canna-butter to easy-to-use products like the KAYA Dab Buckets, HMH has you covered for your cannabis cooking needs!

As many patients may have experienced in the past, one of the most efficient ways to use your old flower that you don’t want to smoke is to make canna-butter! Making canna-butter isn’t as difficult as one might think, but there are some important steps to follow in order to ensure your cannabis is activated and can be fully processed by one’s endocannabinoid system. The first important step is to decarboxylate your flower in order to convert the THCA into activated THC which is responsible for the psychoactive high. Heat is the primary way to convert THCA into THC, we usually do this using a lighter, but to make canna-butter the easiest way is to actually bake the fresh flower in the oven. We don’t want to actually combust the flower, but rather chemically transform the THCA molecules to THC, so spread your flower in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for around 40 minutes at 240*F. After you have decarboxylated (decarbed) your flower, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the decarboxylated flower and cook on medium-low, taking care not to let the temperature reach above 200*F. (Link 1 – Wake and Bake)

In addition to using flower to make homemade edibles, you can also use shatter – a form of cannabis concentrate – to make edibles with what is called a broad or full spectrum of cannabinoids. Broad or full-spectrum cannabis products differ from isolates because rather than isolating solely THC or CBD as the desired cannabinoid but instead contains a variety of cannabinoids that work together in your endocannabinoid system.

Cooking and baking with cannabis is relatively simple, and the process is made even easier by using some of the products we carry here at High Mountain Health. One product we carry at High Mountain Health that makes cooking with cannabis incredibly easy are the KAYA Dab Buckets. Our KAYA Dab Buckets contain one gram (1000 mg) of solvent-free THC distillate with added organic, food-grade terpenes to determine strain-specific effects (Link 2 – Kaya Infusions). This way, you can decide whether your edibles keep you going through the day with Green Crack Distillate, or use the Grand Daddy Purple distillate help you wind down and relax. Cooking or baking with KAYA Distillate is simple because it can be added to almost any baking recipe by mixing the distillate in with your wet ingredients. KAYA Distillate is already activated which means you could consume it directly from the container and still get the full medicinal effects. As a result, the KAYA distillate is versatile and easy to incorporate into just about any recipe. Distillate can be easily combined with other oils such as coconut oil or olive oil, merely by mixing over very low heat (below 230* F, or you will begin to degrade your THC molecules!)

In addition to any KAYA distillate, the KAYA Health Oil can be used as an additive to holiday baked goods. The KAYA Health Oils are High Mountain Health’s full-spectrum, highly refined version of Rick Simpson Oil and they are available in Indica, Sativa, 1:1 THC:CBD, 1:2 THC:CBD, and 1:3 THC:CBD options. While the Health Oil is a useful option for patients looking for a particularly potent, full-spectrum additive for their edibles, patients should be aware that the KAYA Health Oil is slightly more difficult to mix into ingredients than the KAYA Distillate because of how vicious it is, and the KAYA Health Oil does also have a stronger cannabis flavor than KAYA Distillate.

Another product that makes cooking or baking with cannabis incredibly easy is the HiBuddy Honey. HiBuddy Honey are 2-ounce jars of 100% pure, Arizona honey that has been infused with 300 MG of activated THC that is sourced from pure Indica strains for a relaxing and sedating high. The HiBuddy Honey can be used to bake or cook with, mixed directly into food or beverages, as well as eaten straight.

Cannabis edibles make it will make it easy for everyone, not just the gingerbread men, to get baked this holiday season. Just make sure Santa knows his cookies are medicated – we don’t want him flying his sled too high!

Equipped with this new knowledge of techniques and products, you can be sure that your cookies and sweets aren’t the only things getting baked in 2020!

Here are a few HMH approved recipes to inspire your cannabis-infused 2020!!

Pot Toddy

Ingredients: Bourbon (if desired), ¼ oz. honey, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 lemon, 2 cups hot cider, 5 – 50 mg KAYA distillate depending on desired potency

Directions: Heat cider until boiling. Remove from heat and add honey, bourbon, distillate, and stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge and cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Cannabis Gummies via PotGuide.com

Ingredients: Cup Fruit puree or fruit juice, ¼ Cup water, 1 ½ Tablespoon of gelatin, or for vegan folks, agar is a fine substitute, 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar, ⅛ Teaspoon pink salt, 1 gram cannabis distillate

(Pro Tip: divide the total milligrams of the distillate by the number of gummies to figure out the approximate dosage per gummy)

Directions:

Heat the fruit puree or juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat
With puree heating, pour gelatin and water in a bowl and mix until well-dissolved
When puree reaches a low boil, add granulated sugar and pink salt, then mix until dissolved
Slowly add the water and gelatin mixture to the puree, stirring constantly, for about three minutes
Add the cannabis distillate and stir until thoroughly combined to ensure homogenization (if you have a candy thermometer handy, ensure that the fruit puree is below 350 degrees Fahrenheit)
Pour or scrape your gummy mix into a turkey baster syringe for transfer into the gummy molds. Handle with care, it will be hot!
Fill the molds and let it sit at room temperature for twenty minutes
After 20 minutes have passed, place molds in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or until gummies set
After the gummies are set, remove them from the mold and toss them with granulated sugar to keep them from sticking
Eat and wait!

Sandy Pirate Peppermint Pretzel Sticks by Santos

Ingredients: 1 Bag Pretzel Rods (The big ones!), 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 candy canes (crushed into pieces), Kaya Distillate

Directions: Melt chocolate on low heat. Mix chocolate and distillate until evenly combined. Dunk pretzel rods in chocolate and sprinkle candy cane pieces onto chocolate covered pretzels. Enjoy!!!

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