Making marijuana edibles at home carries an intimidation factor for those new to the practice, but anyone who’s created infused butter, cooking oil or baked goods knows how easy it really is. For most of us, the challenge is finding enough time and weed to do the job — but even that doesn’t need to be tough.

Personal-sized edibles are just as easy to make as full batches, and in desperate situations, you can do it in a rush with very small amounts of weed. As long as you have infused butter or cooking oil handy — and both of them are very easy to make in small batches — the options are endless. If you don’t, the options are more limited, but you’re not without hope.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

You could always create a fire cracker — a homemade edible made with cannabis flower, peanut butter and graham crackers — but why not have a little taste? Infused peanut butter has become my go-to when traveling. If you’re able to score hash or kief, it’s incredibly easy to make: Just decarboxylate (heating your cannabis or hash to activate the THC) and melt the hash in a bowl inside your oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Then, throw a few scoops of peanut butter inside the bowl, and put it back in the oven at 230 degrees for about ten minutes. Take out the bowl, stir the peanut butter, then put it back in the oven. After another ten to fifteen minutes, take it out, stir one more time, let it cool, and store it in the fridge.

Directions for Decarboxylating Cannabis for Cannabutter

First thing: you need to decarb your herb. Believe it or not, dried cannabis flower does not actually contain high doses of THC. In order to create the psychoactive, you need to expose your cannabis flower to heat to change the cannabinoid from its precursor form, THC acid. This transformation occurs through a process called decarboxylation. Before making cannabutter, it’s extremely important to decarboxylate your bud sample. This process happens automatically during the smoking of cannabis since you heat the herb with the flame from a lighter. Decarboxylating your herb before you cook is a vital step in the process. If you skip decarboxylation, you will be setting yourself up for a depressing surprise when you find your cannabutter has a weak potency. While the name may sound intimating, decarboxylation is easy. Just heat your herb on a baking sheet before adding it to butter! Here are a few simple directions:

1. Line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread your coarsely ground herb evenly over the sheet.
3. Bake your sample at 240°F (115°C) for up to ½ an hour, stirring occasionally and checking on your flower. This will both activate your cannabis and give it a roasted, nutty taste.

This same decarboxylation process applies to other types of cannabis as well. For example, it is also best to decarb CBD strains, decarb concentrates, and decarb stems before infusing them into recipes.

Recipe: How to Make Cannabutter Fast

Once you have activated your flower, it’s time to make some butter. While there are several quick and easy ways to make cannabutter, this stove-top Fast Cannabutter method is one of the best for new cannabis chefs:

1. Transform your coarsely ground and decarboxylated herb into a finely ground (but not pulverized) material using a food processor or blender.
2. Melt the butter on low heat in a medium saucepan.
3. Add the finely ground buds to the melted butter a little bit at a time, stirring in between.
4. Simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching and to properly mix the material. While simmering, you should see start to see small bubbles forming on the surface.

Once simmering is complete, take the mixture off of the heat and pour the hot contents through a strainer. Let the cannabutter cool at room temperature before placing it in the fridge for storage. Once strained, you’re ready to cool, store, and cook with your cannabutter! As simple as this recipe sounds, if you want to completely cut down on the hassle and prevent scorching, we recommend the Ardent Nova FX machine, the easiest way to make cannabutter at home.

How Long Does Cannabutter Last in the Fridge?

Regular butter can be safely stored for months in the refrigerator. This is not true for cannabutter. This herb-infused butter can keep for up to one month in the refrigerator if it is properly stored in an air-tight container. However, for those concerned about flavor and quality, three weeks is a better estimate. Keep in mind that the more often you take your butter out of the fridge, the more you reduce its shelf-life. Adding a little salt to the butter while it is cooling may help the butter stay fresh and maintain a good taste while in the refrigerator. You can also store cannabutter in the freezer to extend its shelf life for a couple of weeks. To do this properly, pour your freshly made cannabutter into silicone ice cube trays and let it harden. Once solid, remove the individual butter cubes and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. Simply take a cube out of the freeze, unthaw it, and use it to make a fast infused meal.

How to Make Cannabutter in a Slow Cooker

Who wouldn’t want to be rewarded with some ready-made infused butter after a long day? The slow cooker method is one of the easiest ways to make cannabutter. This method is also one of the best for preventing scorching, which can ruin the flavor of stovetop varieties. Unlike stovetop cannabutter methods, this slow cooker recipe uses water to prevent the butter from drying out and to prevent it from burning during the infusion process. To make your cannabutter in a slow cooker, collect the same ingredients as listed above. However, instead of a saucepan, you’ll need a few different tools.

Materials

• 1/2 cup water
• Slow cooker
• Glass container
• Fine strainer

Cooking method

1. Add butter and ground, decarboxylated cannabis to the slow cooker.
2. Add 1/2 cup of water.
3. Cook on low for up to three hours, stirring occasionally.
4. When cooking is completed, pour your cannabutter into a glass container while using a fine strainer to remove plant material.
5. Allow butter to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
6. In the refrigerator, the butter will harden and separate from the water. Once this separation occurs, you can lift the butter away from residual water.
7. Either discard the water or use it to make a mildly infused tea when you are in the mood.