RVD’s—CBD DIYs—Intro to Baking Part 1

Thanks to the farm bill, cannabis with less than .3% THC is legal on a federal level. So, CBD products that range from food to beauty are flooding the market. While we support adding CBD to your diet, skin, and pet’s health, buying premade products is a crapshoot; you don’t always know what else is in there. At RVDCBD we aim to put the info and power in your hands. Thus, this write-up will launch a series of articles on CBD DIYs. Now you can bake, cook, and make health and beauty products for you and your pets all including CBD. Let’s get this show on the road with part 1—Intro to Baking with CBD.

What Are Edibles?

The term edible means food items. However, the common meaning refers to foods infused with cannabis. Before today’s technology, the major compounds (THC and CBD) were not separated from what was made. So, edibles in the past were known to make you high because they contained unrefined marijuana. Today you have many cannabis options to work with like zero THC, full-spectrum, and even broad-spectrum. It all depends on what you want. 

There are also many benefits to edibles. Edibles are the perfect option for nonsmokers. With edibles, you control the cannabis potency, and what it’s in. The options are endless from the ever-classic brownie to cookies, gummies, smoothies, tea, even steak, butter, fish, french toast, and more. 

Equipment Needed for CBD DIY Edibles

If you’re stressing out—don’t. Baking with edibles is no more difficult than regular baking. All you need is a functioning oven, some raw cannabis flower, your basic kitchen utensils, and a recipe. Before we jump in, let’s get something straight. Some people will tell you, that to get the most from your cannabis, you must buy a “decarboxylator.” That’s fake news. While they do hold the temperature stable, which can ensure more of your cannabis compounds have been activated, it’s completely unnecessary. All you need is a modern oven, maybe some tinfoil to hold the heat in, and a baking sheet. Save yourself the cash, unless you have between 40 to 200 bucks to blow, or you love tech gadgets. So, grab your baking utensils, maybe a glass of wine (just for fun), and let’s get to it!

Before Cooking or Baking Edibles

If you want to get the most from your cannabis, you first must decarb the raw hemp. Using raw hemp won’t be as potent or efficient. No, your hemp is not removing “carbs” like a keto diet. Scientifically speaking, decarboxylation is a chemical reaction where a carbon atom (not a complex carbohydrate) is removed from the carbon chain using heat. To unlock the THC benefits you need heat, but not too much. Stay tuned for the next in the DIY series, the ins and outs of decarboxylation. Follow the steps below to get started:

The Old School Decarbing Method

You will need raw dried cannabis, a baking sheet, parchment paper, an egg or oven timer, and a functioning oven.

1. Preheat your oven to 225° F
2. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Grind your hemp to a fine consistency
4. Spread the ground, dried weed evenly on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper
5. When the oven has completely preheated, place the baking sheet with hemp on the middle rack
6. Bake for 40-60 minutes
7. Remove the sheet, and mix the hemp well
8. Store in a dark dry place

3 Tips for Food CBD DIYs

First, cannabis is fat-soluble. In other words, it dissolves in fats. When cooking or baking with cannabis, you must have fat like butter or oil with it. Otherwise, your body won’t be able to process the cannabis. So, fats in this case are good.

Secondly, the best tasting most effective edibles all begin with a base ingredient that is infused with cannabis. Depending on what you are making, this ingredient may change. The most common fat-soluble bases infused with CBD are butter (which is the most common), cooking oil (olive and coconut are the top picks) and honey, but other baking fats would do too.

Third, keep baking temperatures low with cannabis. Chemistry 101 teaches us that cannabis is a chemical made up of elements from the periodic table, like everything organic. Furthermore, high heats activate the compounds in cannabis and speed up their decomposition. This is good when smoking, but bad when baking. In other words, high temperatures open the flood gates, and the potency degrades faster. High heats also evaporate the terpenes. So, high heat is good when smoking and bad when baking. 

How Do You Store Your CBD DIYs?

Homemade edibles have the same shelf life as other homemade foods. This means homemade edibles go stale and rancid. To keep your “decarbed” cannabis or finished baked goods fresh, store them in an airtight container. For longer shelf life, try the fridge. Also, LABEL, LABEL, LABEL all edibles. Be kind and remind your family and friends what has cannabis in your fridge. And KEEP THEM OUT OF CHILDREN’S REACH. THC is a major No-No for children. For more on the dangers of cannabis exposure to children, click here. 

Summin’ it Up CBD DIYs

Making edibles is as easy as baking a cake, literally. Don’t buy into the fads and expensive tools unless you want to. Remember fats are good in this case, and high heat is bad. The adage, “When it’s smoking it’s cooking, and when it’s burnt it’s done”—is a no go with CBD! 

Don’t forget to LABEL what you’ve made—Contains CBD. Make a warning label for kids, roommates, or family members, especially if you plan on storing it in the community fridge.

Last of all, stay tuned for more recipes and tips on “how to” bake, cook, and make health and beauty products for you and your pets with CBD. Next up with RVDCBD’s CBD DIYs:

• 101 Part 2—All you need to know about Decarboxylation
• 101 Part 3—Ready, Set, Bake with Infused-Cannabis (butter, oil, and honey)