How To Cook With CBD At Home
CBD can be integrated into all kinds of recipes! The cannabinoid can be easily infused into virtually any food or drink. Here are some key tips for doing it.
CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid and widely studied for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. This cannabinoid is also consumed for recreational purposes to achieve sensations of serenity and relaxation without actually getting high. The traditional method of consuming CBD is by smoking or vaping CBD-rich cannabis, in the form of flowers, extracts, or oils. However, the cannabinoid can also be included in edibles for a discreet and timely dose.
Cook With CBD
The CBD is fat-soluble and, therefore, is extremely easy to add a lot of recipes when infused with fat-based ingredients such as butter or coconut oil. Cannabinoids can be easily incorporated into savory dishes in the form of a dressing, sauce, and marinade. It can also be added to desserts like muffins, cakes, and even drinks like coffee and cocktails.
Regardless of how you choose to use CBD and what you choose to cook, there are certain guidelines to follow to avoid making mistakes and wasting some of this valuable cannabinoid. Here are some key tips to remember when cooking with CBD.
Decarboxylation Is The Key
There is a misconception that raw cannabis is psychoactive. It is true that the herb is loaded with cannabinoids, but they are not present in their active form. Both THC and CBD are found in acidic forms within raw cannabis, such as THCA and CBDA.
So sprinkling raw cannabis into a salad or mixing it into a drink will only get you CBDA, and what we are looking for here is CBD.
When you smoke weed, what you do is decarboxylate marijuana all the time without realizing it.
To achieve this, you simply have to chop the flowers and place them on a baking sheet or in a baking paper. Place the preparation in the oven at 110-120 ° and bake for 1 hour.
Chop The Buds For A Correct Consistency
Crushing the cannabis flowers, until obtaining a granular consistency and thus achieving the maximum surface when cooking, can be tempting. While this makes some sense, it can also make the herb flavor dominate your plate, and the butter, sauces, and marinades turn green. Chopping the herb into small pieces, instead of making it powder, will allow you subtle flavors, colors, and textures, important details for cannabis chefs who want to take advantage of their dishes.
Times Are Key
Making cannabis oils and butter requires some patience, as the ingredients must be cooked at relatively low temperatures for several hours. You should simmer your CBD butter at a temperature between 160 and 200 ° C. You can use a kitchen thermometer to help you. The infusion should remain at this temperature for approximately 3 hours.
Add Water To Improve Your Oils And Butters
It is recommended to add to the infusion the same amount of water as oil or butter, to improve the quality and appearance of the final product. The water will evaporate during the heating process, leaving a less green result and with a cleaner and smoother appearance. Additionally, it will help prevent the infusion from burning and cannabinoids from breaking down in the process.
Filter With Care
After infusing your green matter in an oil or butter base, you will have to strain it with a filter, like a fine gauze. This process requires patience since the infusion has to be introduced slowly but safely in a container that you place underneath. Even if you are losing patience, you will end up introducing part of the plant matter in the solution.
Oils And Concentrates Can Facilitate Things
If you prefer to save yourself the trouble of decarboxylating and crushing flowers, you can always opt for ready-made oils and concentrates. There are many CBD oils available that facilitate accurate dosing, which also allows you to determine the precise amount of CBD you consume in each bite.
Isolated CBD is another even easier and more accurate option. CBD crystals can be easily added to virtually any food or drink imaginable. They can also be sprinkled to decorate cakes and muffins as a crispy powder or add to coffee as if it were sugar.
…
Food, With Cannabis, Tastes Better: This Is How Scientists Explain It
Sweeping the pantry is a side effect of marijuana use well known to all its users. But why do they give us such fits of hunger? A study with mice from the University of Bordeaux has revealed how THC works in the olfactory part of the brain, generating an increase in appetite and taste. The key, therefore, is in smell, a finding that could be very useful to develop treatments that better address eating-related disorders, such as obesity and anorexia.
The endocannabinoid system
But to correctly understand the study carried out by Marsicano, one must first understand how the endocannabinoid system of the human body works. Cannabinoids in marijuana, such as CBD or THC, go to endocannabinoid receptors that are found throughout our body and that, depending on their location, have a different action on the body. Some receptors are found in the brain, others in the glands, and others in immune cells; together, they form a communication system between the brain and the human body.
When we notice the different effects of high, relaxation, psychedelia … of cannabis, its chemical compounds are interacting with our endocannabinoid communication system, changing the functioning of our body. Scientists have determined that in the human body, there are two types of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, and the most important ones are those located in the brain.
Professor Marsicano, knowing that THC binds to cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the brain, has investigated how the psychoactive compound works in the hunger-related communication system. Indeed, this union inhibits the chemical signals that tell us not to eat, thus causing a sudden outburst of appetite. But the study has revealed that smell is also altered in this process of cannabinoid binding, stimulating people their ability to perceive aromas and making food much more attractive.
Cannabis treatments for eating disorders
As we explained before, the brain and body are full of cannabinoid receptors, so a research work as precise as that of the Marsicano team has great relevance in identifying cells and communications that may be crucial for medicine. Their findings in mice open the door in humans to different ways of treating eating disorders, modifying the link between smell and appetite.…