Marijuana concentrates refer to substances with extremely high levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical responsible for the drug’s intoxicating effects. Marijuana concentrates, commonly known as honey oil, wax, budder, and many other street names, resemble honey or butter. These usually contain three times more THC than traditional marijuana.
Knowing More About Kief and Hash
Every cannabis plant is coated with trichomes, which are tiny mushroom-like particles found all over the plant’s leaves, buds, and stalks. These microscopic crystals contain naturally occurring compounds, known as cannabinoids, that give marijuana and hemp plants the effects that make them highly valuable to users.
Kief
When trichomes dry out and break off, they are referred to as kief or dry sift, which is a powdery substance considered to be one of the earliest types of marijuana concentrate.
To make kief, you only need to knock the trichomes off its bud and collect them. Do this by placing your cannabis plant in a pollen sifter box that has two cases. The base of the upper case should be covered with a fine mesh, such as a silkscreen. Store your plant at the upper part and let its kief fall off to naturally accumulate in the case below.
Depending on how much of the raw cannabis plant remains, kief’s color can range from white to green. Kief has a texture that can vary from slightly gluey to gummy and can be consumed by itself or fused with other forms of cannabis to produce a stronger effect.
Hash
Hashish or hash is a marijuana concentrate made from cannabis resin or kief that was collected, heated, and pressed into a mass. Hash, which is essentially cannabis pollen, can be compressed into various forms, such as discs, balls, and sheets.
One way to make a block of hash is by wrapping a stash of kief in a small piece of parchment paper and then folding it into a parcel. After this, fill the glass container with hot water, then seal it tight. Start rolling the jar firmly over the parcel several times. The kief will solidify and turn into a bar. To loosen the paper, store the parcel in the fridge for about half an hour, then unwrap it.
The color of hash can range from gold to dark green or brown and its consistency can differ from dry, dusty and crumbly to sticky, putty-like form. Since it is made of kief concentrate, it is a lot more potent than dry sift kief. Hash can be smoked on its own, infused with tobacco, or mixed with food.
Decarboxylation Before Cooking With Marijuana Concentrates
Before you cook with kief or hash, decarboxylating it first is essential to activate the THC. This can be done by heating marijuana at low temperatures over a prolonged time. The step-by-step process is as follows:
- Preheat your oven to 245 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place your kief or hash in a container, such as a baking casserole dish.
- Cover the container with foil, then put it inside the oven for approximately half an hour. Ensure that your oven is kept at low heat to give time for your concentrates to decarboxylate. Otherwise, the high temperature will reduce its potency.
- Remove the container from the oven, then set aside to cool down.
- Discard the cover and use your decarboxylated kief or hash to cook various edibles.
Decarboxylation is important because unprocessed cannabis is made of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid or THCa, a precursor to THC. THC is the psychoactive ingredient that users seek to get high. THCa is not intoxicating and has an extra carboxy ring that must be eliminated to produce THC. Decarboxylation is then used to remove the excess ring attached to THCa. One of the most common techniques of decarboxylation is by applying heat to the compound. Cannabis needs to be heated between 220 to 245 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 to 45 minutes to successfully convert THCa to THC.
Why Cook With Marijuana Concentrates
Marijuana cooking with concentrates, such as kief and hash, provides one of the most potent consciousness-expanding experiences possible. Although smoking pot can get you high for a few hours, consuming cannabis edibles with kief or hash can give you lasting effects for as long as 12 hours. Not to mention the concentrate’s effects that are much stronger than smoking.
While a lot of people find it easier to buy edibles, some users prefer cooking with concentrates. One benefit of making edibles on your own is being able to control the dosage or desired levels of THC and add different flavors accordingly.
How to Cook With Kief and Hash
There are several ways to cook using marijuana concentrates. However, the best approach is to infuse kief and hash with oil or butter. THC binds with fats, so cooking marijuana concentrates with lard, butter, olive oil, or any kind of cooking oil will make the mixture saturated with cannabis compounds. After this, add the components in pretty much any kind of food recipe.
- Start by putting one gram of decarboxylated marijuana concentrate and two ounces of oil or butter in a glass bowl.
- Create a double boiler by heating water in a pan while covering the bottom part of your glass bowl.
- Decrease the temperature to medium heat and place your glass bowl in the pan.
- Allow the ingredients to melt and fuse together. Simmer for about an hour while stirring frequently.
- Pour your THC-infused oil or butter into a glass receptacle and let it cool down inside the fridge.
You can now use your stash in cooking or baking all kinds of tasty edibles. You can also add it as a dressing for various snacks or make beverages mixed with cannabis-infused oil or butter.
Easy Kief Cookies Recipe
One of the easiest recipes to make with marijuana concentrate is kief cookies. As mentioned, decarboxylating kief in an oven is essential to preserve the integrity of cannabinoids. Once decarboxylated, prepare the cookie dough, substituting butter with THC-infused oil. Another option is to knead the dough into a ball, make a small well in it, and then add about 1/8 teaspoon of kief into it. Reform the dough, follow the usual baking instructions, and enjoy your freshly baked kief cookies.
