Cannabis Butter Recipe – Water Extraction
INGREDIENTS
1 pound of unsalted butter
1 to 2 ounces of dried cannabis
If using buds and trim, a 1:1 ratio of cannabis to butter works well. With leaf, you'll need more like 1.5 to 2 ounces of cannabis per pound of butter.
Equipment
2 large pots
Strainer and cheesecloth -or- a chinois/professional strainer
DIRECTIONS
1. Fill a large pot about 1/3 with water (using about 5 or 6 cups of water). Add cannabis.
2. Over low-med heat, simmer gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Add butter and stir gently. Reduce heat to lowest setting.
4. Allow mixture to return to simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. Simmer for at least 1 hour, preferably 2.
6. Remove from heat and cool completely (takes a good 8-9 hours to cool).
7. Repeat the heating and cooling process up to two more times for a more potent butter. Allow mixture to completely cool before 2nd and 3rd heating. After third heating, you will strain while mixture is still hot (if you allow it to cool again, you may not recover as much butter as it starts to solidify around the plant material).
To strain/separate the herb from the butter/water mixture, you'll need another pot just as large as the first, a strainer and some cheesecloth. If you have a fine mesh chinois, you can eliminate the strainer and cheesecloth.
8. Place the strainer over the empty second pot and a piece of cheesecloth over the strainer.
9. While the herb/water/butter mixture is still hot from the 3rd heating, carefully pour it through the strainer and into the second pot.
10. When cool enough to handle, lift and gather the edges of the cheesecloth up around the herb, twisting tightly to squeeze out butter/water. Pour a cup of boiling water over the herb bag to recover as much butter as possible. A large spoon also works great for pressing every last drop out of the herb bundle.
11. Cover the butter/water mixture and let cool. Then refrigerate at least 24 hours. The butter will separate from the water and harden, creating a beautiful disc of green cannabis butter.
12. Cut out large chunks of the butter and remove from water. Use a strainer to capture small bits of butter remaining in the water. Dry the butter on towels.
13. The bottom surface of the butter (that was in contact with the water) may appear darker and squishy in texture. Scrape this off if desired.
14. Place the chunks of butter in a pan and slowly melt at low heat, stirring occasionally. I usually let about 60% of it melt, then remove from heat and stir until all the butter is melted. Careful not to overheat as you can cause the butter to separate or burn.
15. Pour the liquid butter into containers to store. I use 16 ounce glass containers with tight-sealing lids.
16. Enjoy! Try your canna-butter in any of your favorite recipes or spread on a piece of toast.
This recipe is part of our Danksgiving menu. See the full menu here.
