Easy DIY Cannabis Infused Coconut Oil
Is it just us or does coconut oil solve most problems... High in naturally saturated fats which not only increase the healthy cholesterol (known as HDL cholesterol) in your body, but also help convert the LDL “bad” cholesterol into good cholesterol, its great for use in cooking but did you also know that coconut oil is an amazing beauty product?
Ideal for use as a moisturizer, makeup remover, massage oil and shave cream - coconut oil is here to deliver us from dry, lacklustre skin (especially we move into cooler, drier weather). Now add cannabis to the mix and you've got yourself a real powerhouse product that can reduce inflammation, pain, redness, puffiness, and even itchiness.
Here, we'll share our tried and true, super easy recipe for infusing your own coconut oil at home.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups organic coconut oil
- 3 cups ground cannabis.
You'll Need:
- A slow cooker, or double boiler
- Fine mesh metal strainer or cheesecloth
Directions:
Combine the coconut oil and the ground cannabis in your slow cooker or double boiler.
You can see that I used a combination of ground bud and trim (it's harvest time and every bit counts!)
I used a slow cooker and set the temperature to LOW and stirred it occasionaly but you might be using a double boiler, in which case be sure to set temperature to low and stir frequently.
Slow and steady heat, remember to stir it occasionally.
Note: You can add some water to the mixture too, this will help prevent burning and the water will remain separate from the oil in the pan.
Remember to stir!
After about 4-6 hours of low heat simmering you can drain your oil using a cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer.
Do not squeeze the cheesecloth! This will only add more chlorophyll to your oil and increase that "weed" taste and fragrance.
Discard your plant matter after straining.
All finished!
A Note about decarboxylation
Decarboxylation is simply the process of heating your cannabis until the compound THC-A converts to THC. In this case, I was planning to use the infused coconut oil for topical purposes so I was satisfied with the decarb process taking place in the slow cooker. if you are planning to cook with your infused coconut oil, I highly recommend that you decarb your bud first.
It's a simple process
- Step 1: Heat the oven to 240F or 115C
- Step 2: Break up your bud into little pieces and spread out evenly on a baking tray.
- Step 3: Bake for 30 minutes and stir frequently to ensure an even toast
- Step 4: Allow to cool and then using a food processor pulse the buds into a powder
Make it Fancy
If you want to make more of a whipped body butter you can add 1 cup of shea butter to the coconut oil and place over a low heat again t o melt the two oils together. Remove and allow to cool for about 30 minutes then add 1 cup almond or olive oil and several drops of an essential oil of your choosing. Using an immersion blender, whip the oils for a couple of minutes until they thicken into a body butter like texture. Now you're fancy.
Enjoy!