Original article republished with permission.
When it comes to consuming CBD, there are several different options to fit your individual needs. A few of the more popular CBD methods are vaporizing, smoking and ingesting edibles. But one of the up and coming methods of consuming CBD is CBD edible oil. And with cannabis becoming legal in more and more areas, it is now easier than ever to get your hands on some.
While CBD edible oil is extremely versatile and can be used in just about anything you can think of, it is becoming increasingly popular in cooking and even making your very own edibles as well. Now comes the big question; should you purchase your edibles and food pre-made, or should you buy your own CBD oil and infuse it into foods yourself? While buying foods with CBD oil already infused is much easier, it definitely isn’t nearly as fun. That’s why infusing CBD edible oil into foods yourself is the way to go.
To make sure that you are using your CBD oil safely in your cooking, here are some pointers that will help you create an amazing experience and have the absolute best results possible.
Always Purchase Your CBD Oil From A Reliable Source
When you are ready to go shopping for your CBD oil, the most important thing you can do is research who or where you are buying it. You always want to make sure that you are only purchasing your CBD oil from someone who is not just reliable, but also has many positive reviews and a solid reputation in the market. While you can easily do a Google search to find a seller near you, many of these sellers may not be offering a pure, high quality, tested product.
It is always best to take a few extra minutes to research several different brands and sources. You want to keep an eye out for things like:
- Where it is originally sourced
- What the extraction method of the oil is
- It’s bioavailability (this is essentially the proportion that enters the body and is able to have some type of effect)
- Any type of greenwashing tactics (this is when the seller lies to you about the benefits of the product or any environmental practices)
Once you have done your research and have found a high-quality CBD edible oil to use with your edibles and other foods, it’s time to get started. While it sounds like a great idea to jump in with both feet and start using CBD oil in everything, it’s actually not a good idea at all.
There are a couple of factors at play including the taste of your food or edibles, as well as how you react after ingesting the food or edibles. That is why it is best to follow these simple tips.
Get Familiar With Your Ingredients
If you want to start cooking with CBD oils, you should first understand the ingredients you plan on using and how the two may mix. A good way to start is to use recipes that use a fat or oil-based ingredient. Something like butter is a perfect way to get your feet wet when it comes to cooking with CBD oils.
It is easy to mix the two and will help you learn about infusing food with CBD oil. However, if you are cooking food without a fat or oil ingredient, this obviously won’t work. While you can infuse CBD oil with other ingredients, try to stay away from things that are water-based.
Always Start Off With A Test Batch
Like any new ingredient, you should always use a smaller amount of CBD oil initially. You should also only make a smaller amount of the food you are planning to make as well. This way you will be able to see how the infused food affects you, as well as how it tastes. Once you have found out what the effects are going to be and how the taste is altered, you can then tweak the amounts of CBD oil being used, as well what the end taste will be. After this, you can start making larger quantities of your food and know exactly what the end results are going to be.
Always Keep An Eye On The Temperature
One important step in cooking with CBD oil is the cooking temperature of your food. Now keep in mind that CBD oil will start to evaporate at about 320 degrees. This means that cooking foods at a temperature of 400 degrees is not a good idea, as it will burn off all of the CBD oils.
So, when you are looking for a recipe to use, be sure to double check the cooking temperature of the food that it needs to be consumed safely. This will ensure that any CBD oils that were used will not evaporate and still be there after your food has finished cooking. As a rule of thumb, the lower the temperature you cook your food at, the greater the amount of CBD oil that will be present when it has finished.
Always Store Your CBD Oil Infused Food Correctly
While the more experienced will usually be more aware of how to store their CBD oil infused foods, if you are new to cooking with CBD oils you probably don’t know that it is both heat and light sensitive. This means that when it comes time to store your CBD infused foods, you should take extra precaution to make sure and avoid issues such as the taste of your food changing or the CBD evaporating or becoming less effective. The best way to avoid any of these issues is always to be sure and store your edibles in a cool, dark place.
When it comes to using CBD oils with cooking, it can be a great experience that helps to make you feel better, as well as tastes great. If you do decide to try your hand at cooking with CBD oils, be sure to always use your common sense, and it will surely be one a great experience.
