Marijuana Cooking With Concentrates: Kief and Hash

If you want to get amazing value for your money when using weed, then marijuana cooking is a great way to go. Cooking with weed can result in a range of delectable marijuana-infused edible creations, including marijuana brownies, cookies, chocolate bars, gummies or even THC-infused drinks. These goodies will produce an incredible high that can last for hours.

Usually, cooking with weed involves decarboxylating marijuana buds in the oven, infusing them into butter or oil, then using the resulting product as an ingredient in various recipes. However, you may also want to try marijuana cooking with concentrates such as kief and hash. Using these will result in stronger and more flavorful marijuana edibles. They’re also just as versatile.

You can extract kief from marijuana yourself and even turn it into hash. The benefit of doing so is that kief and hash contain much more THC per-gram than weed. As such, these also make for incredible cooking ingredients when used correctly. You’ll still have to go through some effort to infuse them into foods and drinks, but the pay-off is worth it.

If you want to try marijuana cooking with concentrates, there are a few steps you need to go through. You may want to collect kief and turn it into hash yourself, although you can also simply buy hash online. You’ll also need to know how to decarboxylate your concentrates and how to infuse them into foods without degrading the THC. Here’s a guide to cooking with kief and hash.

What Is Kief?

Kief is the term used to refer to the dry trichomes that break away from cannabis buds. It usually looks like a green powder and you can often see kief accumulating at the bottom of your weed grinder. You can use kief in various ways- it’s often used to enhance joints or bowls, but it can also be used for creating Hash and other cannabis concentrates due to its high THC levels.

As marijuana buds grow, they develop resinous trichomes. These trichomes have various purposes. Not only do they protect the plants from the sun and ward away pests, but they’re also responsible for developing the majority of cannabinoids and terpenes you find in marijuana. Since these are the compounds that give medical benefits to your body and make you high, they’re arguably the most important part of the plant.

You’ll naturally consume the psychoactive chemical THC and other cannabinoids and trichomes contained in the terpenes when you smoke weed. However, some users prefer to use kief as it has a much higher concentration of THC. Since kief is made up of dried and broken trichomes, it contains extra-high levels of THC and takes a much smaller amount to deliver a strong high.

Since it’s where most of the chemical compounds are contained, kief is also ideal for creating stronger cannabis concentrates. For instance, Hash can be made simply by compressing large quantities of kief together. It can also be used for creating various other kinds of cannabis concentrates that separate the cannabinoids from the plant material further to result in even higher concentrations of THC. However, kief is a powerful cannabis concentrate in itself and can also make for a great cooking ingredient.

What Is Hash?

Hash is one of the most popular types of cannabis concentrates you can find. It’s known for its solid, brick-like consistency and high concentrations of THC. Users looking for something stronger than weed often use Hash either by smoking it a joint or bowl or vaporizing it. It can also be dabbed or used as a cooking ingredient.

Strains of marijuana can vary widely in their THC levels, but they usually contain up to 25% THC. In contrast, Hash often contains around 50-60% THC, making it a potent cannabis product. Even a single gram of Hash can contain incredibly high levels of cannabinoids and terpenes and, as such, it only takes a small dab to get seriously high.

There are many different methods of making Hash. For instance, “Finger Hash” is made by rubbing weed in your hands until you collect enough sticky, black resin to press together. More commonly, Hash is made by separating trichomes or “kief” from weed and then compressing it using heat and pressure to create a solid, potent cannabis product.

Other types of Hash are made using complicated processes to maximize the quality of the terpenes and cannabinoids. However, it’s easy enough to make certain types of Hash at home. Marijuana enthusiasts often create Hash out of Kief to make it even more potent. Not only is it great for smoking and vaping, but it can also be infused into powerful marijuana edibles.

How To Get Kief

Whether you want to try cooking with kief or want to collect some to turn into Hash, it’s easy to get your hands on. Most marijuana users will be used to grinding weed before rolling it into a joint or smoking it in a bowl. As you grind weed, small particles of kief break away from your buds and accumulate at the bottom of your grinder. You can use a small scooping tool to collect it for use in various ways.

If you want to collect higher quantities of kief, it’s worth getting a 4-piece grinder with a kief chamber. These devices separate your kief from the rest of your ground weed. If you use them enough, you’ll soon find yourself with an impressive stash of kief that’s great for using in your cooking or converting into Hash.

There are also a few other methods you can use for sifting kief from your weed. For instance, you can layer fine mesh screens on top of each other and slowly grind your weed on top until kief filters through. You can also use dry ice and mesh bags to separate kief from weed. These methods can take some time, so if you need kief in a hurry, it’s best to buy Kief online.

How To Turn Kief Into Hash

Although Kief can be used as a potent cannabis concentrate itself, it’s often used to make Hash. Kief can be turned into Hash in various ways and, if you have a good stash of kief, you can even turn it into Hash yourself.

Making Hash involves applying heat and pressure to Kief. This helps to change the resin glands in Kief to enhance its taste, appearance, and even its effects. Hash is known as a potent cannabis concentrate that delivers a powerful high, even with just a small amount. It’s also fairly easy to make using Kief.

One of the best ways to turn Kief into Hash involves nothing more than a glass jar, some hot water, and some parchment paper. Place a pile of Kief in the middle of a piece of parchment paper and wrap it up into a tight package. Next, fill a sealable glass jar with hot water and seal it tightly.

All you have to do is roll your hot glass jar over your package of Kief repeatedly for around 8-10 minutes. After applying enough heat and pressure, your Kief will harden into a solid block of Hash. Once it’s hardened, you can place it in the fridge or freezer for half an hour or so to loosen up the paper and unwrap your Hash.

You can also make Kief into Hash simply by using a Pollen Press. Take the top cap and pin out of the Pollen Press, fill it with Kief, reapply the cap and pin, and screw it in tightly. You’ll need to leave the kief in the press for at least 8 hours, but once you remove the caps and pins you’ll be able to push out a satisfying block of Hash.

Benefits Of Cooking With Kief And Hash

There are many ways to make THC edibles and, while some users may prefer simply to use weed, there are a few benefits to cooking with Kief or Hash. Both of these cannabis concentrates have a lot to offer, especially as they’re chock full of cannabinoids and terpenes.

For one, Kief and Hash are much more potent than weed- usually at least 2 or 3 times more potent in terms of their THC levels. As such, you won’t need to use too much in your cooking. Even using a small amount can significantly enhance the marijuana-infused foods and drinks you make, and if you have a nice stash, you can make tons of potent marijuana edibles.

You might also find Kief and Hash to be much more flavorful. These cannabis concentrates aren’t just stronger in their THC levels, they usually also contain higher levels of terpenes. That means you’ll catch more of the flavor of weed and they may even enhance the taste of certain recipes, although it depends on how you use them and how much you use.

Using Kief and Hash can also make determining the dosage of your edibles easier in some cases. For instance, if you buy some Hash with 50% THC levels, you can determine that a single gram will contain around 500mg of THC. Even using just a quarter-gram for recipes such as marijuana brownies and cookies can yield 10 servings with around 12.5mg of THC each- a sensible serving size for edibles.

In some cases, you might find using weed easier than Kief or Hash and may also find it safer due to its lower potency. However, Kief and Hash can still make for great alternatives and result in great marijuana edibles provided that you use them wisely.

How To Decarboxylate Kief And Hash

Before you use Kief or Hash in your cooking, it’s best to decarboxylate them. Cooking with marijuana can be tricky- it needs to be heated to moderate heat to activate the THC inside. However, exposing it to high heat can completely degrade the THC and result in useless edibles.

In some cases, you can decarboxylate your Kief and Hash while making THC-infused foods or drinks. For instance, brewing tea with Kief or Hash can result in natural decarboxylation. However, it’s best to decarboxylate before using them in any food or drink. Decarboxylation results in better, more potent edibles.

To decarboxylate Kief or Hash, preheat your oven to around 245ºF. Spread your stash of Kief in an oven-safe glass container covered in foil. Place it in the oven for 30-40 minutes and take it out to cool. Once it has cooled, your Kief or Hash is ready to use for cooking.

Cooking With Kief and Hash

The best way to cook with Kief or Hash is by infusing them into butter or oil. This process is fairly simple- you just need to use a makeshift double boiler on moderate heat to combine your decarboxylated Kief or Hash with butter (you can also use cooking oil such as Coconut Oil).

Place a gram of your Kief/Hash and 2 ounces of regular butter or coconut oil in a glass bowl or jar. Place a saucepan on medium heat and heat some water. Now, place the glass container in the pan and allow your Kief/Hash and butter/oil to melt. The THC will bind to fats in the butter or oil and, after simmering for around an hour, your THC-infused butter or oil will be ready to use.

The great thing about using this method is that you’ll end up with a potent stash of THC-infused butter or oil that you can use in all kinds of recipes. Store it in a glass container in the fridge and, after cooling, you can use it in recipes for brownies, cookies, chocolate bars, and more. Since Kief and Hash are so potent, you only need to add a small amount to a recipe for powerful effects.

You can also use them on top of foods. For instance, spread a little bit of THC-infused butter on top of your steak after cooking for a delicious and potent meal. You can also mix it into smoothies and juices or blend it with tea or coffee. You can get creative with marijuana cooking or even find marijuana recipes online. Just be careful with how much you use and be aware of the effects of edibles.

Conclusion

Marijuana cooking with concentrates is a great alternative to cooking with weed. Kief or Hash can easily be decarboxylated and infused into butter or oil for use in a massive range of marijuana recipes. You’ll only need to use a small amount to end up with some incredibly potent THC edibles and drinks. If you need to buy Hash, Kief or even edibles themselves, you can find what you need at WCCannabis.ca.