Cooking with CBD Oil
If you haven’t noticed, CBD is everywhere. Short for cannabidiol, it is being used in products like salves, sprays, bath bombs, chocolates, and most commonly, oils or tinctures. It has been rapidly and steadily growing in popularity due to its purported ability to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, alleviate anxiety, and aid in controlling a host of other health conditions.
CBD is also being used to help increase one’s appetite and is even said to be an aphrodisiac that assists in boosting desire- an ideal combination if we do say so ourselves. Libido? Food? We see a date night in your future.
So, we did a little research and discovered that cooking with CBD is actually a thing. It can be added as an ingredient in many recipes, plus experimenting in the kitchen can be relaxing, enjoyable, and an excellent way to spend an evening.
Like any new ingredient, it’s important to understand its properties before you start adding it to your favorite recipes, so we have compiled some tips to help you embark on your newest culinary journey.
CBD Products That You Can Add To Any Food Or Drink
- Contains high purity CBD purity and 0% THC
- Available in convenient 1-gram size
- With 970mg+ of CBD per 1-gram
- U.S. Hemp Authority-certified
- Easy to add to your food and beverages
- Oil extracted from aerial plant parts
- CBD Isolate (THC Free)
- Support a sense of calm for focus
- 20mg of CBD per 1mL serving
- Maintain healthy sleep cycles
- Easy way to adjust the amount of CBD
- Recovery from exercise-induced inflammation
- Pure CBD (0% THC)
- Easy to add to your food and beverages
- 3rd Party lab tested for potency
- Contains only CBD and 0% THC
- Available in a convenient 1-gram size (970 mg+ of CBD)
- Sourced from non-GMO industrial hemp grown in the USA
- 97%+ Pure Hemp extract
- Non-GMO, Natural Industrial Hemp Oil Extract
- Available in 500mg, 1000mg or 5000mg of CBD
- Helps to relax from anxiety
- Use as an additive in foods or oil liquids
- Anti-inflammatory
Temperature is Important
CBD is a finicky ingredient. Warming the oil will increase the CBD’s effectiveness, but overheat it, and the result will be a loss of terpenes, which will significantly reduce the efficacy of the CBD in the recipe. (Which is what you were going for anyway, right?) So, be aware of how hot the CBD oil gets. It requires gentle warming as it will quickly start to evaporate between 320 degrees Fahrenheit/160 degrees Celsius.
Think Beyond Sweets
Think outside the box when it comes to the types of recipes that you can utilize. Cannabis has long been known for its use in favorite sweets like pot brownies and cookies. This may be because sugar and chocolate are effective at masking its strong earthy flavor.
And although CBD makes an excellent addition to baked goods, using it to create savory dishes is relatively easy too. The key is to combine your CBD with a fat or oil-based ingredient like olive oil, ghee or butter. Liquor can also be used to replace the fat component needed in the recipe.
Think Small
Too much of a good thing can be bad, and this is especially true if you use CBD as an ingredient. When you first start experimenting with it in the kitchen, be careful not to use too much.
An overabundance of the compound can ruin the flavor of the dish. The last thing you want is to waste your food and your precious CBD oil. That would put a damper on the whole experience. Start off small especially when using it in a recipe for the first time, gradually increasing the amount as you become more comfortable with different portion sizes. This will lead to bigger and better recipes.
Pick the Right Oil
Refined oils tend to work better in most recipes than less refined oils. Less refined oils, especially in herb-based recipes, can leave an unwanted aftertaste.
But don’t discount a lesser refined oil just yet. They can still be used in recipes that feature stronger flavors like chocolate or different spices. The benefit to using an unfiltered oil is it tends to have more vitamins and amino acids than their more refined counterparts.
Avoid the Drizzle
It is much wiser to mix in the CBD oil than to drizzle it on after its done cooking. As anyone who takes CBD oil regularly can attest, its strong flavor leaves much to be desired. Unless you are the rare individual who enjoys the taste of CBD, it’s better to combine it with other ingredients.
Stir, Stir, and Stir Again
Due to its volatility when cooking and the importance of evenly distributing the CBD evenly throughout the batch, stirring is a must. You must continue to stir and stir, and when you think you have stirred enough, stir more.
Store Your CBD Oil Correctly
When not in use, it is crucial that CBD oil is stored in a cool, dark place. CBD oil exposed to light and humidity will impart a bitter and unpleasant taste to your recipe. Cannabinoids should be stored in dark colored or amber bottles for this reason.
Let’s Get Cooking!
This wouldn’t be a proper article on cooking with CBD if we didn’t give you a couple of recipes to start with. Just be careful to follow the steps above to make sure that your dish is on point.
No Bake CBD Energy Balls
(makes 24)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- ½ cup of peanut butter (or any nut butter)
- ½ cup of flaxseed (and/or any others seeds you may want)
- 1/3 cup of honey
- 24 doses of CBD Oil (one for each ball)
- One teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional: Nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, or anything else you have around you might want to add.
Instructions:
- Combine everything in a mixing bowl until you reach an even distribution of ingredients.
- Using your hands, roll out 24 evenly sized balls and place them on a baking tray
- Place the tray in the freezer for 1 hour to allow the balls to set.
- You can take out the ones you want to eat and allow them to reach room temperature. Save the rest in a plastic bag or container for a quick pick-me-up.
CBD Infused Marinara Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup of CBD infused coconut oil or olive oil
- One large onion (diced)
- 2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 Tbsp of salt, oregano, thyme, parsley, and rosemary
- 2- 29 oz cans of peeled tomatoes
Instructions:
- Place oil in a medium sized pan on medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic and saute.
- Add the remainder of the ingredients and stir and cook until warm.
- Serve over your favorite pasta.
There you have it, a perfect CBD infused meal for your next Netflix and chill night with that special someone. And if you prefer the solitary life, make that special someone YOU and treat yourself to a unique culinary experience.
Lastly, if you are looking for more information on cooking with CBD, there are whole books written on the subject. We highly recommend both of these:
Cooking with CBD oil: Delicious recipes for edibles and everyday recipes for healthy living by John Leggette M.D
The CBD Kitchen: Over 50 plant-based recipes for tonics, easy meals, treats & skincare made with the goodness extracted from hemp by Leah Vanderveldt
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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