Most people are taking hemp extract or CBD oil for the therapeutic benefits, it can be considered a general supplement such as a multivitamin would be. Hemp contains a large amount of antioxidants and healthy omega 3-6 fatty acids. It is good for your hair and skin. There are many beauty products available on the market today. There are shampoos, conditioners, hair gels, hand creams, massage oils, face serums and toners that feature CBD as the main ingredient.
Hemp extract can also be used for cooking, it’s affordable, easy and you can tailor it to meet your needs. One of the most popular methods is to use CBD cooking oil or CBD coconut oil. There are numerous recipes that use CBD isolate or drops.
Using isolate is a great way to get the benefits of CBD without changing the taste of your food. A tip for cooking with CBD drops is to make sure the recipe has some sort of fat in them like oil or butter because CBD is lipophilic which means fat soluble. CBD oil is also hydrophobic which means that it won’t dissolve in water.
How much CBD oil should you add when cooking?
That depends on how many servings you are making. You will want to multiply the recommended dosage by the number of servings. If you are not taking the recommended dose, use the number of drops that you are taking and multiply by the number of servings. For instance, let’s say you are cooking your favorite pasta that has a serving size of four. You would multiply the number of drops you take by 4 and add them to your recipe. If you take 5 drops, times that by 4 and add 20 drops into your recipe.
Cooking with CBD:
Baking with CBD is pretty easy, just add the amount you want and mix into your recipe. However, it is important to know that CBD beings to break down at 392 °F (200°C). This doesn’t mean that you can’t set your oven higher than that when baking. It’s not the temperature of the oven that matters, it’s the internal temperature of what you are baking. Any baked foods you are making should never exceed 212°F (100°C) because at this point all the moisture of the food has boiled away, which has ruined your food.
CBD can be added to coffee and smoothies. We have mentioned that CBD isn’t naturally water soluble and cannot be mix with soda or juice without commercial equipment. You can mix CBD oil into thicker drinks like milkshakes, smoothies or coffee at home. You might be thinking but coffee is water based and you would be right. To mix CBD into your coffee first add butter, cream or ghee than add your CBD oil and mix with a blender.
How to Cook with CBD Isolate:
Pure CBD isolate powder can be your secret ingredient because you won’t get the earthy hemp taste like the drops have, however it does have a slight bitter taste. It is a very versatile cannabinoid product and it is affordable. Cooking with isolate is easier than you might think.
The first step is to familiar yourself with the double boiling method because you don’t want to expose cannabidiol to high heat. The double boiling method is a heat control technique used in cooking. Using this technique infuses the isolate with a carrier oil and allows the isolate powder to be turned into an ingredient that can be used for any recipe.
You will need one large pot and one smaller pot that fits inside the larger pot or a heat-proof bowl to set inside a saucepan. You will also need a carrier oil. Any oil base carrier oil will work. The best carrier is coconut oil, others can be butter or olive oil.
Two pots method: Fill the large pot with water, leave the water line an inch below the smaller pot. Place the small pot inside the larger one and bring the water to a boil on medium heat. Add your carrier oil to the small pot than add your isolate powder to the carrier oil (use 2 tsp of carrier oil to 1 gram of isolate). Stir for 10-15 minutes, making sure the isolate is well blended – no powder should be visible. Set aside to cool.
Saucepan method: Fill the saucepan with water. Place the bowl inside the saucepan and bring the water to a simmer. Add your carrier oil to the bowl than add your isolate powder to the carrier oil (use 2 tsp of carrier oil to 1 gram of isolate). Stir for 10-15 minutes, making sure the isolate is well blended – no powder should be visible. Set aside to cool.
Don’t want to cook?
There are a large variety of CBD food products available for eating. The most popular are gummy bears but there are chocolates, drinks, honey, butter, lollipops, protein bars, coffee, cookies, if you can name it you might be able to find it. But my favorite are CBD jelly beans!
