Home Growers Corner
How to
Make Homemade Gummies
After my many trials and errors , I ’ ll tell you how to get it right on your first try . by Jay Richardson , contributing writer
One of the most popular forms of edible marijuana is the simple gummy . The only problem is — making gummies is not simple . It took me several failed attempts and even a few successes before I figured out how to create a consistent batch . I will save you the drama of all the ruined candies and tell you how to get it right on your first try .
If by chance you do mess it up , I can tell you from experience that you can still eat them , but they will not store or travel very well . Follow my easy directions , and you should not have any problems . At least , I hope !
The first thing we need is a recipe , which caused me to get off to a rocky start in my first attempts at making homemade gummies . I could not find a recipe that worked consistently . Some called for infused coconut oil , and some used alcohol tincture . The ones that used oil were problematic for the obvious reason . Oil and water don ’ t mix , and you must use water to make gummies . The coconut oil would separate during the cooling process , and my finished gummies would have a layer of solidified oil on top . Yuk ! I decided to go with infused grain alcohol , and after a little trial and error , I combined three different recipes to devise the secret one I ’ ll share with you .
Before we go any further , I have a disclaimer to make clear . I am not paid or compensated to endorse any products or businesses mentioned in my articles . I only tell you about the brands and devices I use that work best for me . I would never claim that the brands I talk about are the best on the market because I have yet to try everything out there . I mention this because if you are going to make edibles , I strongly recommend purchasing a good device designed to infuse cannabis into your edible ingredients . The one that I bought is called the Infusium 420 ( shown here ). It makes ( among other things ) cannabutter , infused cooking oil , and the infused grain alcohol tincture used in my recipe .
To make your tincture , follow the directions that will come with the device of your choosing . Do some research and pick the one that meets your needs and budget . I chose the Infusium 420 because of its price , versatility , and all the accessories included in my purchase . I received a cookbook , some spatulas , and a variety of filters . They also gave me some molds to make candy and some that make perfect butter sticks . The only thing needed that I didn ’ t find in the box was some cannabis . Lucky for me , I already had some .
The cannabis ( or “ weed ,” as some like to say ) is where we will start . The grain alcohol ( Everclear ) comes in a 750 ml bottle , and the maximum amount of flower for that amount of alcohol is two ounces . As you may know , if you ’ ve read my previous articles , I ’ m a home cultivator and have access to more marijuana than most people . Coming up with two ounces is easy and cheap for me . If you purchase your cannabis from a dispensary , then making homemade edibles is probably not the way to go . I say this from an entirely economic viewpoint . Unless you just want to experiment with your own concoction !
You can use any amount of herb / weed that you choose , creating a potency that suits your needs . Mine are very strong , but you may want yours to be a little less medicinal . Either way , the first thing you need to do is decarboxylate ( Decarb ) the marijuana . Decarboxylation is the simple process of doing a very complex chemical transformation . Raw marijuana contains THCA , which has no psychoactive side effects . When you smoke a joint or bowl , the heat from the fire converts the THCA into THC , the active ingredient in cannabis . Other compounds contained in the plant , such as terpenes , will contribute to your high . THC is the one that counts the most .
To make edibles , we complete the decarboxylation process a little differently than when we smoke , but we still use heat . Instead of using fire , we use the oven . If you do a little research , you will find many different methods to decarb , and they will tell you to use all kinds of temperatures and lengths of time to heat your product . If you dig deep , you will find that while the other processes produce results , the best temp is 252 degrees for 27 minutes to provide maximum THC ( although 250 degrees is close enough for our purposes ). Place your herb on a cookie sheet or , if you prefer , a cooking bag . The bag will control the smell and preserve some of the herbal essences .
Once you know how to do decarb properly , you will find that you have quality edibles no matter what you make . You can even grind up decarbed flower and add it to a hamburger if you choose . Just mix it with your hands as you make your burger patty , making sure you add just the right amount of herb to achieve your desired effect . Fry it on the stove in a skillet like a normal burger — oh , save your drippings to create some amazing gravy . I call it my Hannabis Cannabis Happy Hamburger . Garnish with your favorite burger toppings and enjoy . It tastes a little like sausage .
40 JULY 2023