Whenever you hear the word “edibles” you most likely conjure images in your head of fruity THC gummies, a batch of pot cookies, or ooey-gooey weed brownies. These are all well and good – especially if you’ve got a sweet tooth – but what about those folks who are more on the salty side? It might sound crazy, but not everyone is a chocoholic or dessert fanatic – some people prefer salt & vinegar chips over a piece of cake.
We say “to each their own”, and we really mean it because this week we’re cooking up a totally new way to get your marijuana buzz on at the dinner table, at lunchtime or for breakfast: cannabis salt. Sure, a cannabis salt recipe doesn’t have the same gravitas to it as a canna-chocolate fondue, but cannabis salt is one of the most convenient and versatile edible infusions for any level of stoner.
Imagine sprinkling a pinch or two of your potent cannabis salt on your favorite noodle bowl or pasta? How about a dash of Mrs. Hash on a fresh extra large pizza?! Once you learn how to make cannabis salt there’s no limit to the kinds of edible cannabis infusions you can create throughout the day. Let’s review the steps to learning how to make cannabis salt, go over some of the top cannabis salt recipes and discover all the flavors & flavonoids you can capture in a shaker with your very own cannabis salt creations.
What Is Cannabis Salt?
Cannabis salt or cannabis sugar are simplified, easy-to-make and even easier-to-use forms of cannabis edible infusions. They aren’t considered traditional ‘cannabis edibles’ because they’re not cooked, baked or mixed in with any kind of food or beverage (not yet, anyway). Think of cannabis salts as you would a cannabis oil – in its granulated form, cannabis salt can be added to meals or treats to enhance their flavors and give them those all-important cannabinoid effects.
Some people prefer high-THC cannabis salts to give their suppers a whopping punch, others stick with CBD cannabis salts to help them relax after a meal. Cannabis salt can make your next meal or snack a lot more chill or a lot more psychedelic – it all depends on how potent you like it. What’s more, cannabis salts are extremely customizable; just as some of us like more salt while others prefer less, you can shake on as much or as little as you like.
We’re not trying to be biased, but there really aren’t many downsides to cannabis salts compared to some other forms of weed edibles. Here’s a list of the benefits we came up with when reviewing the pros & cons of the cannabis salt recipes we’ve come across:
CONVENIENT & COMPACT
One of the most obvious advantages to relying on cannabis salts to infuse any meal into a cannabis edible has to do with how discreet, mobile and convenient a salt shaker is. Just like with many cannabis cooking oils, a small bottle or shaker of cannabis salts can go anywhere you do – the office, a restaurant, a picnic, the beach, a cruise ship, you name it.
AS SALTY/POTENT AS YOU LIKE IT
Learning how to make cannabis salt is easy (more on that later), especially when it comes to choosing the flavors and potency levels of your weed garnish. Cannabis salts can be infused with rock salts, sulfur salts, sea salts, or any kind of granular garnish your heart desires. You can even get crazy and mix up a batch of stoner salt & pot pepper for a real “all in one” table topper.
DOSING AS EASY AS 1-2-3 SHAKES
Once you’ve settled on a cannabis salt recipe and chosen a certain potency, turning any meal into a cannabis edible is simple and easy. Shake on as much cannabis salt as fits your tastebuds or your cannabinoids tolerance and munch away!
MIN OR MAX: A PINCH OR A PUNCH
Cannabis salts are very popular among many cannabis microdosers because dosing is so manageable. On the flip side, if you need a real hit of cannabis then just shake on some more. The beauty of cannabis salts is that it can be the best for both worlds.
STAYS SALTY FOR A LONG TIME
Cannabis salts, like cannabis oils or other distillates or isolated forms of cannabinoids, store very well and can remain potent for very long periods of time. Whether it’s months or years, cannabis salts don’t need much in the way of storage conditions – stick it in your spice cabinet and use it within a year or two (on average).
EASY TO ABSORB
Cannabis salts dissolve in water, shakes, doughs, batters and just about anything in liquid form. So, if you’re not a proficient weed brownie baker or your space cake isn’t quite on a galactic-scale, just dissolve cannabis salts in some liquid and add it to your next kitchen creation.
How to Make Cannabis Salt
To make cannabis salt you only need a few ingredients and a conventional stove/oven, along with a few household supplies like jars, pans and parchment paper. The full list of ingredients and equipment required for most cannabis salt recipes includes:
*5 grams of cannabis of your choice
*Up the recipe by increments of 5 grams if you’re increasing the batch size
½ cup of salt of your choice
⅛ cup of grain alcohol
2 mason jars or sealable cups
1 baking pan + parchment paper
1 fine mesh strainer
Once you’ve assembled these inputs, you’re ready to make your own cannabis salts in just a handful of steps. The following procedures will make around 30-40 servings of ½ teaspoon (on average). Keep in mind, the cannabinoid potency levels of your cannabis salt will depend on the strain(s) you choose to use. The THC, CBD or other cannabinoid concentrations are completely up to you, just keep in mind how different levels will affect your dosing.
1. In a clean mason jar, place your 5 grams of cannabis flowers in with the ⅛ cup of alcohol. We suggest using grain alcohol as it has the right ratio of dissolution/absorption, but it’s ultimately up to you what kinds of alcohol, salt and cannabis you use.
2. Seal the jar with a lid, place it in the freezer for 60-120 minutes.
3. Take the first jar out and strain the cannabis and alcohol into a second, clean mason jar. You can repeat these first three steps if you like, but additional straining is not required.
4. Add ½ cup of salt to the strained mixture, seal the jar with a lid and shake the contents for 5 minutes or until fully blended.
5. Preheat your oven to 200-215℃ (temperatures above 220℃ run the risk of breaking down the cannabinoids and terpenes too far, too quickly so be careful, especially if you have a very efficient/powerful oven).
6. Once the oven is ready, pour the cannabis-alcohol-salt mixture out onto a baking pan with parchment paper. Be sure to spread it around with a kitchen utensil, try to distribute it as evenly as possible.
7. Place the baking pan into the oven and set a timer for 12-15 minutes. Check the mixture and spread it around further to ensure all of the mixture has been exposed to direct heat. Return it to the oven and set the timer for another 12-15 minutes. The goal is to evaporate all of the alcohol out of the mixture, so if you see moisture then keep agitating the mixture and placing in the oven until it appears to be fully dry.
8. Let the dried salt mixture cool and then transfer to your chosen container – salt shaker, glass bottle, jar, etc.
You’ve just whipped up your own batch of cannabis salts! You can up the batch size by increments of 5 grams (cannabis), ½ cups of salt and ⅛ cups of alcohol. Speaking of booze, whenever you heat up alcohol you need to be cautious because it has the potential to intoxicate through airborne exposure. For this reason, many people choose to let their salts dry/cool after the oven process in their garage or in a covered container, outside. A standard stove hood fan might be enough to remove these alcohol fumes, but to be on the side of safety dry/cool your salts somewhere safe overnight.
High-IQ Cannabis Salt Recipes
When Jimmy Buffett wrote the lyrics for ‘Margaritaville’ he must’ve recently misplaced his favorite cannabis salt recipe, because like him we’ve all been “searchin’ for my lost shaker of salt”. Now that we all know how to make cannabis salt at home, every meal, every snack, every dessert and even your next salty-caramel latte can be enhanced with the flavors & flavonoids of cannabis.
There’s still a lot of summer to enjoy, so what better way to get the most out of the sunny season than to add some marijuana zest to your next lunch meeting? Who says food or drinks have to be just for nourishment? Summer is the time for fun! We can’t think of any better way to jazz up your next meal or after hours hangout than with a shaker of potent pot salts.
To wrap up this flavorful blog on cannabis salts, we’ve collected some of the top cannabis salt recipes to try while patios are open. We hope you’ve enjoyed the guide to cannabis salts, and may your lunch dates, afternoon meetings and fancy dinners be full of more laughter thanks to cannabis salt.
HAIL, CAESAR!
We doubt your server will get it, but tell them you’ve got your own “special salts” to use around the rim of your next bloody mary or double caesar.
CANNAMAME BEANS
Salted edamame beans are a delectable appetizer on their own, so imagine how good they’d be with a little THC or CBD spice?
CARAMEL & CANNA-LATTE
We alluded to this one earlier, and for good reason – what would taste better in the morning than a cannabis salted caramel latte?!
PASTA A LA MARY J
Pick you pasta, any pasta, and sprinkle a healthy dose of cannabis salt on top to give your next dinner creation a real boost of flavor & flavonoids.
SALT & VINEGAR POTATO WEDGES
Salt and vinegar chips are good, but cactus-cut potato wedges marinated in vinegar and topped with cannabis salt? That’s next level snacking bro.
CANNA-CHOCO SALTY SURPRISE CAKE
This one isn’t for the faint of heart (or cannabis tolerance) – make or buy your favorite chocolate space cake and top it with cannabis salt crumble. This dessert will undoubtedly keep you flying through the cosmos for hours (maybe even days!).
