How to Properly Make CBD Cooking Oil

A lot of CBD products can be made at home if you have the right ingredients and supplies. By making your own CBD edibles, oils, or topicals, you can potentially cut the cost of purchasing these products on a regular basis. You can also lessen your environmental impact by reducing the packaging and transportation of the product. You can also create the perfect custom CBD product to meet your needs. So why wouldn’t you try making your own CBD products? If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. We have you covered with some steps to follow below.

Why Make Your Own CBD Cooking Oil?

But first, what are the benefits of taking on this DIY project? Well, if you prefer to dose CBD by digesting it, then making your own CBD cooking oil can diversify your CBD-infused menu. CBD edibles are commonly in the form of gummies, cookies, brownies, or other sugary sweets. But if you do not have a sweet tooth or have dietary restrictions, those CBD edible options might not work for you. Although more savory CBD edibles are being produced, such as CBD-infused hot sauce or trail mix, your favorite food may not be on the list yet. CBD-infused cooking oil is a versatile ingredient that can be mixed into almost any dish. You can add it to baked goods, sauces, saute vegetables in it, fry eggs, or make it into a CBD salad dressing. All you have to do is decide what form of cooking oil you want to make.

You can use almost any kind of cooking oil and infuse it with CBD. A lot of people opt to use olive oil, but you can also infuse canola oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, and more. It depends on what kind of texture and flavor you want to work with. Some oils will be thinner, like vegetable oil, while others can solidify at room temperature, like coconut oil. You’ll want to take into consideration how you want to use your CBD cooking oil and what oils you tend to cook with. The best part of DIY projects is that you can make something that fits your preferences perfectly. And thankfully this CBD cooking oil project allows a lot of room for customization.

CBD Cooking Oil Recipe

Once you have decided on which kind of cooking oil you want to infuse with CBD, then you need to get cooking. Thankfully, there are just a few steps to follow. You also have a few different options when it comes to the tools you use to make this infused oil.

Ingredients and Supplies:

• 1 cup - Ground Herb
• 1 cup - Cooking Oil
• Water
• Strainer or Cheesecloth
• Herb Grinder
• Double-Boiler, Slow Cooker, or Saucepan

Steps to Follow:

1. Grind It Up

The first step in the process is to grind up the herb you are using to infuse the oil. And since you are making your own CBD oil, you can choose herb with the CBD percentage that fits you best. It can be a bit tricky if you are trying to create a consistent dose of CBD in multiple batches of cooking oil. But from batch to batch, you can estimate how much CBD is included per tablespoon or teaspoon of oil. Be sure to not grind the herb too fine, otherwise some plant bits might make it into the oil mix.

2. Mix It Up

After your herb is ground up and ready to go, you can mix one cup of it with one cup of cooking oil of your choice. This can be done in either a saucepan, slow cooker pot, or double boiler, depending on what you have on hand at the time. Also keep in mind that the infusing process can create quite an herby scent, so it’s best to choose something with a lid that seals to minimize the smell.

3. Heat It Up

Depending on which kitchen tools you are using, the method of heating the oil and herb combination will vary. You’ll basically want to heat the mixture on low for four to six hours. With a slow cooker or crockpot, you can set the mix to a low heat setting and let it sit for a few hours. With a double boiler you’ll want to check the mixture a bit more often though and leave it on the heat for at least six hours. If you're using a saucepan you will want to check the mix even more often and leave it on the heat for at least three hours. When checking the mix, give it a stir to prevent it from sticking to the pot and make sure the herb is not burning. You can also add a bit of water to the mix to ensure that it doesn’t burn quickly. If you overheat the mix then you can potentially stop the CBD compounds from making it into the final product.

4. Strain It Out

Once the mix is fully marinated with CBD, you will need to strain the remaining plant matter from the CBD-infused cooking oil. Grab your cheesecloth or strainer and run the oil through it slowly, above an airtight container. There is no need to press on the cheesecloth if that’s your straining method of choice since it will most likely just add plant bits back into your oil. You can then toss or compost the leftover hemp plant matter. If there is some water left in your oil mix, it will separate from the oil after allowing it to settle for a bit. Then the excess water can simply be poured out.

5. Get Cooking

Now all that’s left to do is use your newly infused CBD cooking oil in your favorite dish! Be sure to give it a taste test to see how it might fit with the other flavors in your dish. Many people use CBD cooking oil in brownies, aioli, roasted vegetables, chocolate hazelnut spread, or balsamic vinaigrette. But if none of those strike your fancy, then get creative and start mixing CBD into your own custom recipes. It’s a great way to enjoy the benefits of CBD and a great homemade meal at the same time.