American
Cannabuttered Popcorn With Ranch Seasoning
- Prep time 3 hours
- Cook time 1 hour 30 minutes
- Serves 8 (10 milligrams THC per serving)
Author Notes
Popcorn drizzled in homemade cannabutter and coated with ranch seasoning makes movie night a blast. Successful edibles distract and stimulate the palate. The crunch of the popcorn, the tang of the buttermilk, and the herbaceousness of the mix all work a magic trick on your tongue. They make the weed taste disappear.
For the infusion, check out my guide on how to make cannabutter. It walks you through the steps from decarboxylation (raw cannabis contains THCA, the acidic form of THC; to get high, heat converts THCA to THC) to storage (up to six months in the freezer).
But let’s break down the math for 1 gram of weed into 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter. Based on 20 percent THC flower (which means for every 1 gram there are 200 milligrams of THC) and calculating a 20 percent loss in the process gets us to 160 milligrams THC in 1/2 cup of cannabutter. Divide by 8 tablespoons and we have about 20 milligrams per 1 tablespoon of butter. There are 4 tablespoons of cannabutter in this recipe, which shakes out to roughly 80 milligrams THC in the entire batch. Dose accordingly: The dose can be lightened with regular unsalted butter, or use less cannabis in the infusion.
If you know your tolerance for edibles can reach higher limits, then decarb or activate 1/4 gram or less of grinder kief (the third compartment on a grinder catches the crystals from the flowers called kief) and sift it into the powdered buttermilk. Kief ranges between 30 to 50 percent THC, a much more potent ingredient to cook with, so make sure the kief fully homogenizes with the powdered buttermilk for a consistent dose. —Vanessa Lavorato
Test Kitchen Notes
If you're considering enjoying this recipe, please consult and follow the legal restrictions for controlled substances in your state. Because there are so many variables with homemade edibles, go slowly. You may want to start with half a serving and determine your tolerance and ideal dose from there. And always wait a couple hours to feel the effects. —The Editors
Ingredients
- Cannabutter
-
1/2 cup
(113 grams) unsalted butter
-
1 gram
quality cannabis flower
- Ranch popcorn
-
1/4 cup
(36 grams) powdered buttermilk
-
1 tablespoon
dried parsley
-
2 teaspoons
dried dill
-
1 teaspoon
dried chives
-
1 teaspoon
onion powder
-
1 teaspoon
garlic powder
-
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
granulated sugar
-
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
-
1/2
batch Cannabutter (above), melted
-
3 tablespoons
canola or vegetable oil
-
1/2 cup
popcorn kernels
Directions
- Make the cannabutter, following the quantities listed above and my step-by-step guide linked in the Author Notes. (Note: This recipe only uses half of the cannabutter yield. For the remaining half, tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to one to two weeks. Or tightly wrap and freeze for up to six months. Then use it for more ranch popcorn—or really whatever you want—down the road.)
- In a bowl, whisk the buttermilk, dried herbs, onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed 6-quart (or larger) pot with a lid over medium high heat. Add the oil and one popcorn kernel. When you hear the kernel pop, take out the popcorn, then add the remaining kernels to the pot. Cook with the lid on, moving the pot over the flame to shake the kernels. When the kernel pops space out every ten seconds, remove from heat and pour into a large bowl.
- Drizzle a third of the melted cannabutter on the popcorn and sprinkle a third of the ranch seasoning. Toss the popcorn. Drizzle another third of melted cannabutter and seasoning, evenly coating the popcorn, and toss again. Finish with the remaining melted cannabutter and ranch seasoning.
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