Once you strain the weed through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth to separate the cannabutter from the marijuana, what do you do with the leftover “pulp”?
If you’ve ever made cannabutter, chances are you’ve pondered this question. Once you strain the weed through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth to separate the cannabutter from the marijuana, what do you do with the leftover “pulp”? Here are the best uses for leftover marijuana pulp from cannabutter.
While you’ve strained quite a bit of the THC out of the little nubbly leftover buds, there is a little bit of THC left (more or less, depending on how thoroughly you’ve strained it). Personally, I not only despise waste but want to get the most bang for my buck from the marijuana, so I always try to find ways to use the leftovers.
A note on dosage / potency: Because there are so many factors that will be unique to you (the strain of weed you’re using, how thoroughly you strain it, etc) it is not possible to predict how potent your weed pulp will be. Best to keep the pulp in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and use a tablespoon or so per recipe.
1. Put It In Pesto
This one’s a natural, the weed pulp already looks kind of pesto-ish, so why not toss it in your next batch? It’s guaranteed to make your next pasta dinner extra mellow. If making your own pesto, grind the pulp right in with the other ingredients. If incorporating the pulp into store-bought or pre-made pesto, grind it first and stir well to ensure it is evenly dispersed in the mixture.
2. Garnish Your Goodies
A little nugget of the weed pulp can actually be a cute garnish on top of your canna-baked goods or confections. It is also helpful in differentiating which baked goods have pot and which ones don’t, if you’re serving a mixed batch to mixed company.
3. Slip It In A Smoothie
Make marijuana part of your New Year’s Resolution to eat and sip healthy! It’s organic, after all. Method-wise, this is easy: just put a few morsels of the marijuana pulp in your blender along with your other smoothie or green juice ingredients, and it will be ground along with everything else.
4. Simmer In Soups & Sauces
Soups, sauces, stews, or mixtures which are simmered “low and slow” for long periods are a great place to use pulp. It imparts a nice, earthy flavor and continues the warming effects of the food. For best results, grind the pulp first, so you don’t have unpleasant lumps of texture in your sauce or soup.
5. Beautiful Bread Crumbs
Put a few pieces of your leftover pulp together with stale bread and spices, and grind it into bread crumbs. Use your bread crumbs as a breading for fried items from chicken nuggets to eggplant parm, or use them in your next meatloaf. It’s bound to make your favorite comfort food extra-comforting.