Make Incredible Edibles with Concentrates: Our Expert Method

Making your own edibles is a rite of passage, a culinary adventure that puts you squarely in control of your experience. For years, the go-to method involved simmering a big pot of plant material in butter, a process that was fragrant (not always in a good way for the neighbors), messy, and often wildly inconsistent. It worked, but it was far from perfect. Today, there's a significant, sometimes dramatic shift happening in home kitchens. We're talking about learning how to make edibles with concentrates.

It's a game-changer. Honestly. Using concentrates like shatter, wax, or distillate streamlines the entire process, resulting in a cleaner, more predictable, and often more potent final product. Our team at Splash Brothers has seen this trend explode, and we've guided countless customers toward the right products for their culinary projects. We're not just a delivery service; we're enthusiasts and experts who believe in empowering you with knowledge. This isn't just a recipe; it's the definitive method our own experts use, refined through countless trials. Let's get into it.

Why Use Concentrates for Edibles Anyway?

If you've only ever made edibles with traditional flower, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. The transition to concentrates isn't just about chasing trends; it’s about a fundamental upgrade in quality, efficiency, and control. It’s a move from analog to digital.

First and foremost is flavor. Let's be honest, that distinct, often overpowering 'weedy' taste in homemade brownies can be a dealbreaker. That chlorophyll-rich, plant-like flavor comes from the sheer volume of flower needed for an infusion. Concentrates, on the other hand, are just that—concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes, with the vast majority of the plant matter left behind. The result? Your cookies taste like cookies, not like a lawn. This allows the actual flavors of your recipe to shine through, a massive win for anyone who actually enjoys food.

Then there's the efficiency of it all. Making cannabutter from flower is an undertaking. It involves grinding, long simmering periods, and the messy, annoying process of straining the plant material through cheesecloth. You lose some of your precious butter or oil in the process, and it's a real chore to clean up. With concentrates, you simply melt your product directly into the fat. No grinding, no straining, no mess. It’s a beautiful thing.

And we can't forget about dosing. This is huge. When you use flower, its potency can be a bit of a mystery unless you have it lab-tested. One batch might be 15% THC, the next 22%. This guesswork is what leads to those infamous edible horror stories we've all heard. Concentrates, especially those you'd find when you explore our curated selection, come with reliable potency information. An 80% THC shatter is an 80% THC shatter. This mathematical certainty allows you to calculate dosage with incredible precision, ensuring a consistent and responsible experience every single time. You know exactly what you're working with, which is the foundation of any good edible.

Choosing Your Weapon: The Best Concentrates for Infusion

Walking into the world of concentrates can feel a bit like walking into a candy store for adults. The options are sprawling. But not all concentrates are created equal when it comes to making edibles. The choice you make will impact the flavor, potency, and even the texture of your final product. Our experience shows that understanding the nuances here is the first step toward mastery.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common options:

• Distillate: This is, for many, the holy grail for edibles. Distillate is a highly refined oil where the THC or CBD has been isolated from almost everything else. It’s often tasteless and odorless, making it the perfect blank slate for any recipe. You won't have to worry about its flavor clashing with your delicate vanilla bean frosting. It's also typically already activated (decarboxylated), which means you can often skip a step. We'll get more into that later. It’s the ultimate plug-and-play option.
• Shatter, Wax, Budder, Crumble (BHO/PHO): These are all different textures of extracts made using solvents like butane or propane. They are rich in terpenes, which means they carry a distinct flavor and aroma from the original plant. This can be a pro or a con. If you’re making lemon bars, a shatter with citrusy terpenes could be a phenomenal complement. A piney-tasting crumble in your chocolate chip cookies? Maybe not. They are very potent and easy to work with, but they absolutely require decarboxylation.
• Rosin: This is a solventless extract, made using only heat and pressure. It's prized for its purity and full-spectrum profile, meaning it retains a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant. For the connoisseur, rosin can produce edibles with a more nuanced, complex effect. Like BHO extracts, its flavor is prominent, so pairing it thoughtfully with your recipe is key. It also needs to be decarbed.
• RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) / FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil): These are thick, dark, tar-like oils that are incredibly potent and contain a very full spectrum of plant compounds. They are often used for their robust therapeutic potential. However, they have an extremely strong, often bitter plant taste that is very difficult to mask. While effective, they are not our first choice for gourmet culinary creations unless the medicinal profile is your absolute top priority.

To make it simpler, our team put together a quick comparison.

Concentrate Type	Flavor Profile	Decarb Needed?	Best For…
Distillate	Neutral / None	Usually No	All-purpose use, recipes where you want zero cannabis flavor.
Shatter/Wax	Strong (Terpene-rich)	Yes	Recipes that can complement the concentrate's natural flavor.
Rosin	Very Strong (Full Spectrum)	Yes	Connoisseurs seeking a full-spectrum effect and unique flavor pairing.
RSO / FECO	Extremely Strong / Bitter	Usually No	Potency-focused applications where flavor is not a priority.

For beginners, we almost always recommend starting with distillate. It removes the most variables and gives you a clean, predictable result. It's the easiest path to success.

The Single Most Important Step: Decarboxylation

Now, listen closely. This next part is the most critical, non-negotiable element of making edibles with most concentrates. If you get this wrong, your edibles will fail to produce the desired effects, and you'll have wasted some fantastic material. We can't stress this enough.

The process is called decarboxylation, or 'decarbing' for short. In raw cannabis, the primary cannabinoid is THCA (or CBDA), which is non-intoxicating. To feel the effects, you need to convert that THCA into THC. This is done with heat. When you smoke or vaporize, this happens instantly. For edibles, you have to do it beforehand.

Skip this, and you’ve just wasted your concentrate.

Some products, like most distillates and RSO, are often already decarbed during their production process. Always check the packaging or product description. If it doesn't explicitly say it's activated or decarbed, you must assume it isn't. For shatter, wax, rosin, and crumble, decarbing is mandatory.

Here’s the simple, foolproof oven method our team recommends:

1. Preheat Your Oven: Set your oven to 240°F (115°C). We've found this to be the sweet spot. Any hotter and you risk burning off volatile terpenes and cannabinoids. Any cooler and the process takes forever. An oven thermometer is your best friend here, as many home ovens aren't perfectly calibrated.
2. Prepare Your Container: Take your concentrate (let's say 1 gram of shatter) and place it in a small, oven-safe container. A silicone container or a small glass ramekin works perfectly. You want something with low sides that makes it easy to get the oil out later.
3. The Bake: Place the container in the preheated oven. Now, watch for the magic. The concentrate will start to melt and then begin to bubble. These bubbles are the carbon dioxide being released as THCA converts to THC. This is decarboxylation in action.
4. Wait and Watch: Keep it in the oven until the bubbling slows down significantly or stops completely. For most concentrates, this takes about 25-40 minutes. The visual cue—the bubbling—is more important than the clock. Once it stops fizzing like a tiny soda, it's done.
5. Cool It Down: Carefully remove the container from the oven and let it cool. The concentrate will be a liquid oil. Be careful; it's extremely hot. Your material is now activated and ready for the next stage: infusion.

That's it. It’s a simple process, but its importance is monumental. Don't rush it and don't overheat it.

Infusion 101: Merging Concentrate with Your Fat

With your concentrate decarbed and ready, it's time to infuse it into your chosen fat. Cannabinoids are lipophilic, meaning they bind to fat molecules. This is why you can't just stir concentrate into water; you need a fatty carrier like butter or oil to make it bioavailable for your body to process.

First, pick your fat. The choice depends entirely on your recipe.

• Unsalted Butter: The classic choice for baked goods like cookies and brownies. Its rich flavor is a staple in baking.
• Coconut Oil: An incredibly versatile option. It has a high saturated fat content, which is great for cannabinoid binding. Its high smoke point makes it suitable for more than just baking, and its subtle flavor works in both sweet and savory dishes. We're big fans of unrefined coconut oil for this.
• MCT Oil: A type of fractionated coconut oil that stays liquid at room temperature. It's nearly flavorless and is a fantastic choice for making tinctures or for recipes where you don't want any solidification.
• Olive Oil: Great for savory applications like salad dressings, pasta sauces, or drizzling over bread. Just be mindful of its lower smoke point; you don't want to cook with it at high heat after it's infused.

The infusion process itself is incredibly straightforward, especially compared to using flower. The goal is simple: gently heat the fat and the decarbed concentrate together until they are fully homogenized.

Our preferred method is using a double boiler, as it provides gentle, indirect heat and makes it nearly impossible to scorch your precious infusion.

1. Set Up the Double Boiler: If you don't have one, you can easily make one by placing a heatproof bowl (glass or stainless steel) over a saucepan with an inch or two of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.
2. Melt Your Fat: Add your desired amount of fat (e.g., 1 cup of coconut oil) to the top of the double boiler and let it melt completely over low heat.
3. Add the Concentrate: Once the fat is fully melted and warm, add your decarbed concentrate. It should be liquid, so you can pour or scrape it directly from its container into the fat.
4. Stir, Stir, Stir: This is where patience pays off. Stir the mixture gently and consistently for 10-15 minutes. You're not cooking it; you're simply encouraging the two liquids to fully combine. The goal is to ensure the THC is evenly distributed throughout the entire volume of fat. Inconsistent stirring leads to inconsistent edibles—one brownie might be a dud, while the one next to it is a trip to the moon. We've seen it happen.
5. You're Done: Once the concentrate is fully dissolved and you can no longer see any streaks of oil, your infusion is complete. There's no need to simmer for hours like with flower. Remove it from the heat.

You now have a potent, ready-to-use infused oil or butter. It's ready for any recipe you can dream of.

Dosing: The Art and Science of Not Overdoing It

This is where using concentrates truly shines and where you can flex your newfound power as a responsible edible creator. Precise dosing transforms the experience from a roll of the dice into a predictable, enjoyable journey. Getting it right is everything.

Let’s do some simple math. It’s not scary, we promise.

The Formula:
(Grams of Concentrate) x (THC Percentage) x 1000 = Total Milligrams of THC

Let's walk through a real-world example.

• You have 1 gram of shatter.
• The label says it's 85% THC.

1. First, convert the THC percentage to a decimal: 85% = 0.85.
2. Multiply the grams of concentrate by this decimal: 1 gram x 0.85 = 0.85 grams of pure THC.
3. Convert grams to milligrams by multiplying by 1000: 0.85 x 1000 = 850 mg of THC.

So, your entire batch of infused oil or butter contains a total of 850mg of THC.

Now, you just divide that total by the number of servings your recipe makes.

• Total THC: 850 mg
• Your brownie recipe makes 16 brownies.

850 mg / 16 brownies = 53.1 mg of THC per brownie.

That is a very, very potent brownie. For reference, a standard single dose in many legal markets is 10mg, with 5mg being a common starting point for beginners. Knowing that your creation is over 50mg per piece is powerful information. You can decide to cut the brownies into much smaller squares or, better yet, use less concentrate next time to aim for a more manageable potency.

This level of control is simply not possible with flower unless you're sending it to a lab. It’s the key to making edibles that you, and anyone you share them with, can trust.

We mean this sincerely: always start low and go slow. Eat a small piece, wait at least 90 minutes (or even two full hours) before even thinking about having more. The golden rule of edibles is that you can always eat more, but you can never eat less.

From Infused Oil to Amazing Edibles: What's Next?

Congratulations. You have a beautiful, potent, and accurately dosed batch of infused butter or oil. The hard part is over. Now comes the fun part.

You can now use your infusion as a 1:1 substitute for the regular butter or oil in almost any recipe. Seriously, the sky's the limit.

• Baking: This is the obvious one. Brownies, cookies, cakes, and muffins are all perfect candidates. Just follow your favorite recipe, swapping in your infused butter.
• Gummies: Making gummies is a bit more involved as it requires gelatin or a vegan alternative, but using an infused MCT oil or coconut oil is the perfect way to medicate them.
• Savory Cooking: Don't forget about the savory side! You can use infused olive oil to make a vinaigrette for a salad, drizzle it over pasta, or mix it into a marinade. You can use infused butter to make a garlic bread spread or to finish a pan-seared steak.

One thing to keep in mind is temperature. You've already decarbed your concentrate, so you don't want to cook your final dish at excessively high temperatures (above 350°F / 175°C) for too long, as this can begin to degrade the THC. Most standard baking recipes are perfectly fine.

Once you're done, let's talk storage. Your infused oil or butter should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer to maintain freshness and potency. Light and air are the enemies. In the fridge, it will last for several weeks; in the freezer, it can last for many months. And please, please label it clearly. You do not want a houseguest accidentally using your super-potent cannabutter to make their morning toast.

Pro Tips from the Splash Brothers Team

Over the years, our team has picked up a few extra tricks that can elevate your edible game from good to truly exceptional. These are the little details that make a big difference.

• Add an Emulsifier: Ever had an edible where the potency felt uneven from bite to bite? That’s often due to poor emulsification, where the oil separates from the other ingredients. Adding a small amount of lecithin (sunflower or soy) to your infusion can work wonders. It's a natural emulsifier that helps bind the fats to the water-based ingredients in your recipe, ensuring a perfectly even distribution of cannabinoids. We recommend about one teaspoon per cup of oil, added during the infusion process.
• Think About Flavor Pairing: Don't just ignore the flavor of your concentrate; embrace it. As we mentioned, some extracts have beautiful terpene profiles. A concentrate with a lemony note (from the terpene limonene) would be divine in a lemon pound cake. A more earthy, piney concentrate might work wonderfully in a rosemary-infused savory shortbread. Playing with these pairings is a hallmark of an advanced edible chef.
• Quality In, Quality Out: This might seem obvious, but it's the most important tip we can give. The quality of your edible is directly tied to the quality of your starting material. Using old, subpar concentrate will result in a subpar edible. For the best results, you need clean, potent, and flavorful concentrates. It's why we're so meticulous about the products we offer. When you're ready to create something special, we invite you to Get Started Today and see what a difference premium starting materials can make.

The world of homemade edibles has evolved. It’s no longer a messy, unpredictable science experiment. With high-quality concentrates and the right technique, it’s a precise, clean, and incredibly rewarding culinary art form. You're in complete control of the flavor, the potency, and the experience.

The kitchen is your laboratory now. The only limit is your imagination and the quality of your starting material. We can certainly help with the latter. Happy creating.