How to Make Cannabis Ice Cream for a Tasty Boston Summer Treat

Cannabis

A typical Boston summertime can be sweltering, with sunlight and humidity combining for muggy days in the mid-80s. Ice cream is a classic way to cool down during the summer, but did you know that you don’t have to stick with typical store-bought flavors? Stock up on your favorite weed from a Boston dispensary and try making your own cannabis ice cream instead.

Making ice cream isn’t as hard as it sounds, and you can select the dosage and flavor yourself, allowing you to dial in a customized sweet treat. We’ll start by considering which strains might be a good fit. Then, we’ll explain a simple method for making ice cream at home.

The Best Strains for Ice Cream

There is no single best strain to make ice cream with (even though there are certainly strains called Gelato and Ice Cream Cake). Think about the experience you want to have, your tolerance, and which flavors interest you the most. Then, you can adjust the other ingredients in the ice cream to fit. Here are some recommendations.

Indica

While Ice Cream Cake is one of the most recommended strains for making desserts, try going a little off the beaten path for something like the Biscotti strain. This Indica-dominant variety offers deep relaxation and creativity, fostering a pleasant full-body buzz.

Biscotti tastes like cookies, which makes it a great pairing for ice cream. However, it has an underlying hint of diesel; this isn’t the negative you might think it is! A diesel flavor complements nuts such as walnuts or certain types of fruit (think durian) in ice cream mixes.

Sativa

Many sweet flavors abound in the Indica and hybrid-based strains, but Sativa options such as Super Lemon Haze offer delightful, crisp, bright citrus notes that create a dessert reminiscent of sherbet.

SLH will quickly have you bursting with energy, which is perfect for summertime fun. Use ice cream ingredients such as fruit pieces to elevate the mixture.

Hybrid

Hybrids fit well into ice cream, and nothing says that better than Cereal Milk. The strain by itself has an ice cream nose, and its genetics include Cookies and Cherry Pie. It’s a little higher in THC than average, so it will leave you feeling relaxed and giggly after only a small dose. Because of the buttery vanilla flavor, this strain can go with almost anything you want to put in your ice cream: cookies, cheesecake pieces, fruit, or any other classic additions.

Step 1: Prepare the Weed

Now that you have your strain picked out, the first step is to get it ready for cooking (yes, you’re going to cook your ice cream!). If you have hash, this step is already completed; otherwise, grind up some bud as fine as possible. This step helps you avoid large, squishy pieces of the plant in your bites.

Step 2: Decarboxylate

For cannabis to have its psychoactive effects from compounds such as THC, it needs to be decarboxylated; that is, it must be heated up. Heat converts cannabinoids into their active forms.

Place the ground weed on parchment paper and bake it at 105°C (about 221°F) for 30 to 45 minutes. If you don’t want to worry about burning or browning, you can also boil the ground bud (just put it in a vacuum-sealed bag or use a sous vide machine) for about an hour.

Step 3: Mix

Once the weed is decarboxylated, it’s time to mix it! The ratios all depend on your desired potency (less cream and other ingredients means more potency). Add heavy cream, the weed, a pinch of salt, and then your ingredients to taste (sugar, mix-ins like cookies and chocolate, honey, and so on). It’s important to be extremely thorough when mixing your ice cream. This evenly distributes the weed, allowing for more accurate dosing. Mix a little, then firm it up in the freezer. Mix some more and re-freeze until you’re happy with the consistency.

Step 4: Enjoy

Even if you mixed your ice cream well, there could still be some pockets with more weed than elsewhere in the mix. Always take fewer bites than you think you need. If you feel fine, great. More ice cream is waiting for you. If you’ve already eaten enough, you’ll be thankful you took it slowly.

Stop by One of Our Boston Dispensary Locations

Cannabis ice cream can be a delectable treat, but you should take a few steps of preparation before you mix up your next creation. Any good cup of ice cream should begin with high-quality ingredients, so stop by Pure Oasis Boston dispensary locations to stock up on the strains you want to try in your next catch. Our budtenders can help you understand a strain’s effects, flavors, and more so you can make an informed choice.