By Troy Ivan
ibc@ichibancrafter.com
CANNA CANDY
This was my first time making candy, and I was expecting disaster, but it turned out pretty good despite my best attempts to blow it. I followed this very helpful explanation of the arduous candy making process: http://www.chicaandjo.com/2010/04/26/make-hard-candy-jewels/. I highly recommend reading that post for those making this medicated hard candy for the first time. The process is not overly difficult but requires close attention and expedient execution.
THE PROCESS
I mostly followed the recipe and process from Chica and Jo in the above link. The only change was the addition of canna oil from 1/2-ounce of flower (Lemon Cush) I made myself. The key piece of knowledge is knowing how to incorporate the canna oil into the candy for the best potency and even distribution. We will achieve the best potency and most even distribution by adding the canna oil just as the candy mixture reaches 300º F and is a liquid viscosity. Incorporate the canna oil into the candy mixture and mix thoroughly. 300º F is a very high temp for cannabis, but luckily, the candy mixture cools quickly and minimizes excessive decarb.
Recipe
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- decarboxylated canna-oil extract as needed for desired potency (please click here decarb blog if you are unfamiliar with decarbing)
- 1 tsp of extract flavoring (I used French Roast Coffee extract made with the Source)
- food coloring as desired
Equipment
- small pot
- small spatula
- pyrex measuring cup (min 2-cup)
- hard candy molds
- candy thermometer
- aluminum foil / convection paper
- non-stick cooking spray
- hands with the speed and agility of an angry ninja
Step 1
Prepare the work area. Cover the area with aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a large silicone baking mat. Spray molds with non-stick cooking spray to coat well but not puddle. If it pools, use a paper towel to remove the excess. Set the molds on the covered work surface to ensure you can quickly and easily maneuver a measuring cup over and around them to fill with the candy mixture when the time comes. Lastly, have the measuring cup handy for its turn to spring into action.
Step 2
Put the granulated white sugar, corn syrup, and water over high heat in a small pot that will maintain enough depth to accurately use a candy thermometer.
Step 3
Stir the mixture often and closely monitor the candy thermometer as the heat rises toward our target of 300ºF. When the mixture starts to boil, it will froth like mad and appear out of control, but it’s just a quick phase that will settle down quickly and turn into a simmering clear liquid. So, when choosing a pot, it has to be large enough to contain the initial exuberant froth and small enough that the candy thermometer will function properly.
After the initial froth, the temperature will advance slowly for a while, but don’t let this fool you, and DON’T leave it unattended. The temperature can begin to advance quickly as it goes through 260º F.
Step 4
When the temp is 300º F, add the canna oil and mix very well. Next, move the mixture from the pot into the Pyrex measuring cup to stop the heating process, combine desired flavoring, quickly add coloring if using, and expeditiously pour the mixture into molds. The mixture will cool and harden quickly, causing problems if performed too slowly.
The pictured canna candy is brown from the French Roast Coffee extract I made and used for flavoring. No coloring was added.
Step 5
Allow the candy to harden in the molds for about 30 minutes and test a couple out. Enjoy!
DOSAGE
With edibles, you always want to know the dosage per unit. This begins by knowing how much cannabinoid content is in the extract you are using. 1) If you purchased the concentrate, you know precisely the mg per gram as stated on the label. However, if you made the extract and don’t have access to testing, you will need to guesstimation. A good guesstimation for concentrate potency can be done by observing the quality of the concentrate: dark black in color and no clarity is around 55% (550 mg per gram of oil), dark to light brown with decent clarity 65% (650 mg per gram of oil), light amber and very clear 80% (800 mg per gram of oil). The more clear, the higher potency; lower clarity implies undesirables and will reduce potency. 2) Total the number of grams you used, and determine the total number of mg included in the recipe. 3) Take the total liquid volume of the candy mix (you will know this when you transfer the liquid from the pot to the Pyrex measuring cup) and divide it by the total mixture volume to give you how many mg per volume unit. 4) Determine the volume of a single piece of candy (this should be provided with the candy mold you are using) and multiply it by the mg per candy volume.
EXAMPLE CALCULATION:
- Light amber and very clear and estimated to be around 800 mg per gram of concentrate.
- Using 2 grams of oil with make a total of 1,600 mg (800mg x 2g = 1,600 mg) in the recipe.
- When transferring mixture to measuring cup there is 16 fl oz in volume. This makes 100 mg per 1 fl oz (1,600 mg total / 16 fl oz = 100 mg per 1 fl oz).
- Each candy mold cavity is marked as 0.35 fl oz, so each piece is approximately 35 mg (100 mg x 0.35 fl oz = 35 mg per piece).
FEEDBACK
If you like it or hate it, please leave me some feedback. I would love to hear what you have to say or entertain any questions you may have. If you see I have done something interesting or stupid, point it out and start the conversation. Thanks for taking the time to check out my stuff!!!!
I planned on making a hard candy recipe from Loran oils. I already decarbonated my trim & then used alcohol to evaporate my hash oil. Am I going to have a problem with potency because I already decarbed? Is there another way I can incorporate my hash oil into my recipe? I’m really worried about losing the potentcy.
Lila, I would say you will be fine. Decarbing in the settings we use, with all the variables involved, is so far out of our control all we are really doing is guessing and hoping for the best result. I would say you will have no problem and will loose no potency. The probable error factor gives you just as good of chance of slightly increasing potency as decreasing it. There are increasing indications that decarbing is really a much more robust process than we previously thought. Just make sure not to doddle when mixing in the CO and get it in the molds to cool as quickly as possible, just in case.
Hi, I have a question if you wouldn’t mind ans. Love the post btw. Thank you for taking the time to share. So I’m using canna butter that I made and was wondering if you had any issues w the water from the sugar mixture combining with ur oil? Have u made this recipe using butter.
I’m very happy you enjoyed the post, Thank You!! I would guess it wouldn’t mix well with butter an I don’t think the candy would harden properly. I have only used this recipe with pure cannabis oil (straight extract) with no carrier oil.
Butter doesn’t like to thoroughly mix into any hard candy recipe I’ve tried. Candy gets hard but there’s alot of butter floating that I pour off to use in something else right away.
Right. Butter and oil (not cannabis oil) have no place in making hard candy.
Ok that’s what I was afraid of. I’ve made a batch using sugar, Karo syrup, canna butter and jello which came out fine but I was wanting to use the lorann oil flavoring and food coloring. I’m afraid to waste some of the butter Incase it doesn’t turn out so well. Thanks for the super fast reply!! Can I ask what the cannabis extract is exactly and how it is made? Do u make the cannabis oil (extract) yourself? If so do u have a post on your process? If you don’t make it yourself I’m assuming you are getting it at a dispensary?? Ur awesome!
Nevermind. I just looked at the rest of your posts and found out for myself. Sorry about that. I should have done that first lol.
No problem, happy crafting!
I make my own in many forms. The easiest for home users is by using the Source by Extractcraft. You can checkout my other blog posts on http://www.extractcrafter.com. You can check out the Source on http://www.extractcraft.com
Lecithin mixes the butter and liquid mixture. Powder or liquid lecithin.
How much CO did you use in the recipie above? Coconut based? THC%?
Thank you kindly!
The Cannabis Oil (CO) is pure extracted CO, there is no coconut oil or other carrier involved. I use extraction and concentrates, not infusions. This way I can control the process and recipe much easier. How much I use and % or THC depends on the dosage/potency I am looking to make. Simply do the volume calculation ahead of time, and/or calculate the per unit value when you are finished and know how many pieces you have.
This willl help so much with my first making canna candy. I have the extractcraft so How much canna oil do I need to make for 350 10mg hard candy.? . Alittle lost on how calculate MG per candy, but I will try yours. . Where did you get the molds that hold up to hot candy? Your blog is awesome
Thank you for the kind words. Molds were ordered from amazon. Just need to figure out how many mg you have total, then the volume of candy you’re making and how many pieces
Hey Ichibancrafter,
Your blog is epic! So much knowledge here!
There seems to be some sort of discrepancy in the write up though. In outlining the process, you call for non decarbed material, but in the recipe you call for decarbed material and go on to describe a process that incorporates it as well.
I’m more interested in a non decarbed scenario and would appreciate it if you could clarify the process for that. Most especially, how does one hold the temp of the mixture at 293f if it advances quicky after 260? Also, do I let it advance to 300 after sitting at 293 for the prescribed time?
I will have to go back and take a look and fix it. The reason the discrepancy is there is that my original method was to not use decarbed material and decarb in the candy making process. After experimenting and learning more about decarb, it’s robustness, and the margin I was working with I decided for simplicity and consistency using a decarbed concentrate is better. So, I went back and edited the post to reflect that, but I may have been to hasty with that and will amend it, thank you for pointing it out. I would suggest forgetting about wrestling with the temp, use decarbed material, so proceed as normal
Grateful for your response Ichibancarfter. Do you think it would be a good iead if I do a 45 min decarb instead of a 60 min one to account for the additional exposure to the heat of the mixture?
Its not unreasonable to think that would work, but we’re just guessing for the most part really.
Thanks man!
is infused coconut oil fine?
there is no coconut oil included in the recipe
It’s says canna oil . So I’m asking what type of oil was infused
There is no infusion, its pure cannabis oil extract. I don’t work with infusions.
This is what is listed in the ingredients “decarboxylated canna-oil extract” it is VERY different than an infusion
I used it and it worked for me
also how much canna oil are you using?
As much or as little as you want for your desired dosage, its a personal choice.
? with using FECO in candy making is there a temperature that is too high for the FECO to be exposed to. IS It OK to mix FECO in a melted candy recipe at 3330 degrees? or is that too hot? Thx so much
I add it later, but it cools pretty fast
I’ve used this recipe twice so far and I used infused coconut oil and they have turned out amazing.
They hardened well? Do you know how much oil you used and the potency by chance?
I was worried as well about hardening but they hardened perfectly. I used 1/3 cup of coconut oil. I calculated is has 400mg of thc.I melted it under hot water. And followed your recipe exactly. They turned out amazing. When I make my butter/coconut oil, I add lecithin to the infusion process. I’m wondering if that helps with the binding process.
Great info, much appreciated!
The lecithin is what makes the oil and liquid bind.
Love this one … I swear I could make hard crack candy in my sleep (very young with 3 children in the 90s-every one got their favorite flavor at Christmas LOL). My first bath will be menthol-eucalyptus!
If I use rosin should I decarb first?
It you want it to be THC and not THC-A, decarb is necessary