There are a lot of short cuts that can made along the way of growing and processing the marijuana you find at our local retailer. Use of artificial fertilizers and bloom boosters can lead to fast grow times and bigger bud yields. But at what cost to your health and the environment? Another way to cut corners is by rushing the buds to market in order to turn a quick profit.
Properly drying and curing marijuana makes all the difference.
It began with organic soil, all natural compost, and plenty of sunshine and clean, clear water. Several months later the flowers are big and beautiful and ready to be consumed, right? Well, not quite yet. There’s still one more key process: drying and curing. And that final step is critical to overall quality.
At Green Barn Farms, we take the extra time to dry and cure our cannabis for two main reasons: taste and potency. Buds that aren’t allowed to dry properly end up tasting bitter and harsh when smoked. That’s because chlorophyll is still present in the flowers so it retains the flavor of damp leaves or grass clippings. Not really what we’re going for.
Proper drying and curing also increases potency by separating the oxygen from the THC in the buds. You also don’t have to smoke as much when flowers are dried properly, so that’s an added benefit. The overall result is a better cannabis experience. Here’s how we do it.
Dry it, you’ll like it!
First comes the drying process. This can’t be rushed. We hang our buds upside down by their stems for at least two weeks in an area that’s between 50 and 70 degrees, has less than 50% humidity, and is not in direct sunlight. Anything less and the flowers won’t dry completely. The outside may seem dry and the smell might be good after a few days, but once you open the bud it could still be damp inside. That’s not good. You want the final product to be dry enough to crumble in your fingers. It should also be pungent and the crystals should be glistening and sticky.
The cure for the common bud.
Next comes the curing process, which takes another six to eight weeks. In many ways, this is the most important part of the process. Fortunately, the arid climate in Eastern Washington creates optimal curing conditions.
First we put the buds in paper bags for a couple of days, making sure to regularly rotate them while checking for signs of mold or mildew. Once the stems snap cleanly without bending the flowers are ready for the next step, which is to go into glass jars for final curing.
The jars are loosely filled with buds and the lids are put on top without screwing them down. This allows a small amount of air to circulate in the jars, which helps with the curing process, and produces a smoother smoke in the end.
Taking our time every step of the way with our cannabis makes for a better experience -- flavor, smell, smoke, and high. Slow cannabis is better. Give us a try next time you are out shopping.