Curing cannabis is the art of bringing your medicine to its highest potency, smoothest toke and best flavor. This is carefully done by hanging the medicine for 1 to 2 weeks or until it naturally snaps off the main stem. You should cut off the big fan leaves while it is drying, but leave the inner leaves on until dried to retain the and flavonoids inside which give the buds their sweet aroma. Make sure that the inner stems of the buds are dry. You can do this by slightly bending the buds. Don’t break the buds just see if there is enough resistance that it could be snapped. Then, the medicine is dried and ready to trim.
At this point, trim off all of the sugar leaves and place the buds in air tight glass jars. While doing this, look into the sides of the buds and check for mold. During this process you should grade your medicine into two sections. The BEST! and the rest. Keep these separate and it will intensify the sweetness of the cure. Try to fill the jars to the top, or use the correct size jars that do not have very much excess space (air) in them. Once the jars are filled, check on them once a day by opening them up and rotating the buds. Do this for at least 1 week. After that, you should “burp” open the lid of the jar for 30 minutes a day or for up to another month. It is essential that the whole curing process is done in a cool and dark place.
The curing process can be taken to next level by taking out how much medicine you need for the next few days and either letting it sit out in the open air to breathe and dry out completely, or placing it a small glass jar with the lid on or off to obtain your favorite level of curing. During the process of a good cure the starch and sugar in the plant will convert into THC, and the chlorophyll will evaporate making the herb smooth and flavorful.
Remember the key points of curing cannabis:
* If there is high humidity, buds will take longer to dry. In low humidity, they can dry very quickly and you must watch them closely.
* Always dry and cure in a cool and dark place.
* Wait until you can hear or feel the stem “snap” before you put it in the jar.
* Glass jars work best.
* “Burp” once a day, and rotate at first.
* Use the right size jars that just fit the buds, without excess air.
* Practice curing methods with small amounts of personal stash until you find what works best for you.
[…] HT Admin wrote an interesting post today Here’s a quick excerpt Curing cannabis is the art of bringing your medicine to its highest potency, smoothest toke and best flavor. This is carefully done by hanging the medicine for. […]
actually, to correctly do this.. you need to make sure you wait to put the product into the jar or jars.. until the main stem is flexible.. and maybe even cracks here and there.. but DOES NOT completely break into two pieces.
Waiting this long will reduce the moisture level of the product to the point where the cure process won’t have enough moisture or TIME to properly cure.. therefore leaving you with a harsh product that won’t smoke, smell, or taste right.
Just wanted to clear that up.
I throw mine in jars as soon as they are dry enough to smoke which is a good couple days before the stem snaps. I hate when my herbs are too dry and I think the best result is obtained my way.
I dry on the stem until the buds feel as if they are bone dry, but some moisture can be felt in the center of the biggest buds. Then I cut them from the stem and place in glass. One is usually surprised at how fast they tend to re-hydrate so it is important to keep checking them when first placed in the jar. It’s best to leave them in there until you absolutely have gone through all your stash to let time do it’s magic before opening the new jar. A month is a good starting point for those who can wait!
Great info, Otto! Appreciate it! 🙂
Thanks Jack!
The cure zone is at 65-55% RH. I have mine in jars right now at 65% and I’m burping and letting them sit out for 15 mins everyday. The idea is to get them from 65% rh to 55% slowly. After the first week I’ll start burping them every other day, then once or twice a week. At 60% and below, your buds can’t mold, so you don’t have to burp often. You can even leave them for months.
You can keep them at any RH you prefer, I think 65 is a little too wet, and 55 is perfect. I want to try to cure for a month then just keep it at 56 or so.
I have a few caliber III hygrometers I throw into some of my curing jars. You have to let them sit for a day to get an accurate reading.