If you buy ready-to-use hemp, you may have no idea that there is a process referred to as curing. However, those who cultivate their hemp either for personal use or sale know that you cannot get hemp straight from the farm and start enjoying it. The general practice is that the harvested hemp needs to be dried and cured to enhance its effect.
Reasons to Cure Your CBD Hemp
It is necessary to cure your CBD hemp for several reasons, which include:
It Improves the Taste
Curing converts harsh-hitting flowers into smooth and delicious buds that users will enjoy smoking. The buds have a buttery smooth smoke but not the original hard-hitting nasty taste. Additionally, drying and curing are done slowly, which retains the terpenes behind the fantastic flavor but are typically lost when the hemp encounters high heat.
It Improves the Potency
Curing helps to increase the potency of the products because biosynthesis continues under the curing conditions.
Curing Preserves the Hemp and Reduce Undesirable Effects
When properly cured, the hemp is less likely to cause users paranoia, racing thoughts, and anxiety. Curing also lessens the chance of the buds developing mold and also eliminates bacteria, allowing more extended storage without loss of potency.
How to Dry and Cure Your CBD Hemp
The following are the steps to producing CBD hemp that offers users a fantastic experience:
Low and Slow Drying
The hemp post-harvest processes start with drying. After harvesting, those preparing the CBD products need to trim the mature hemp flower to eliminate excess leaves. The best way is to hang the trimmed buds using wire hangers or on drying racks, and it should be in a dark and well-ventilated place. This is because light degrades terpenes and affects cannabinoids negatively.
The best drying conditions are in the 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit range. The buds should feel dry when touched in four to six days depending on the humidity levels. When they feel dry to the touch, you can now move on to the next step in which you cure your CBD hemp. The drying should be done at low temperatures and slowly to retain the terpenes that make the product flavorful. Otherwise, high temperatures vaporize them and leave behind low-quality products.
Curing in Colored Mason Jars
In the curing phase, mason jars come in handy and colored (to keep the light away) and wide-mouthed jars (for easy buds redistribution and ventilation) are the best. The curing process involves filling the mason jars with the dried hemp flowers up to ¾ full. The CBD connoisseurs then place the lids on the jars to seal them and keep them in a dry, cool place. Within the next week, you or whoever is preparing the hemp flowers should open the jars for about a minute a few times per day and gently mix up the buds. The redistribution or mixing up allows the moisture that is still in the flowers to escape.
It is necessary to ensure that the buds do not feel too dry when touched. During curing, some people will prefer to open the jar once a day for about ten minutes, which may still be a good option. You need to briefly open and close the jar as you redistribute the buds for about ten days. After that, let the jar remain sealed. After 5 to 6 weeks in sealed jars, the hemp flowers will be fully cured and with 59% to 62% moisture content. The resulting product will be an optimal CBD-rich flower that offers users a great experience.
Conclusion
It is vital to cure your hemp CBD hemp to make it have a great flavor, improve its potency, and be safe to store without mold developing. The drying and curing process should be done at low temperatures and slowly to ensure that the terpenes that make the products have a great taste are retained. It is also vital to reduce exposure of the buds to light.