The best way to ensure that you enjoy cannabis in its true flavor and feel is to store it well. The classic instructions for storage are to use an airtight container and place it in a cool, dry, dark place.
However, there might be certain anomalies in these conditions that could cause your stash to dry up. Every cannabis enthusiast has encountered a disappointing day when the buds feel bone dry. The last thing you want to do in this situation is to try and smoke it away, as the fragile buds will create a very hot and harsh feeling in the throat.
What Causes Dry Cannabis?
Several factors could leave your stash dry and dull.
1. Improper Storage
Storing your buds in the wrong container causes the plant to lose moisture to the surrounding, leaving it foul-tasting, harsh, and brittle.
2. Overdrying
Overdrying the buds before curing might eliminate the essential moisture from the plant. It could make the stash prone to crumbling and damage.
3. Intense Decarboxylation
Overdecaroxylation before preparing edibles or concentrates also strips the plant of necessary moisture due to over-exposure to heat. It causes your weed to exist on the brink of destruction.
Why Rehydrate Cannabis?
Using cannabis at the optimum humidity levels ensures better utilization of the constituents of the plant. It can induce the perfect balance of flavors and cannabinoids that can improve your experience significantly. It will also retain the trichomes and the fresh earthy aroma for you to enjoy.
You can create a personal cannabis garden at home to have access to fresh weed regularly. Make sure to shop from high quality brands for the best results. Alternatively, you can buy high-quality weed and use these simple tips to rehydrate them when they start to feel dry to enjoy an amazing cannabis experience.
Methods For Rehydrating Cannabis
Try Humidors
Humidors are a worthy investment for cannabis enthusiasts to make sure you always enjoy fresh buds. While low-end humidors utilize a combination of distilled water and sponges to rehydrate, advanced models use propylene glycol mixture for the same. These devices also connect to your phone via Bluetooth and help balance humidity levels easily to keep your buds healthy.
Humidity Regulator Packs
Disposable humidity regulating packs is a relatively easy way to rehydrate cannabis. The unique texture of these packs allows moisture to pass through freely and hydrate the bag’s contents over time. Placing humidity regulation packs helps maintain the optimum moisture levels within the packaging between 58% to 65%, ideal for storage.
DIY Techniques
You can also use some simple ingredients from your kitchen to rehydrate your stash.
1. Fruit Peel Method
A simple and effective way to rehydrate dry cannabis buds would be using fruit peels. You can simply place the buds in an airtight container along with fruit peels till they start to feel fresh again. It is an age-old trick and works best with several fruit peels including, banana, cherry, pear, apple, kiwi, grapefruit.
Citrus fruits are the most common choice for this process as the natural moisture induced by the presence of essential oils on the skin can hydrate the buds. An advantage of following this technique is that the bud starts to capture the terpenes and essential oils of the fruit, thus creating a more flavorful palette for your to enjoy.
2. Lettuce Method
Lettuce is yet another wonderful ingredient that can effectively hydrate your cannabis buds. Due to its high water content, the rehydration would only take a couple of hours, and your buds will turn fresh and ready for use.
Place a few narrow strips of lettuce in a jar along with the buds and close the lid tightly. Like fruit peels, lettuce also adds a fresh flavor to your cannabis that can be quite exciting to relish.
3. Bread Method
A slice of bread from your kitchen can also rehydrate your buds without adding any flavors. Slightly moisten the bread and place it in a container with the cannabis such that it does not touch the buds directly.
4. Paper Towel Method
You can also use paper towels or any absorbent fabric moistened using distilled water to hydrate cannabis. Place the moist paper towel or fabric in a plastic bag and poke a few holes in it. Place the buds in the bag such that it does not directly touch the moist paper or fabric. Leave it for a couple of hours before the buds turn fresh for use.
5. Water Vapor Method
Using steam to rehydrate your weed can be a slightly tricky process. But with the right precautions, you can achieve amazing results in just a few minutes. Boil water in a large pot and remove it from heat. Cover the rim with a piece of fabric and place the dry buds on top of it. The water vapor evaporating from the pot will slowly hydrate the buds. Make sure to turn the buds regularly for the best results.
Tip: An important point to keep in mind while rehydrating your buds is not to overdo. The goal is to bring back the original moisture content to enhance the experience. Overhydrating might increase the risk of molding or lead to spoilage of the buds.