Recipe: Infused Mango Juice 3 Ways
Comparing viral Instagram video recipes
Last week I wondered if you “can boil weed in water and get high?” The answer was yes… but it’s not an efficient method. Today’s recipe, we’ll compare 3 recipes for mango juice to illustrate the different methods:
Recipe #1 @juicebaeinthewild: Did not decarb. Boil herb in water. 8 grams of cannabis flower. <100mg THC per 8 oz. cup**
Recipe #2 @coughcreative: Decarb first. Boil herb in water. Add honey. 11 grams of cannabis flower. ~200mg THC per 8 oz. cup**
Recipe #3 @fruitandflower: Decarb and make alcohol tincture. Add honey. 2.9 grams of cannabis. ~100mg THC per 8 oz. cup**
Wild right?! There’s a lot of variance. Take a closer look at each recipe below and try it for yourself. My Fruit + Flower version of infused mango juice includes instructions for low dose (5mg THC per serving) and high dose (100mg THC per serving).
Taste Test Results: Out of curiosity, I boiled 4 grams of flower in water without decarbing first and made mango juice according to @juicebaeinthewild instructions. According to math and assuming 30% efficiency, a 1 oz. shot should be around 7.5 mg THC. My personal tolerance is 10mg THC. I definitely did not feel that. It was a nice mellow and relaxing body high, but it took 3-4 shots before I could really feel something. I suspect the boiling water temperature did not reach the 240 degrees F to effectively convert THCa to THC for psychoactive effects. It’s still pleasant, delicious and good for you, but uses a lot of cannabis for mild results.
** The math is not exact because there are so many variables to consider. Without sending controlled environment lab experiments and testing, there is no way to know. But given certain known variables and math calculations, we can figure out approximate potency. It’s not perfect, but at least we have a reference point to consume responsibly.
Recipe #1: Original @JuiceBaeInTheWild
On her IG post she says, “herb smokers pay attention. Instead of smoking, try this infused mango juice. It tastes great and is a healthy alternative to inhaling the herb through your lungs.”
POTENCY: Approximately 100mg THC per 8 oz. cup**
INGREDIENTS:
4-8 grams of herb
32-44 oz. (4-5 cups) water
5 ripe mangoes
2 lemons
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make weed tea: You’ll need 4-8 grams of herb 🌿 (I use 8g, I don’t decarb but you certainly can if you want to). 32-44 ounces of water (I used 40). Boil the water and add the herbs, stems and all (optional). Allow this to boil for 8 minutes then reduce to heat to the lowest setting and leave for 15 minutes and remove the heat. Leave the pot covered and allow the herbs to steep for at least 1 hour. The longer you allow the herbs to steep the stronger the tea. (I let mine steep overnight). Chill your tea for at least 30 minutes. Or add some honey and drink it just like that ☺️
2. Make mango juice: Blend or juice 5 mangoes and 2 lemons. You can strain or leave the pulp and you can add whatever fruits or veggies you would like to this mixture. Pro tip: add the pulp from the juicer to the first step for even better results.
** I calculated very rough math using the info given using 8 grams of cannabis flower and 40 oz. of water, and assuming 20% THC. Approximate dose: ~100mg THC per 8 oz cup. (Note: I don’t know the potency of her flower or final yield, so this is a very rough guess. But at least it’s some information that gives us an idea of how potent her concoction might be.
Recipe #2: Decarbed + Honey + Lemon @CoughCreative
Ally says, “I get nervous when making water-based infusions so decarbing always makes me feel better about activating my cannabinoids.”
POTENCY: Approximately 180-240mg THC per 8oz. cup**
INGREDIENTS:
11 grams ground flower (29% THC)
35 oz. (4 cups) water
⅛ cup honey
4 cups of mango + lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Decarb bud: 240 degrees F for 45 minutes in a LEVO C infusion device.
2. Make weed tea: In a large pot, add decarbed bud to water and boil/simmer for ~1 hour. Add honey and allow to cool.
3. Make mango juice: Juiced 4 cups worth of ripe mangoes and lemons. Combine with weed tea.
** I calculated the math using info from Ally. Her recipe made 2.5 bottles (33 oz. each). Approximate dose: ~180-240mg THC or less per 8 oz. cup. Ally has a high tolerance and takes 100mg THC edibles regularly.
Recipe #3: Infused Mango Juice – Fruit + Flower Version
My version is more like a mango and cannabis leaf smoothie, using fresh cannabis leaves to get the beneficial antioxidants and nutrients from raw leaves rather than a boiled tea that turns the plant material to mush.
This recipe uses an alcohol-based infusion instead of using water or fat to extract the THC from the cannabis. The ¼ teaspoon of alcohol used in the tea will be evaporated through boiling. If you prefer a no-alcohol version, simply use an oil-based cannabis tincture or infused honey.
DOSING: Makes four (4) 8 oz. servings, one liter (32 oz. / 8 cups) of mango juice. Double-check the math if your % THC is different.
Low Dose // 5mg THC per 8 oz. cup: You’ll need a total of 20mg THC in the entire recipe. Approximately 0.15 grams of ~20% THC cannabis flower.*
High Dose // 100mg THC per 8 oz. cup: You’ll need a total of 400mg THC in the entire recipe. Approximately 2.9 grams of ~20% THC cannabis flower.*
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups ripe mangoes, fresh or frozen
Juice from 1 lemon
¼ cup honey
8 oz. (1 cup) water
¼ teaspoon, or desired amount, of cannabis tincture (recipe below)
Cannabis fan leaves (optional)
Cannabis tincture
[ * ] grams cannabis flower (~20% THC), coarsely ground
¼ cup 100-proof, or higher, vodka or grain alcohol
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make cannabis tincture: Preheat the oven to 240°F. Place coarsely ground cannabis flower into an 8-ounce mason jar, seal with the lid to reduce smell, and heat for 40 minutes in the oven to decarb, which will activate the THC. Remove from the oven (the flower should look lightly toasted) and let cool until the mason jar is safe to touch. Pour ¼ cup of high-proof vodka or grain alcohol into the mason jar, close the lid, and shake hard to combine. Set aside and let the mixture sit for several hours to overnight.
Shake the mixture and pour through a fine mesh sieve into another small mason jar. Reserve the liquid and discard the ground flower. Label the jar: “¼ teaspoon = 5mg or 100mg THC” depending on your potency, and set aside. Shake the jar before each use.
2. Make cannabis tea: In a small saucepan, boil 1 cup of water, add honey, and ¼ teaspoon of the cannabis tincture. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
3. Make mango juice: Place mangoes, lemon juice, cannabis tea, and cannabis fan leaves (if using) into a blender. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until liquified. Pour into a glass container and store in the fridge for up to a week.
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Hope you enjoyed this recipe comparison! It was fun trying a new technique and getting to the science and facts behind the methodology. So much of what I read and see about making edibles at home is conjecture, oral tradition, and lots of rabble-rabble-rabble. I hope this helps you become more confident when making and dosing your own cannabis-infused food and drinks.
XOXO, Christina W.
Where I live I’m not able to buy 100-proof alcohol. Is 80-proof fine to use?