Why Curing Cannabis Is Vital for Quality and Longevity
Like you, we quite enjoy partaking in cannabis and cannabis related products, like a 4/20 version of Hank Hill. Over the years, especially during cannabis prohibition in Canada until 2018, we often grew our own marijuana. In a previous blog, we’ve taken a look at the best way to manicure your clipped buds to ensure that you get the best flavour and cleanest vaporization possible. Now, we want to take a look at the next step to help make sure your weed keeps its flavour for an extended period and keeps as well. Of course, we’re talking about curing. Curing is a process done in many industries, from bacon to corned beef and even sushi to bring out natural flavours and potency while increasing the amount of time the product will be viable. Today we’re going to take a look at the process of curing cannabis and what equipment you should procure to get the best results.
Let’s take a look at the crucial steps of curing cannabis and why it's essential for preserving flavor, potency, and long-term storage. Curing your bud is often underestimated, yet it's pivotal for enhancing both its taste and quality.
During the process of curing, moisture redistributes from the centre of the bud outward, a critical step in preserving delicate terpenes that give cannabis its unique aroma and flavour. Curing isn't just about drying; it's the final touch that refines buds, improving their taste and smell. Chlorophyll, responsible for that "green" taste, breaks down during curing, transforming harsh-tasting weed into a smooth, flavourful experience.
Understanding Temperature and Humidity
You will want to maintain a cool, stable temperature (ideally below 77°F) to slow cannabinoid degradation. Humidity levels between 55-65% prevent mold growth and preserve colour and flavour.
Four Keys to Properly Cure Your Cannabis
Choose the Right Container: opt for airtight glass mason jars over plastic or other materials to preserve freshness. Below, we will discuss our favourite brand and why.
- Pack Carefully: Fill jars loosely—avoid compacting—to allow for proper air circulation.
- Control Humidity: Aim for 55-65% humidity to prevent mold and maintain optimal texture. You want to have one humidifier per storage container, as the actual humidity may differ from jar to jar, even in a fairly controlled environment.
- Burp Your Buds: Open your vacuum sealed jars daily in the initial week to release excess moisture and oxygen.
Four Tips for Successful Cannabis Storage
- Avoid Direct Sunlight: Store in a cool, dark place to preserve potency and flavor.
- Use Quality Containers: Glass mason jars are ideal for maintaining freshness.
- Monitor Humidity: Invest in a hygrometer or humidity control packs to prevent mold.
- Label and Separate Strains: Keep strains distinct to preserve their unique characteristics. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, though, and we’ll often mix a few strains together in a cursory storage container to test the effects with a melange of strains.
Five Must Have Tools to Properly Cure Cannabis
There are the five products that we believe are integral pieces of the curing and storing weed pie. Mmm weed pie.
Drying Rack - https://amzn.to/4392rW4
The first thing you’re going to need for your curing journey is a rack style system to house all of your freshly cut and trimmed cannabis. We took a look at that process in our previous blog here. You’re going to want to be able to have space on each side of your curing buds because if they start clumping up, that’s a good way to see too much dampness turn into molding, and we really don’t want that. There was like an episode of House or something where the mold spores turned to LSD, but we really wouldn’t recommend trying that. This six tier, 24” diameter drying rack has steel reinforced mesh panels to provide airflow to your entire buds, ensuring the mold will have a very difficult time getting started.
High Velocity Fan - https://amzn.to/49XwdQ8
As drying is as an integral part of cleaning as storage is, you’ll want to have adequate air movement in the room where you’re doing your drying. You could spend hundreds of dollars on a room fan and depending on the size of your crop and drying room, you may need to, but if you’re drying your freshly cut cannabis in an average sized room, we’d recommend having at least a 14” fan. This fan fits the bill, offering the size needed to get solid airflow in your drying room, three speeds to ensure you can find the fitting flow, and it tilts to provide more direct air on the buds and that leads to faster drying and sooner enjoyment.
Room Humidifier - https://amzn.to/43cW3gt
Adding a room humidifier can actually help you out in both the drying and the curing processes. The reason we’re measuring humidity in the first place is that it’s a delicate dance between dry ass flower that sheds its crystals and mold that destroys your entire crop. While the hygrometer tells us what the humidity level is, it’s only a tracking tool, not a solution to fluctuating humidity. This room humidifier holds up to 6L of water to gently mist the room when needed and will run for 60 hours on a battery charge. Fitting a bedroom sized area and cognizant of the space’s moisture level, this app-controlled humidifier will keep your room at the optimal level of humidity for drying your bud and getting it ready for storage.
Ball Mason Jars - https://amzn.to/3v12Ux9
Like Q-Tip cotton swabs or Kleenex face tissue, Ball mason jars are a classification of their own. Ball is such a household name that they’ve got their name on the Denver arena, a spot where you usually see banks and telecoms. Ball mason jars became famous because of their burp technology that is widely used today by the rest of the market too. In general, mason jars are airtight, consistently sized to be easy to store, perfect for your needs to cure your cannabis. This set of twelve 32oz vacuum sealed jars is made in the USA and will keep a seal for up to 18 months.
Hygrometers - https://amzn.to/3xT38HM
While Boveda Packs and the like do a swell job of moderating the moisture level in the container that they’re placed into, but you’ll want a much more accurate way to measure the level of moisture in your stored cannabis in order to properly cure and store it. These small hygrometers have a fast and accurate reaction that uses 24 sensitive vents to measure every 10 seconds to provide up to date and accurate readings of the moisture and temperature per container. Having one hygrometer per container is recommended as you can have varying moisture readings, even in the same storage area.
Final Thoughts on Curing Cannabis
Properly cured cannabis can be stored for up to two years without losing its potency or quality. Treat your cannabis like fine wine—store it in a cool, dark environment away from excess heat and light to savor its full potential.
