All About Cannabis Shelf Life and How To Keep An Edible Fresh
All about cannabis shelf life and how to keep an edible fresh.
It’s been a long week. You’re tired, want to relax, and get your grub on. But when you open the fridge, your pot brownies smell weird. Uh-oh. At Medical Cannabis Doctors, we’ve been in your shoes: is it still fresh? Do I eat this? What exactly is the shelf life of a cannabis edible anyway, and how do I maximize its freshness? The answers to your questions (and more) can be found in the lines below.
Important dates that affect an edible’s shelf life
An edible is just like any other food. They spoil if not consumed or purchased on time. Three factors most affect an edible’s shelf life: its expiration date, best-by date, and sell-by date. Keeping this trio of dates in mind can help you preserve your edible longer. Let’s find out how.
Expiration dates and edibles
Most foods expire if not eaten before the expiration date. Edibles work much the same way. However, some foods have a longer shelf life and do not expire as fast. You will want to look at your food’s expiration date to ensure it is not overripe or past-time eating.
For example, many sugary-based foods like lollipops, gummies, and hard candies expire more slowly because they are dense and therefore have less room for oxygen to seep in and cause bacteria or mold growth. Mold feeds off oxygen, so lollipops and gummies tend to expire more slowly than other foods like brownies, pizzas, or other cooked items which are more porous. Depending on the ingredients used to make your edible, you will want to know the best-by dates of your edible as well to keep your edible fresh and delicious.
Best-by dates of ingredients and cannabis edibles
We’re sorry to hear that your pot brownie is molding and looking pretty sad; did you take a look at how old your ingredients are? Knowing the shelf life of your cannabis edible depends largely on the ingredients used to cook the edible. Check out the best-by date — when ingredients will be at their best or most ripe — to help determine whether the ingredients used will make for a freshly cooked cannabis-based edible.
Check the sell-by date to ensure an edible stays fresh
Most grocery stores have a sell-by date, meaning how long the item should be kept on shelves before its quality decreases. To preserve the shelf life of your cannabis edible, it is crucial to buy ingredients before the sell-by date so that it has the most substantial chance at staying fresh when stored.
You don’t want to have to make a pot edible whose butter is molding before even starting the cooking process. When you go to the grocery store, check the sell-by date to help make sure all your ingredients are fresh, so your edible stands the most excellent chance at staying fresh for longer.
Quick tips on storing cannabis edibles to preserve freshness
While it is okay to eat your edible after the best-by, sell-by, or expiration date, it can lose potency if not stored properly. The best way to keep your edibles fresh is in a fridge, in an air-tight sealed container, or with little access to moisture. But be aware: a study found that THC loses potency by up to 10-15% per year if not stored properly.
We have all had that moment when we open the fridge, and a pungent smell wreaks havoc on our nostrils. The potency of THC tends to decrease three to five percent for each month THC is left at room temperature, studies have found. The following storage tips can help preserve the shelf life of your edible:
Use air-tight sealed containers: Moisture and oxygen are an edible’s arch nemesis. Keep your cannabis edibles in air-tight sealed containers to prevent trichomes — the most potent part of a cannabis plant — from spoiling inside the edible.
Stick your container in the fridge: Refrigeration helps stop the spread of bacteria and mold growth, making it easier for edible munchies to stay fresh and potent longer.
Better yet, freeze your edible: to maximize potency and freshness, keeping an edible in the freezer in the dark can preserve its freshness. Research shows that keeping edibles in cooler temperatures can keep THC products fresh longer than in lighter conditions.
Keep the edibles out of light: While plants require plenty of light to grow, the opposite is true for storage and keeping an edible fresh. Dark hits the mark, and light means a fight.
In summary, keeping your ingredients in a dry, air-tight, and sealed location, such as a pantry or fridge, will help preserve the life of your cannabis edible so it does not lose its potency or, worst of all, its taste. While these are not the only ways to store marijuana, they have been proven to preserve the potency of THC-based products and keep them fresh longer. Period.
Enjoy a cannabis edible cooking class to ensure shelf life
A delicious edible starts in the kitchen and ends best in consumption. But it is okay if you do not eat it all at once. We suggest preserving its shelf life by purchasing fresh ingredients and storing them in a cool, dark, and air-tight storage for later consumption.
Suppose you want to learn more about cooking and storing cannabis or edibles. In that case, Medical Cannabis Doctors offers cooking classes, where you can prepare an edible and store it to ensure it stays fresh and potent for long after it and its ingredients’ expiration, best-by, and sell-by dates. Give it a try now. Your belly and wallet will thank you for it later.
Medical Cannabis Doctors is a one-stop resource for buying medicinal marijuana and learning about healthy cannabis consumption. Our team of physicians and patient advocates is on-call and ready to meet your needs. Phone support is available 24/7, so contact us at (630) 551-8210 or at info@cannabisdoctors.com to receive your medical marijuana card and learn how cannabis consumption can help you thrive today.
