Cannabis edibles are the perfect way to get a dose of CBD and THC when you have some extra time for relaxing or when you want to switch up your usual method. They’re tasty, they provide a long-lasting high, and they can be quite potent, plus they’re easy to dose (at least store-bought edibles).
Edibles are versatile, too. You can find them in the shape of little treats like chocolates, gummies, mints, breath strips, and candies. Besides these, there are cannabis oil and cannabis butter, which have expanded the scope of using weed in the kitchen. They can boost the most basic recipe and make it a little more special.
Other cannabis edibles are the chocolate fudge-like canna baked goods, also known as weed brownies, which are the ever-popular cannabis edible that very few dislike. You may have a habit of buying them in your local dispensary or have a trusted homemade recipe, but never know what to do with the leftovers.
Fear not, when you store them properly, you can enjoy them for longer, which is what we cover in this article. We’ll talk about how long they keep and what are the best ways to prolong their shelf life.
Do Cannabis Edibles Ever Go Bad?
Weed does lend some magic when it’s infused into food, but the magic stops when it comes to shelf life. It may sound a little disappointing, but the cannabinoids present in edibles don’t make them resilient to mold, mildew, or bacteria. Therefore, just like regular brownies, weed brownies can spoil if they’re improperly stored for a long amount of time.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. Pot brownies are just like any other food product that you consume – they’re made out of common household ingredients, but with the addition of weed. Sometimes they’re made with cannabutter, but this cannabis product is also a common household ingredient at its core, so it behaves just like regular butter.
What does this mean for pot brownies? Simply, it means that you should treat them just like regular brownies – munch on them while they’re fresh and safely store the rest away for later. Store-bought brownies and other edibles that have preservatives will certainly keep for longer than homemade, but this doesn’t mean that you can just leave them out on the counter for days. But how long are brownies good for?
The Average Shelf Life of Weed Brownies and How to Tell if They’re Spoiled
The usual weed brownie recipe, whether homemade or bought from a dispensary, includes eggs and dairy, both of which are sensitive ingredients and can spoil easily if they’re not stored properly.
If you use these canna baked goods often but have no idea what to do when you have a lot of leftovers, let us offer you some insight on their shelf life and how you can tell when they’re no longer edible.
Stored at Room Temperature
Weed brownies are the freshest for two days and then they slowly start changing their texture and become drier. If you keep them at room temperature, like on the countertop in your kitchen where there are temperature changes, it will probably be less than a week before they become inedible. If you keep them in the pantry, where it’s cooler, they may keep up to eight days.
If room temperature brownies have gone bad, you will notice some greenish spots, which is mold. Changes in temperature and humidity in the air can easily cause mold overgrowth. If your brownies give off a musty or earthy smell, they’ve probably gone bad.
Stored In the Fridge
Pot brownies in the fridge last a lot longer. Cooler temperatures slow the decomposition of the ingredients and protect them from bacteria and fungi. Stored in the fridge, they can last for up to three weeks, and even a month if you store them in a sturdy airtight container.
When they’ve been in the fridge for too long, the brownies will become very dry and will crumble easily. You should probably skip eating them to be on the safe side. They can also develop mold, but this can happen if it’s been well over a month since they’ve been in the fridge, or if the container was faulty and they’ve been exposed to excess moisture.
Stored In the Freezer
Storing weed brownies in the freezer is your best bet to keep them fresh for a long time. It even allows you to make a bigger batch in advance and freeze them for later. They can be stored in the freezer for about three months, more or less, and they’ll remain as fresh as when you made or bought them.
Brownies kept in the freezer will develop freezer burns if they’re improperly stored or if you’ve forgotten about them and left them there for months. Freezer burn results in numerous ice crystals around the brownies, which means that the moisture within has evaporated. This also means that the cannabinoids have also suffered and lost some of their potency.
How to Store Cannabis Brownies Properly
As tasty as edibles are, they can be very potent, which is why they aren’t consumed in larger quantities, especially when it’s your first time taking edibles. Same with cannabis brownies, which is why unless you have a get-together, you can end up with a lot of leftovers.
- Keep them away from hot areas or areas prone to temperature changes – this means that your kitchen countertop is probably not the ideal place to store them for the long term unless you plan to consume them in due time. It also means that you should keep them away from sources of heat such as your radiator. Therefore, storing them in the fridge or freezer is probably the best choice as it’s the safest.
- Moisture is another enemy, so you should also choose a sturdy airtight container to protect them. Avoid plastic ziplock bags as they don’t provide a good barrier against moisture. Glass containers are the best. Additionally, you can wrap them in parchment paper before you place them in the container.
- Finally, if you can, choose an opaque container. Light easily degrades cannabinoids, and the light in the fridge can affect your weed brownies, albeit not that much. However, assuming that you’ll be storing them for longer than a week or two, why not preserve all the goodness the best way you can?
The Takeaway – Best to Keep Weed Brownies in a Cool Place for Long-Term Storage
Weed brownies are a favorite of many and they’re a classic edible for a reason – try to stop yourself from eating the whole thing, we dare you! Jokes aside, weed brownies, like all edibles, are normally eaten in calculated, smaller quantities than regular brownies, which leaves you with leftovers.
Whether you often bake pot brownies at home or buy from your local dispensary, keeping them in a cool place such as the fridge or freezer will keep them in a good condition for longer. Of course, if you intend to consume them within a day or two, or you have guests coming over, room temperature is just fine.
Ps. If you want to make edible brownies the easy way, check out our guide on how to make edible brownie batter from the box.
