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The Best Cannabis Gift for Every Type of Stoner

Ardent Cannabis

Determined to get your holiday shopping done early this year? Avoid waiting until the last minute (and paying extra for shipping) so you can fully enjoy the festive season.

If you’re looking for some gift inspo, we’ve got you covered. Read all the buzz and find out what the media is saying about Ardent!

The Ardent FX is the perfect present for:

  • The aspiring innovator
    • Thrillist – Ardent Founder, Shanel Lindsay, “threw herself into advocacy and started innovating a subtle, easy device for people to make their own edibles at home.”
  • The cool creative
    • NYMag – “This makes it super easy to infuse things you cook with cannabis. Beyond cooking, you can use it to make pain salves and massage oils.” – Singer-songwriter, Tayla Parx (!!!)
  • The DIY devotee
    • Rolling Stone – “Having all three of these functions in a single device allows you to make high-potency edibles without taking up a lot of counter or shelf space. It’s an efficient way to maximize your pleasure without sacrificing any quality.”
  • The edible enthusiast
    • UPROXX – “This is perfect for the stoner who loves edibles and puts the power of flexibility and customization in their hands… It’s an edible lover’s dream.”
  • The elevated foodie
    • Weedmaps – “This tool is for those who love getting creative in the kitchen and elevating the concept of what an edible can be.”
  • The gadget guru
    • View the VIBE – “Take your cannabis-infused baking game to new heights with the top-of-the-line FX, known as the “easy-bake oven” of cannabis. The portable cannabis kitchen from Ardent Cannabis is a user-friendly activation, infusion, melting, and baking appliance.”
  • The pot-lovin’ parent
    • VICE – “It’s easily transportable, cleanable, and will be a great bonding experience for you and Dad.”
    • Forbes – “Help mom discover the world of homemade infused treats” 
  • That special someone
    • Esquire (1 of 2) – “Billed as the easy bake oven of weed, this is the device your girlfriend will use every time she wants to get crafty with her cannabis consumption.”
    • Esquire (2 of 2) – “That means this machine melts, infuses, extracts, and bakes small amounts of cannabis for big edible effect—the ideal DIY gift for the guy who tinkers with THC on his own time.”
  • The social activist
    • Refinery29 – “This Black-owned business created an ‘all in one portable cannabis kitchen,’ that activates THC in ways other than smoking or cooking.”
  • The sophisticated stoner
    • BestProducts.com – “Whether you want to make cannabis-infused oils, butters, baked goods, or even if you want to decarboxylate some of your stash, this gizmo will do all of that through a single push of a button.”
  • The tech lover
    • Mashable – “It takes the guesswork out of the often laborious edible baking process.”
  • The wellness-obsessed
    • The Zoe Report – “Want to give your wellness routine an overhaul that includes the addition of more Black-owned brands? You’re in luck, because there’s a wealth of cool, cutting-edge ones to choose from (including a cannabis cooking tool you probably never knew you needed)… A home decarboxylation machine — or as it’s lovingly referred to, the Easy Bake Oven of the cannabis world.”

Checkout using Sezzle to get your Ardent decarboxylators, kits, and accessories ordered now, and pay in 4 interest-free payments over the next 6 weeks. 

Ardent Infused Elote

Ardent Cannabis

It’s time we give corn on the cob the respect it deserves. Elote, or Mexican street corn, transforms corn on the cob from a side dish into a main course. So grab quite a bit of corn, because we guarantee our infused version will be flying off the grill at your next kickback.

Ready to give this simple, delicious recipe a try? Grab your Ardent device and keep reading!

How to Get Started

This recipe calls for cannabutter, which can be dosed however you like. Here’s a basic cannabutter recipe: 

To get started, place your plant material in the Nova, running a full cycle, or the FX, using A1 for THC or CBG-rich material, and A2 for CBD-rich material. Then add a stick of butter (or some Ardent Ghee) on top of the activated material inside the unit using the Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve (fit for either the Nova or FX,) by running another cycle in the Nova or the Infuse cycle on the FX. 

To determine the dose of your final product, you must first know the percentage of your starting material. If you’re using just a gram, let’s say at 23% THCA, we’d move the decimal point over one space to the right (equaling 230 mgs) and subtract 13% (which is the weight of the acid material that gets displaced during decarboxylation.) In this case, you’ll be working with about 200 mgs of THC.  

Let’s get started.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • 4 – 5 pieces of corn 
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise 
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder 
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced 
  • Handful of cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup cotija cheese 
  • Juice of 2 – 3 key limes 
  • Black pepper
  • More cotija cheese for garnish 
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons of cannabutter

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Elote

  1. In a bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Mix.  
  2. Toss cannabutter on your skillet then add a few pieces of shucked corn. If you’re using a grill, slather your corn in a layer of cannabutter before placing it on the grill.  
  3. Allow it to cook evenly on all sides for about 15 – 17 minutes in the skillet. 
  4. As soon as the corn is done, slather it in a layer of the cheese mixture and coat with some lime juice and some more cotija cheese for topping. Enjoy responsibly!

Trying out our infused elote recipe? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!

Ardent Cannabis-Infused Deconstructed Poke Bowl

Ardent Cannabis

The best part about making your own edibles is turning standard foods into infused delicacies. Making your own elevated dinners is just a few steps that will give you relief (and maybe the giggles,) for hours. 

To make infused poke bowls at home, all you need is some sushi-grade fish like salmon or tuna, or some restaurant-bought sashimi. It’s not worth the risk to eat raw fish that isn’t considered “Grade 1,” as it may contain parasites that are only considered clear when they’ve been frozen at negative temperatures for certain periods of time. The fish counter at your local supermarket or sushi restaurant should be able to find you something fresh and intended for raw consumption.

Multiple elements can be infused in a poke bowl, depending on your preference. Find some fun, deconstructed elements that can spruce up your homemade bowl by checking out our favorites below.

How to Get Started

A frequent ingredient in Asian-style cooking is sesame oil. If you plan to make marinades and dressings for your poke bowls and beyond, consider having some infused sesame oil on hand. You can also make Monica Lo’s infused longevity noodles, Eunice Kim’s rice cake soup, Jenny Chicoye’s vegan no-egg rolls, among so many others with an infused sesame oil base. 

To make infused sesame oil, just decarboxylate your cannabis or hemp material inside the Ardent FX on the A1 (THC or CBG) or A2 (CBD) setting. Once the cycle is complete, using the Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve or Vessel, add the activated material and sesame oil. Run an Infuse cycle inside the FX. Once the cycle is complete, strain out the raffinate using the Frainer or Infusion Press (if you’re not using the Sleeve or Vessel.) Store your infused sesame oil in an airtight container such as the Vessel. 

Other easy-to-use infusions that transcend across cuisines are cannasugar and cannasalt, which both appear in our upcoming recipes. 
Lastly, one thing we use in many of our dishes because of its flavor and diversity, is infused garlic confit. You can easily make a jar of this potent condiment by infusing some of our Ardent Traditional or Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil right inside the FX. In the meantime, mince up fresh garlic and place inside a heat-safe ramekin. Pour some more of the olive oil over the minced garlic until it’s fully submerged. Place in the oven on 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes. Once it comes out, let it slightly cool, then add your strained EVOO infusion and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Learn how to make Ardent Cannabis-Infused Quick Pickled Cucumbers on our blog.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • Kewpie mayo, to taste 
  • Sriracha or chili oil, to taste 
  • Cannabis-infused garlic confit

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Spicy Mayo

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients and enjoy.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • 25 grams dried Wakame 
  • 1 – 2 cups water 
  • 5 teaspoons soy sauce 
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon infused garlic confit 
  • 1 teaspoon cannasugar
  • 2 teaspoons infused sesame oil 
  • ½ teaspoon chili paste  
  • Black sesame seeds, to taste
  • Sesame seeds, to taste

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Seaweed Salad

  1. In a bowl, re-hydrate the wakame (or seaweed) with a cup or two of water, just enough to fully submerge it. Allow it to sit for about 10 – 15 minutes.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic confit, cannasugar, sesame oil, and chili paste. 
  3. Rinse and drain fully bloomed wakame and pour your sauce over top. 
  4. Garnish with sesame seeds to taste and enjoy.

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Seaweed Salad

  • Wasabi
  • Edamame
  • Pickled ginger 
  • Crab stick 
  • Caviar/Roe 
  • Onions/Scallions 
  • Shrimp 
  • Mango 
  • Tofu 
  • Tomatoes 
  • Radishes 
  • Spring mix 
  • Rice 
  • Jalapenos

Trying out any or all elements of our cannabis-infused deconstructed poke bowl? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.

How to Make the Easiest Cannabis-Infused Apple Cider

Ardent Cannabis

For this month’s episode of Easily Baked with Ardent, our free monthly cooking show that teaches beginner-level, from-scratch, infused recipes with the aid of Ardent technology right on Instagram Live, we tackled the easiest FX in-unit apple cider!  

In case you missed out on the fun, we’re recapping it right here:

How to Get Started

The infusion base of these recipes, along with plenty of other infused beverages, is cannasugar. 

To make cannasugar, you’ll need to make a cold infusion with a strong grain alcohol like Everclear. Simply decarb your plant material in the Ardent Nova or FX, then toss your activated material into an airtight container, and fully submerge it in the alcohol. This jar can be stored in a cool, dark place such as a pantry for as little as 24 hours, or as long as you like. Agitate the infusion by shaking the jar here and there. To make your cannasugar stronger, infuse your grain alcohol with concentrate, instead. 

Strain out the spent material using the Ardent Frainer, if you infused with flower or other plant parts, and pour 1 part infusion (or “green dragon”) to 2 parts sugar. Let it air dry overnight in a well-ventilated room, and use in place of sugar in recipes of all kinds.  

The following recipe gives you plenty of room to play with the amount of sugar. You can also infuse other crystallized sugar alternatives such as erythritol or stevia using the same methodology.

Lastly, if you want a touch of alcohol in your beverage as well, you can add a tincture or two full of green dragon on its own to your glass AFTER it’s been removed from the device. As a reminder, alcohol never goes inside your Ardent device, as it’s dangerous and will void your warranty.

Equipment Needed
Ingredients
  • 1 Granny Smith apple 
  • 1 honeycrisp apple 
  • ½ blood orange 
  • ½ – 1 inch knob of ginger, grated 
  • 1 – 2 cups of filtered water 
  • Pumpkin pie spice, to taste 
  • Sprinkle of cannasalt 
  • 2 – 4 cinnamon sticks 
  • Small handful of whole cloves 
  • 2 – 4 tablespoons cannasugar 
  • 1 tincture full of green dragon (optional to make the drink alcoholic)
How to Make Cannabis Infused Apple Cider 
  1. Chop apples small and place them inside the FX. 
  2. Add ½ a blood orange to the FX. 
  3. Grate ginger inside the FX. 
  4. Pour filtered water over the apples, ginger, and oranges in-unit, and pour filtered water over top, being careful to not surpass the full line. 
  5. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice to taste, along with a sprinkle of cannasalt. 
  6. Place the FX on the A2 setting and allow it to cook for the entire cycle. 
  7. Open the unit, gently push the fruit down beneath the liquid, and run a second A2 cycle. 
  8. Once the cycle is complete, replace the FX lid with the Infusion Press, push the lever down, and pour the cider out of the easy pour spout and into a glass. 
  9. Add cannasugar to taste.

Trying out our easy in-unit infused apple cider? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!

Just Start With A Gram

Ardent Cannabis

There’s a huge myth that you need a ton of weed in order to make edibles, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Today, we’re demonstrating how far 1 gram of bud can go, and we’re going to make three potent edibles at 50 milligrams each from just 1 gram of decarbed bud. This decarbed flower has over 150 grams of THC in each gram, which means that if we break the gram up into three even pieces, we will have 50 mg in each dose. All of the edibles we are making today are instant edibles, and the first one, a THC capsule, only requires one step of decarb. The second and third edibles are going to be instant edible cupcakes – one cooked right inside the Ardent Nova, and the other inside the Ardent FX.

A lot of people are amazed that 150 mg could be in every gram. And that’s what you’re getting when you’re actually using Ardent’s lab-grade precision decarboxylation devices. When you’re harnessing the power of precision decarb, you’re not losing half of it like you normally would when using an oven, toaster oven, crockpot, or other methods of decarb. And as you know, that’s because FX, Mini and Nova all have precision heating cores and dual sensors monitoring the heating cycles. One sensor is embedded in the heater, and the other sits in the center of the devices.

The sensors and algorithm work in concert to provide incredibly precise, even heating that makes your starting material more potent so you can get more while using less!

First, we’re going to start with capsules:

Capsules are an easy way to make an instant edible. 

All you need to do is decarb the bud and then put the activated bud into the capsule. It couldn’t be any easier. It doesn’t matter whether you decarb in the Nova or decarb in the FX. Once the decarbed bud comes out, the cannabinoids are active right there on the plant. 

A lot of people get confused and think you must first infuse into a butter or oil in order to use activated THC or CBD, and you absolutely don’t need to do that. As soon as your bud comes out of the decarboxylator, it’s completely active and ready to use. You can do a multitude of things with your activated material, including removing the bud from the device, and placing it right into a capsule.

Depending on what size capsule you like, or whether you opt for gelatin or vegetarian capsules, you can just take the activated bud and place it right inside. It’s as easy as that. For us to get a full 50 milligrams in these tiny little baby capsules, we’re going to fill about three of them up, with all three capsules totaling a 50 mg dose. 

The process is so simple and easy. There’s no need to infuse. There’s no need to do anything else! You can just have your decarbed bud in your capsule, using a custom blend of activated THC, CBD, CBG, CBC and any other cannabinoids you encounter.

Now, let’s make cupcakes:

After we made our 50 mg capsules, we still have 100 mg left from our original gram in order to make two instant edibles. We’re going to make one 50 mg cupcake in the Nova, and we’re going to make one 50 mg cupcake in the FX. We’re going to use the mix from our Birthday Cupcakes Infusion Kit. 

These cupcakes are great because they only require adding water and decarbed bud: everything else is included. Just mix up the batter and toss in the ground-up material. The batter will insulate the activated bud, preventing it from getting hot enough to lose any potency.
 
Fill your cupcake liners with the instantly infused batter, and place them on the Lifters and inside the Nova and FX. Cook for about 30-45 minutes and your cupcakes will be ready to go. You’ll be able to see the bud that we put inside the cupcake in little tiny specs.

Why instant edibles?

The great thing about instant edibles is that you can literally turn any food that you want into edible. Just take decarbed bud, sprinkle it on, and you’re on your way. The Lifters for the FX and Nova make it super easy to take everything in and out of your decarboxylator, adding stability and options for decarbing, infusing, and baking more than one item at a time. 

It just shows that even with just 1 gram, you’re able to make a ton of edibles. We’re trying to break the myth that you need a lot of cannabis or hemp to make potent edibles. You can make a variety of potent edibles with just one single gram.

Go and try it out, see how far you can make a gram stretch, and let us know what you make!

Making an instant edible using Ardent? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.

CBD-Infused Post Mask Cleansing Spray

Ardent Cannabis

We all know the feeling: running through the grocery store to grab a few things, and going back to the car to realize your mask is a little moist and icky. Whenever you get back inside, lightly spray your face (and mask, if you like,) with our CBD-Infused post-mask cleansing spray. It’s moisturizing and sanitizing at the same time, and can be made without much effort.You just need a few things to complete this project!

How to Get Started

We teach you how to make rose water inside the Ardent FX, Mini or Nova, and then use it topically in this spray, though rose water (alone, without the alcohol) can also be consumed. Topical application of rose water has historically been thought to reduce redness, ease irritation, and soothe varying blemishes.  

Alleviate the harshness of ethyl rubbing alcohol, our infusion medium and the cleansing element of this spray, with the softness and moisturizing properties of rose and hemp-derived CBD. 

When working with alcohol, we don’t advise heating your infusion medium at all. Through time, the alcohol, since it’s such a strong solvent, does all of the work with none of the risk.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • 70% ethyl rubbing alcohol 
  • 2 cups of organic rose petals, fresh or dried 
  • 2 cups filtered or distilled water 
  • CBD-rich plant material

How to Make CBD-Infused Post-Mask Cleansing Spray 

  1. Activate your CBD-rich material in the Nova or the Ardent FX and Mini using the A2 setting. 
  2. Once your material is decarbed, remove it from the device and place it in a glass jar.
  3. Pour 70% ethyl rubbing alcohol over the decarbed material, until the material is fully submerged. 
  4. Cover and agitate your cold infusion by giving the jar a good shake. Let it sit for about an hour to pull as many cannabinoids as possible. 
  5. Using the Ardent Frainer, strain out any remaining plant parts that you don’t want in your final product. Place the ethyl alcohol infusion to the side. 
  6. Pour rose petals and water inside the FX and mix well until the petals are fully submerged. 
  7. Cook the petals down on the A2 setting, stirring occasionally in between the cycle. 
  8. Once the cycle is complete, replace the FX’s lid with the Infusion Press, and push the lever down as far as it will go. 
  9. Pour the rose water out of the device using the Infusion Press’ easy pour spout, and place inside a glass jar. Allow it to cool. 
  10. Fill the spray bottle up ¼ of the way with the CBD-infused ethyl rubbing alcohol using the Ardent Frainer. 
  11. Fill the bottle up the rest of the way with rose water. 
  12. Toss one in your bag, leave another in your car, and keep one by the front door. Enjoy!

Trying out our CBD-infused post-mask cleansing spray? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.

The Ardent Guide to Cannabis-Infused Vegetable Shortening (Lab Testing Inside)

Ardent Cannabis

Vegetable shortening is an awesome alternative for those who don’t consume animal byproducts. Its long shelf life (of around 2 years, unopened) makes it an infusion medium that can be kept on hand at all times. But it’s more than an emergency sub-ingredient.

Vegetable shortening is a great plant-based replacement for lard or butter in recipes of all kinds, and works especially well in some of our favorite cookie and pie crust recipes. It yields a yummy, flaky end product. 

It’s generally made up of a blend of hydrogenated (hydrogen added) and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils including soybean, corn, and cottonseed. Because vegetable shortening lacks moisture and milk solids, it’s actually made of 100% fat. 

This unique infusion medium also has a high smoke point (360 degrees Fahrenheit) making it an interesting choice for frying up tempuras, meats, and other vegetables.

Disclaimer: Vegetable shortening contains hydrogenated oils. When partially (as opposed to fully or non-hydrogenated,) vegetable shortening contains trans fats. In 2018, the FDA set restrictions on partially hydrogenated oils in food, banning them entirely. To make absolute sure you’re avoiding trans fats, opt for a non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, or consider another infusion medium such as coconut oil.

Cannabis-Infused Vegetable Shortening Test Results

We began with THC-rich cannabis decarboxylated inside the Ardent FX on the A1 setting. We tested our decarboxylated material at MCR Labs, and found that after the activation cycle, our one-gram of cannabis tested at 16.26% max THC. So, let’s move the decimal point over one place to the right to determine how many mgs are in our gram of cannabis. Our one-gram nug yielded about 162 mgs of activated THC. 

We then placed the decarboxylated cannabis inside an ounce of Crisco vegetable shortening and allowed it to infuse on the FX’s infuse setting. We also brought the infused vegetable shortening to MCR Labs to see how many mgs made it inside! It tested for 155.9 mgs of THC. 

A very large amount of our initial 162 activated mgs have ended up in our infused vegetable shortening. We can figure out the infusion rate of vegetable shortening by dividing the 155.9 mgs found in our infusion by the 162 mgs that were placed inside the shortening. Then, move the decimal point over two places to the right. 

Vegetable shortening has about a 96% infusion rate.

Cannabis-Infused Vegetable Shortening Lab Test ResultsDownload

Great Uses for Cannabis-Infused Vegetable Shortening

  • Biscuits
  • Frosting 
  • Cakes
  • Pie crust 
  • Cookies
  • Bread 
  • Whoopie pies
  • Refried beans
  • Churros
  • Sauteing 
  • Frying

Trying out cannabis-infused vegetable shortening ? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.

Pumpkin Spice Season Begins

Ardent Cannabis

It might be August, but even Starbs and Dunkin have rolled out PSL season early this year! (We think emotionally, it was just necessary for all of us.) 😂  In this month’s episode of Easily Baked with Ardent, our free monthly cooking show that teaches beginner-level, from-scratch, infused recipes with the aid of Ardent technology right on Instagram Live, we tackled two types of infused pumpkin staples that you’ll be replicating into the winter months. 

In case you missed out on the fun, we’re recapping it right here!

How to Get Started

The infusion base of the first recipe is heavy cream and the second recipe infusion base is MCT oil (liquid coconut oil) and/or cannasugar. 

Infused heavy cream requires a basic decarb cycle, followed by an infusion cycle inside the unit with the cream fully submerging the activated material. Then it should be strained and refrigerated before use. Our independent third-party lab testing shows that heavy cream has around a 70% infusion rate. Knowing this, factor in for a little bit of loss when infusing heavy cream, that way you can get the most accurate dose possible. 

To make cannasugar, you’ll need to make a cold infusion with a strong grain alcohol like Everclear. It’s as easy as decarbing your plant material in the Ardent Nova or FX, then tossing your activated material into an airtight container, and fully submerging it in the alcohol. This jar can be stored in a cool, dark place such as a pantry for as little as 24 hours, or as long as you like. Agitate the mixture by shaking the jar vigorously whenever you remember.  

Strain out the used material using the Ardent Frainer, and pour 1 part infusion (or “green dragon”) over 2 parts sugar. So if you’re making cannasugar for this recipe, use ½ cup sugar to ¼ cup green dragon. Let it air dry overnight in a well-ventilated room, and use in place of standard sugar to make the simple syrup in this recipe. You can also replace the sugar with other crystallized alternatives using the same method. 

Infused MCT oil also requires a basic decarb cycle, followed by an infusion cycle. Strain using the Ardent Frainer or Infusion Press

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream, infused
  • ½ cup powdered sugar 
  • ½ can (7 ounces) pumpkin puree
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 
  • 3 ounces of instant vanilla pudding mix
  • ⅛ teaspoon cannasalt 
  • Graham crackers, for serving
  • Apple slices, for serving

How to Make Cannabis Infused Pumpkin Pie Dip

  1. Make infused whipped cream by whisking together the infused heavy cream and confectioners sugar until stiff peaks form. 
  2. Move the whipped cream to a bowl, and whisk in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla pudding mix, and cannasalt.
  3. Mix well. 
  4. Serve with graham crackers and sliced apples. 
  5. Enjoy!

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup cannasugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
  • 7 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tablespoon MCT oil, infused
  • Cannasalt, to taste 
  • Sunflower lecithin, optional

How to Make Cannabis Infused Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

  1. Bring some water to a boil in a kettle, or inside a preheated (bake setting) Ardent FX. 
  2. Add cannasugar and hot water to the Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve and place inside the FX until the sugar has fully dissolved (usually around 15 minutes, but it varies based on the hotness of your starting water, so keep a watchful eye.) 
  3. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and whisk thoroughly. Allow it to emulsify for about 3 minutes inside the device. 
  4. Add pumpkin puree and whisk thoroughly.
  5. Add pumpkin pie spice, MCT oil, cannasalt, and sunflower lecithin if using. Whisk thoroughly. 
  6. Remove the Sleeve from the unit and allow it to cool before storing in an airtight container such as the Vessel for up to 5 days. 
  7. Enjoy with coffee or on top of ice cream.

Trying out our infused pumpkin spice recipes? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!

Ardent Cannabis-Infused Simple Summertime Salads

Ardent Cannabis

In the summertime, our appetites seem to slow down as the outdoor activities ramp up. It’s vital to stay hydrated during all of the summertime excitement, so why not take care of your hunger and thirst at the same time while getting nice and relaxed with an edible?

Our watermelon feta mint salad is the best lunch, dinner, or BBQ side dish out there. Our beet and goat cheese salad is filling, nutritious, and tangy. 
Ready to give these simple, refreshing recipes a try? Grab your Ardent device and keep reading!

How to Get Started

These recipes call for infused extra virgin olive oil and cannasugar. You can opt to use both or either, depending on the desired dose you’re looking to achieve in your final product. 

To get started, place your plant material in the Nova, running a cycle, or the FX, using A1 for THC or CBG-rich material, and A2 for CBD-rich material. Then submerge a portion of the activated material inside the unit with EVOO using the Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve (fit for either the Nova or FX,) by running another cycle in the Nova or using the FX’s Infuse cycle.

Take the remaining portion of the activated material, and submerge it in Everclear or another strong grain alcohol without applying heat. After 24 hours of agitation every few hours, and storage in a cool, dark place, pour ½ cup of infused alcohol (or green dragon) over 1 cup of sugar, allowing it to aerate and for the alcohol to evaporate off. In another 24 hours, the cannasugar should be ready. 

Let’s get started!

Equipment you’ll need:

Ingredients

  • 1 pound watermelon 
  • 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup mint, chopped
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze 
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons Ardent Estate EVOO, infused 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 key lime, juiced 
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon cannasugar

How to make cannabis-infused watermelon feta mint salad:

  1. Slice and plate the watermelon.  
  2. Pour feta cheese crumbles over the melon, then add salt, pepper, lime juice, and infused olive oil over top. 
  3. Add mint over the melon. 
  4. Make a balsamic reduction on the stove by cooking down balsamic vinegar and sugar in a pan on medium heat for 5 minutes. Then pour 1 – 2 tablespoons of the thickened glaze over the watermelon salad. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

How to make cannabis-infused beet & goat cheese salad:

  1. Add beets and goat cheese to a salad bowl. 
  2. Sprinkle in walnuts, rosemary, and thyme. 
  3. Drizzle with infused olive oil and champagne vinegar. Mix thoroughly. 
  4. Sprinkle with dried dill and hot honey. Enjoy! 

Trying out our infused watermelon feta mint salad? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!

Tanning in the Summer with Ardent

Ardent Cannabis

We find joy in long, sunshine filled days and exposing a bit more of our skin as we soak up the sun. Summer means more sweat and more sunscreen: your skin is also craving fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies that will exfoliate and renew your skin. 

The summer climate can cause congestion and breakouts on the skin, especially if the excess oil your skin is producing is not balanced. SPF and other tanning products contain many ingredients that can clog the pores, so we make our own sun tanning oil to help achieve a natural, summer glow. 

Light oil-based products can balance your skin’s oil levels and soothe the inflammation caused by heat. We love combining skin-nourishing oils with cannabis or hemp to avoid skin irritation and inflammation of all kinds. 

Aroma is usually what attracts us to beauty and wellness products, so you can customize your product with the essential oils of your choosing. 

Ardent teamed up with self-care enthusiast, Nomi Miraj, Owner and Founder of Nomsternailz, for wellness recipes to prep our summer skin for the perfect tan.

The recipes Nomi created contain fresh, lightweight herbal oils that are soaked up quickly in the skin due to their similarity to the oils that the body naturally produces. This summer, explore natural, clean beauty with Ardent. 

Disclaimer: Discuss what’s best for protecting your skin in the sun with your doctor, dermatologist, or healthcare physician.

How to Get Started 

Activate your plant material in the Ardent Nova by running a cycle using the single-button interface, or in the FX using the A1 setting to activate THC or CBG-rich material, and the A2 setting to activate CBD-rich material.

Infused Sun Tan Oil

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons Ardent Traditional Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  • ½ teaspoon carrot seed oil
  • ½ teaspoon raspberry oil
  • 2 grams cannabis or hemp flower, decarboxylated 
  • 15 – 25 drops of essential oil of your choice

Instructions

  1. Mix the avocado oil, olive oil, carrot seed oil, and raspberry oil. 
  2. Infuse the blended oil and activated cannabis or hemp flower inside the FX on the Infuse setting.
  3. Strain using the Ardent Frainer or Infusion Press. 
  4. Once cooled, mix in the essential oils of your choice. Enjoy!

Infused Face Oil

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine jojoba and olive oils. 
  2. Add the decarboxylated flower and infuse inside the Ardent Nova or FX inside the Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve to avoid the mess.
  3. Strain using the Ardent Frainer. 
  4. Add the essential oils in once the oil has cooled, and mix.

Trying out Nomi’s recommendations? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.

Visit www.nomsternailz.com for more details. Show your support and follow NOMSTERNAILZ on Instagram.

EASILY BAKED WITH ARDENT JULY 2021: ELEVATED LEMONADES

Ardent Cannabis

July is ending on a hot note, and we’re cooling down with a few varieties of infused lemonade that we think you’ll love! For this month’s episode of Easily Baked with Ardent, our free monthly cooking show that teaches beginner-level, from-scratch, infused recipes with the aid of Ardent technology right on Instagram Live, we tackled two types of infused lemonades. 

In case you missed out on the fun, we’re recapping it right here!

How to Get Started

The infusion base of these recipes, along with plenty of other infused beverages, is cannasugar. 

To make cannasugar, you’ll need to make a cold infusion with a strong grain alcohol like Everclear. Simply decarb your plant material in the Ardent Nova or FX, then toss your activated material into an airtight container, and fully submerge it in the alcohol. This jar can be stored in a cool, dark place such as a pantry for as little as 24 hours, or as long as you like. Agitate the infusion by shaking the jar here and there. 

Strain out the spent material using the Ardent Frainer, and pour 1 part infusion (or “green dragon”) to 2 parts sugar. Let it air dry overnight in a well-ventilated room, and use in the place of sugar in recipes of all kinds. 

The following recipes give you plenty of room to play with the amount of sugar. You can also infuse other crystallized sugar alternatives using the same methodology. Enjoy!

Equipment Needed
  • Ardent Nova or FX
  • Ardent Frainer or kitchen strainer 
  • Lemon squeezer or juicer
  • Ice cube tray
  • Pitcher or large re-usable container for drinking
Ingredients
  • Handful of frozen blueberries
  • Handful of frozen strawberries
  • ¼-½ cup cannasugar 
  • ½ cup lemon juice 
  • ⅙ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • Sunflower lecithin
How to Make an Infused Creamy Berry Lemonade
  1. Add frozen blueberries and strawberries to your pitcher. 
  2. Pour the lemon juice over the frozen berries in the pitcher.  
  3. Add the cannasugar.
  4. Fill most of the way with cool water. 
  5. Drizzle in sweetened condensed milk. 
  6. Add just a small amount of sunflower lecithin, cover, and shake vigorously. 
  7. Serve over ice and enjoy!
Equipment Needed
  • Ardent Nova or FX
  • Ardent Frainer or kitchen strainer 
  • Lemon squeezer or juicer
  • Ice cube tray
  • Pitcher or large re-usable container for drinking
Ingredients
  • 2 mint tea bags
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • Water
  • ¼ – ½ cup cannasugar 
  • Sunflower lecithin
How to Make an Infused Minty Arnold Palmer
  1. Bring some water to a boil in a kettle, or inside a preheated (bake setting) Ardent FX. 
  2. In a glass, pour hot water over both tea bags and allow it to steep for about 10-15 minutes or until concentrated. 
  3. Add cannasugar to the warmed mint tea and stir until it’s dissolved. 
  4. Pour mint tea into the pitcher and fill (leaving an inch or two of space) with cool water. 
  5. Pour in the lemon juice. 
  6. Add just a small amount of sunflower lecithin, cover, and shake vigorously. 
  7. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Trying out our elevated lemonade recipes? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!

Ask A Grower

Ardent Cannabis

Easy, DIY Summer Plant Projects

Welcome to Easy, DIY Summer Plant Projects with Emily Gogol, PhD, Head Gardener at Grow It From Home. Emily has years of experience growing all sorts of plants in urban gardens and is an expert on growing cannabis, which includes hemp and herb, at home. 

From green drinks to floral arrangements, Emily compiled some of her favorite plant-powered projects that are perfect for the summertime. Cannabis is a versatile plant that can be enjoyed all throughout the summer and with the help from your Ardent Nova or FX device, get the most out of your supply!

There’s no better companion to a home grow than Ardent technology: both the Ardent Nova and the Ardent FX get you precision (97-100%) activation of your plant materials to make infused products in any space from start to finish. Home appliances simply cannot compare.

Below are Ask A Grower’s top picks that will keep you busy this month and next!

Enjoy Green Smoothies & Tea

You can replace the “green” component in your smoothie with fresh, young leaves from your plants. Just pinch off some of the newer juicy leaves and give them a rinse. Being able to do this is a huge benefit of having your own plants on hand – think of it as a giant herb or vegetable garden at your fingertips. You can also dry the leaves and flower like you would mint or lemon balm, and make a tea. Will you be growing in the ground or in a container? Whatever you decide, be sure the plants will get full sun. If you would plant a tomato there, you can plant your cannabis there. Cannabis does really well in containers, and we recommend a 3-5 gallon pot or larger. These can be plastic, terra cotta, or fabric. We have a detailed guide available on growing in containers on our website.

Make A Floral Arrangement

During the months of June through July, you can prune back your plants to keep them compact and fluffy in your garden. Once you’ve pruned and collected the foliage, it is easy to use them in a bouquet. Cannabis foliage is also one of the longest lasting in a vase!

Elevate your flower bouquets by adding Cannabis foliage, which happens to be super easy to use and long lasting. This plant just keeps on giving!

Explore Savory Dishes

Yes, the plant is that versatile: flower, herb, and vegetable. As an herb, many chefs are adding minced leaves to dishes like they would oregano or thyme, and are also making pesto. As a vegetable, it is used as a wrap, or juiced to infuse doughs. Explore the taste by pinching some of the young leaves, giving them a rinse, and a quick chop.

With a pair of pruners or even regular scissors, snip off the youngest leaves to use in your savory dishes, tea, and green smoothies.

Make Some Art

You can get fancy using the leaves in all sorts of art projects like you would any other leaves, and there is always the reliable sun print! Sun prints are quick, easy and beautiful, and make a great project for the whole family.

The Ardent Guide to FECO

Ardent Cannabis

Making concentrates? Isn’t that dangerous and scary? Well, that’s sometimes true, but it doesn’t have to be!

FECO stands for full extract cannabis oil. During the extraction process, the activated trichomes are pulled from the plant and attach to the solvent, in this case, Everclear. Once the alcohol is evaporated off, you’re left with a waxy, homemade concentrate. 

Perhaps you’ve heard of RSO, or Rick Simpson Oil. RSO is similar to FECO, especially in the way it looks and how it’s used, as an edible or topical. The main difference between the two is that RSO uses isopropyl alcohol as a solvent, and FECO uses strong, grain alcohol such as Everclear. Oftentimes, FECO is confused for RSO, and vice versa.

If you’re looking for a safe, easy, and effective way to make FECO, read our guide below:

How To Get Started

FECO, like RSO and distillate, is decarboxylated prior to processing. When you get your hands on any of those concentrates, there’s no need to decarb again. The FECO, RSO, and distillate are ready to use as-is. 

The process of making FECO is shortened when you have decarbed material on hand. You can also get ahead of last-minute prep by letting decarbed material sit in Everclear inside a cool, dark place, agitating here and there, for weeks at a time.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • 3 – 5 ounces of Everclear (or another strong, grain alcohol if Everclear is unavailable in your state) 
  • 2 – 4 grams of decarboxylated cannabis or hemp material

How to Make Ardent Infused FECO

  1. Decarboxylate your material inside the Ardent Nova using the single-button interface, or in the FX using the A1 setting for material rich in THC or CBG, and A2 for material rich in CBD. 
  2. Place the fully activated material into a mason jar outside of the unit. We will not be using the Ardent device for any further steps, as using alcohol in/near heat or flame is very dangerous, and will actually nullify your Ardent warranty. 
  3. Pour Everclear over your activated material in the mason jar, fully submerging it. 
  4. Close your mason jar with a lid, and store your infusion in a cool, dark place such as a cabinet for at least 24 hours. Agitate every few hours by giving it a vigorous shake. 
  5. Strain out the plant material once you’re satisfied with your infusion using the Ardent Frainer. 
  6. Pour the clarified infusion back into a mason jar, where it will sit out without a lid for at least 24 hours, preferably near a breezy window, until the alcohol has evaporated off. 
  7. Store the remaining sludge-looking material in a syringe for easy, convenient, and potent dosing in food, capsules, oil tinctures, topicals, and more.

How to Store Your FECO 

  • Using a glass syringe 
  • Glass mason jar with lid 
  • Inside capsules 
  • Inside infused foods, stored in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer 
  • Inside topical products 

Making your own FECO using Ardent technology? We want to take a look into your process and to see how you’re using it! Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.

What is 710?

Ardent Cannabis

We’ve all heard about 420, but have you heard of 710? It’s probably the second biggest stoner holiday we all have! When you turn the number 710 upside down, you’ll see that it spells the word “oil,” which is exactly what this holiday celebrates.  

Turns out, 710 is a relatively new concept, and the holiday started to be celebrated around 2011. The artist TaskRock is credited with creating the term, along with an album released on July 10th, entitled The Movement, in reference to the movement for more dabs! 

With all the buzz about concentrates, portable rigs, and increasing tolerances, it begs the question: is 710 the new 420?

What Types of Cannabis Concentrates are Out There? 

  • Rosin 
  • Hash or Charas  
  • Live rosin 
  • Live resin 
  • Kief 
  • Budder 
  • Badder
  • Diamonds 
  • Crumble 
  • Crystalline or Sugar 
  • CO2 oil 
  • Isolate 
  • Shatter 
  • Distillate

Tools for Celebrating 7/10

  • Blow torch 
  • Dab rig (glass, or an e-rig) 
  • Carb cap
  • Dab mat 
  • Dab tool 
  • Timer (for optimal terps)
  • Alcohol pads 
  • Q-tips 
  • Ardent Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve
  • Empty syringe (for gathering homemade FECO or RSO)

How to Have a 710-Friendly Gathering or Event

  • Check out our 710 Essentials playlist on Spotify to set the mood. 
  • Hit up the dispensary and shop special deals on concentrates and vape products to celebrate.
  • Make sure there’s plenty of water for all attendees. 
  • Have some place for guests to sit, in case they get lightheaded.
  • Serve unmedicated food with the option to dose up with concentrate activated inside the Ardent Nova or FX. 
  • Remind all attendees of the golden rule: go low and slow. You can always increase your dose, but it takes time to fade when you consume a bit too much. 
  • Keep CBD oil and peppercorns handy in case an attendee consumes too much. It’ll help reduce the symptoms almost immediately.

Concentrates that Don’t Need to be Decarbed Before Consuming

  • RSO (or Rick Simpson Oil) 
  • FECO (or Full Extract Cannabis Oil) 
  • Distillate 

These concentrates undergo decarboxylation prior to being processed into their final form, and thus, don’t need to be decarboxylated again before consuming in (or as) an edible. 

All other types of concentrate should be decarbed prior to consumption. To make things easy, we recommend decarbing in the Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve.

What to Do with Decarbed Concentrate

  • Make potent capsules. 
  • Turn any food, even takeout, into an instant edible by mixing just a bit of activated concentrate into it.
  • Make a sublingual oil tincture. 
  • Infuse honey, which doesn’t naturally contain the fat to carry cannabinoids. 
  • Mix with oil, wax, and topical butter for skin creams, moisturizers, and salves. 
  • Make suppositories. 

One exciting thing about infusing with concentrate is that there’s zero loss during the infusion step, since there’s nothing to strain out!

Ardent Community Methodology

“…I grow my own and turn it into concentrates before cooking as well. Besides tincture, you can also turn your flower into hash to cook with. Bubble or dry ice. I prefer dry ice for the ease and quickness…”

– Ardent Community Member, Lisa Jane

“I use 1oz of decarbed bud to 1 cup of Everclear. You make a tincture and then you evaporate the alcohol off. It leaves you with a very little amount of a syrupy substance. That’s your FECO. I dilute my FECO with a little MCT oil. You then can put it in food while making it or you can put in capsules or take under the tongue.”

– Ardent Community Member, Elizabeth Pratt

If you’re using distillate, Ardent Community Member, Darlene Sharples, recommends adding terpenes to your final product for a full range of medicinal properties.

Are you celebrating 710 this year? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.

We See You: Baby Boomers Rethink How to Age Healthily

Ardent Cannabis

As we celebrate our 6 year anniversary as a company, Ardent recognizes the importance of cultivating intergenerational dialogue within our community. Between Ardent early adopters who mastered the art of infusion via double broiler to our new, tech-savvy super users, our Owners Club is a safe space for all ages to learn from one another, expand their plant knowledge, and reclaim their wellness with cannabis. 

We connected with the self-proclaimed, Cannaboomer, Patricia A. Patton, to share her thoughts on how the baby boomer generation can rethink how to age healthily.

Baby boomers are reassessing how to age healthily and learning that making our own cannabis medicine may be one way to do that.

Patricia A. Patton is an educator and advocate for baby boomers aiming to shift their perception around cannabis. After she purchased an Ardent FX of her own, we connected with Patricia to learn more about the work she is doing. Read her thoughts below on where baby boomers can start.

Acknowledge & Reframe Aging

We were the generation who said, “Never trust anyone over thirty.” 

Today, many of our most informed conversations are intergenerational with people over 30. In Ardent, we are finding the guidance and engagement to learn about decarboxylation and DIY creation of medicine that we can trust for its potency, quality, and efficiency.

Please understand I’m thankful to be able to grow old, as we all should be. But I would be less than honest if I did not add that I seek a high quality of life as I age. In this journey I try to educate myself. I’ve had to re-examine what I was taught relative to cannabis. Chief among the untruths is the dogma that continues to say cannabis is “bad” even though current science has established the exact opposite.

Evolving Through Education of Cannabis

Today, I’m in the Dr. Sanjay Gupta School of thought. He changed his mind in a very public CNN interview after researching the cannabis plant, learning about the endocannabinoid system at which point, he acknowledged what he’d learned in medical school was to be questioned.

As a demographic, baby boomers are said to be the fastest growing group of cannabis consumers. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association found that cannabis use among adults 65 years and older increased significantly from 2.4% to 4.2% (2020). Point-of-sale statistics from dispensaries show that in addition to mere enjoyment, baby boomers seek relief from inflammation, insomnia and pain.

That doesn’t mean a negative stigma about cannabis consumption does not continue to exist among baby boomers in particular. When you have been fed a narrative that says cannabis is dangerous, you have to recognize both the source and intent of this kind of messaging, then acknowledge what’s true for you. You may not think what you used to think. We are all changing. What we know about the cannabis plant is also evolving.

Ease & Ownership

I really want to learn how to make my own medicine. So I bought the FX, partially because of its aesthetic beauty, but more so because of all the positive reviews about how easy it is to use. I need a low barrier to entry so the last thing I need are complications. I am anxious to put my one-touch system, Ardent FX into service.

If your values align with any of what I am saying about life-long learning, taking responsibility for your own health, or being open to change, don’t let the designation of the baby boomer keep you from learning more with the Ardent team and me.

To begin making your own cannabis and hemp infused products from scratch, at a fraction of dispensary pricing, grab an Ardent Nova or FX.

For more information on Patricia and resources for boomers, listen to her podcast Me & Mary Jane and follow her at Canna_Boomers.

Patricia will also be joining us in hosting a private Zoom event exclusively for boomers who are interested in learning about basic Ardent-activated infusions. Don’t forget to sign up below!