Once you’ve harvested your cannabis plant and chosen whether to dry or wet trim, the next important step is drying and curing.
Fresh cannabis flowers can rot and spoil just like any other perishable item, so they need to be dried and cured properly.
Curing is a method of preserving buds by removing excess moisture to improve their aroma and flavor and extend their shelf life.
In this article, we’ll guide you through every step of the curing process, from harvesting to drying, curing, and storage. We’ll also point out common mistakes to avoid for the best results. There’s a lot for you to learn here, so let’s get started.
1. Your buds are ready to cure when the stem bends and snaps easily, and they feel dry but slightly spongy.
2. Use glass jars for curing since they don’t affect the aroma. Store jars in a dark room at 60-65°F with 50-60% humidity.
3. “Burp” the jars by opening them to let out moist air and let in drier air—do this 1-3 times daily for the first week, 2-3 times weekly for the second week, and once weekly after that.
4. You can also use Boveda packs to help control humidity.
5. Properly cured buds will have a strong aroma and be dry to the touch but act like a sponge when squeezed, retaining its form.
6. Depending on the strain and conditions, Curing can take one week to two months.
You've put a lot of effort into growing your marijuana plant, whether it's indoors or outdoors. Now, you want to get the best results from your weed buds. That’s why curing is as crucial as growing the plant itself.
In the following sections, you’ll find out what tools you need for successful curing, the right conditions, and how to do it properly. But first, is curing something you can simply choose to skip instead? Let’s briefly consider this.
Skipping the curing process isn’t a good idea because it helps you get the best flavor and aroma from your buds, reduces the risk of mold and mildew, and extends the shelf life of your weed. These are all important reasons why growers cure their buds.
Curing boosts your weed's flavor by preserving the delicate terpenes that give cannabis its unique smell and taste.
Since terpenes can degrade and evaporate quickly, careful curing helps maintain their aroma and flavor.
Curing helps break down plant byproducts like sugars and chlorophyll. Freshly harvested cannabis can have starches that attract mold, mildew, and bacteria, which can lead to harsh, unpleasant tastes when smoked.
Curing removes these byproducts, reducing bacteria and making for a smoother smoking experience.
Curing greatly extends the shelf life of your buds. When done correctly, cured buds can last up to two years with little change in flavor or potency.
NOTE:
● Curing weed won’t make your buds more potent than their genetics and growing conditions allow. However, it can enhance your perception of their strength by making the flavors and aromas more noticeable, so the high feels clearer.
Curing cannabis starts with a good harvest. This means picking the right time to harvest for the desired effects in your final product and trimming the plants properly.
Start by harvesting your cannabis plants at the right time. Check the trichomes (those tiny, hair-like outgrowths that cover cannabis and hemp flowers) using a magnifier or jeweler's loupe.
You want them to be milky white, which shows peak cannabinoid levels. The trichomes turn amber when it’s late in the peak harvest time.
If you're aiming for lighter-colored hash, harvest when about 80% of the trichomes are milky white, 20% are transparent, and only a few are amber.
For darker, more resinous hash, wait until a higher percentage of trichomes are amber and the plant fully matures. Some growers prefer to harvest earlier with the trichomes around 70% milky white and 30% amber.
When it's time to harvest, cut the plants at the base, leaving enough stems for easier handling during drying.
Instinctively, after harvesting your cannabis plants, you go into drying before curing. But we can't talk about drying without first talking about trimming.
Trimming involves removing the sugar leaves from your buds and can be done in two ways: dry and wet trimming.
During wet trimming, you trim the sugar leaves off immediately after harvest while they’re still wet and sticky. You then place the trimmed buds on a drying rack in a room with a fan. Once the buds are dry, move on to curing.
However, there are pros and cons of wet trimming:
On the other hand, dry trimming is when you hang your cannabis plant upside down in a room with a fan after harvesting.
You keep the drying area at around 50% humidity and 70°F. Once the plant is dry, cut off each branch and trim the buds before curing.
After harvest, cannabis is full of water and chlorophyll, which gives a grassy taste if smoked.
Drying removes moisture, leaving cannabinoids and terpenes. It comes immediately after harvest (if you’re dry trimming) and before curing.
There are two popular methods to dry your marijuana: hanging or using drying racks. You must first ensure you set up the right environment for both methods.
Setting up a cannabis drying room is pretty straightforward. Just make sure the room stays dark, maintains a temperature between 60°F and 70°F, and has a humidity of 55% to 65%. You can use a hygrometer to keep that in check.
Add a small fan to keep the air moving. If you're in a really humid area, an air conditioner or a dehumidifier will be useful.
Finally, you’ll need something to hang the buds, like a strong rope, a wooden pole, or a metal hanger. You can also use a wire or mesh drying rack.
Here’s how to hang the buds:
1. Remove large fan leaves and sugar leaves before drying. This helps air flow better and speeds up the drying process.
2. Hang the cannabis buds like you would clothes on a line. You can hang the whole plant or separate the branches to allow air to reach all the buds.
If you’re using drying racks, spread out the buds on the rack and turn them occasionally to keep their shape.
Drying weed can take anywhere from two days to a week. To know when it’s ready for the next step, use your senses to help you decide. Here are some tips:
The buds will lose moisture but should still feel a bit springy when squeezed. If they crumble, they’re too dry.
The stems will snap if the weed has dried enough. You should hear a crack when you bend them.
Once your cannabis is dried, you might be tempted to light it up right away. While you can, the results might not be as good as you hope. Curing involves storing dry buds in containers—usually glass jars with airtight lids.
First of all, you’ll need to keep your weed in the dark while curing. Light can break down THC and terpenes, which are essential for quality. Store your stash in a box or a dark cupboard to protect it.
A little warmth is fine, but too much heat can reduce the potency of your weed. Aim to keep the curing area at around 70°F.
Meanwhile, too much moisture can cause mold, while too little makes the buds dry and harsh. To avoid these issues, maintain jar humidity at around 60% during curing.
The equipment you will need for the curing process are:
1. Wide-neck glass jars that are airtight
2. Hygrometer to monitor and control humidity levels.
3. Humidity packs like Boveda Packs: If humidity needs to be increased.
4. Disposable gloves
Curing weed takes some time and monitoring, but it's worth the effort. Here are the highlights of your activities while you cure the buds:
Quick tip:
● There’s no set time for curing marijuana buds, but we recommend curing them for 4 to 8 weeks. This range helps you balance flavors, smells, and effects best.
The first step to curing, having gotten the environmental condition right, is to place buds in containers. But there is a sure way you ought to fill the jars.
Wear clean gloves and fill each jar about ¾ full with your dried and trimmed buds. Leave some space at the top for air. It's better to leave a little room than to overfill.
Gently shake the jars. If the buds stick together, they might be too wet and could mold. If they move around freely, they’re ready to start curing.
Put the lids on the jars and place them in a cool, dark place.
For the first week, check the jars twice a day. Look for mold and open the lids for about five minutes each time to let fresh air in. Use a hygrometer to monitor humidity.
If it’s too humid, leave the lids off for 2-4 hours to dry out excess moisture. If it’s too dry, add a humidity pack.
There is a chance that you smell ammonia. In that case, your buds might be too wet and could rot. If you don’t see mold, let the jars burp for 24 hours before resealing.
For the next two weeks, check the jars daily for mold or decay and adjust the humidity as needed. You can burp the jars less often, about every few days.
After about three weeks, your buds should be ready to smoke. They’ll taste and feel better if you let them cure longer up to six months. Test them out and see if you like the results. If not, keep curing for a bit longer.
While curing cannabis buds, you have to regularly check your jars for mold, mildew, or too much moisture to keep the buds in good condition.
Watch out for fuzzy spots, color changes, or a musty smell. These are signs of mold or mildew, which can grow in damp and poorly ventilated conditions.
If you see any of these signs, act quickly to prevent damage to your buds.
To improve ventilation, slightly loosen the jar lids or use breathable materials like paper bags. This helps reduce moisture and keeps the air circulating around the buds.
There are some common issues associated with curing cannabis that new growers can face.
If you’re still having trouble curing your weed despite following the instructions, we have created this troubleshooting table to serve as a guide:
Storing Cured cannabis
The best place to store cannabis is somewhere cool and dark. Cabinets, cupboards, and dresser drawers are good options if they stay cool and dark.
Some storage containers are better than others. Many people prefer glass mason jars for storing cannabis, especially for long-term storage.
Glass doesn’t release chemicals like some plastics, so your cannabis is less likely to spoil or lose quality.
Note:
● Freezing cannabis isn’t ideal because it contains water. Freezing can damage the buds and cause you to lose important cannabinoids.
When curing marijuana, growers often make a few common mistakes:
1. Not drying enough: If you dry the buds too quickly or not thoroughly before curing, it can harm the final product. Make sure the buds are dry to the touch and that the smaller stems snap rather than bend.
2. Wrong container: Using the wrong type of container can mess up the curing process. Avoid plastic bags or containers that aren’t airtight. Glass jars, like mason jars, are a better choice because they help control the curing environment.
3. Ignoring humidity and temperature: Not keeping an eye on the humidity and temperature inside the containers can lead to mold and mildew.
4. Hurrying the process: Curing takes time and patience. Rushing it and not allowing enough time for the flavors and aromas to develop can result in a less-than-ideal product.
When done correctly, cured cannabis buds will deliver a smoother texture when smoked, have less of the ‘fresh hay’ smell, reduce harshness that might make you cough, and deliver an enhanced aroma.
We believe that the curing process is an art in itself. As you harvest and cure more high-quality feminized seeds, your experience accumulates, and you become better at it. You can buy the best seeds from homegrown cannabis.
By following the steps in this guide, you should end up with high-quality marijuana that you'll be proud to enjoy.
