How to Make Edibles Taste Better

Do you love eating edibles but sometimes find the taste pungent, bitter, or overwhelming? The botanicals used to make edibles can have a strong flavor profile. That profile can sometimes overpower more subtle flavors. Botanical flavors come through when making infusions and edibles and can sometimes be a turn-off. 

Luckily, there are ways to make edibles taste better. With the LĒVO line of infusion machines, you control the ingredients that go into your homemade infusions. When you regulate the infusion process, you can tailor-make edibles to suit your taste preferences. If you need some tips to make your new batch of edibles taste better, LĒVO can help.

What Makes Edibles Bitter?

Many people consume edibles for their medicinal or therapeutic benefits. When they taste good, that is a bonus. However, you don’t have to choose between health benefits and taste. You can have both. The key to better-tasting edibles starts with understanding why edibles can be bitter and overwhelming in the first place. 

The therapeutic botanicals used to make infusions and edibles are inherently bitter. Different strains of botanicals will have different flavors. Some botanical strains are earthy and woodsy. Different but related botanical plant strains may have a distinct citrus flavor. You can subtly change the flavor profile of your edibles by selecting botanicals with your preferred flavor notes. Do your research. Select botanicals with flavors you like or want to enhance. 

Terpenes are compounds that give plants their unique fragrance and flavor profiles. Be aware that while selecting botanicals with high concentrations of certain terpenes helps enhance the flavor of your edibles, you may still pick up some earthy and bitter notes. Why? Because medicinal botanical strains all have some degree of bitterness. Plants use bitterness as a defense mechanism. When a plant tastes bitter, predators pass it by. Although you can’t remove the bitter profile from therapeutic botanicals entirely, you can learn to mask it or work with it to create mouth-watering edibles. 

Tips to Make Your Edibles Taste Better 

Our mission here at LĒVO is to help you get the results you are striving for when making your own edibles at home. As such, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you improve the taste of your homemade edibles.

Tip 1: Hide the Flavor

The most obvious way to make your homemade edibles taste better is to hide or mask the flavors you don’t like. Not a fan of the bitter or earthy taste of edibles? Hide it with more powerful flavors. Don’t be afraid to use herbs and spices in your edibles. Bold flavors like jalapeno, ancho, cinnamon, and cloves can overwhelm bitter flavors and give you a more balanced edible. 

Sweetness can also help counteract bitter flavors. Try using sugar, honey, and fruits to balance the bitterness of your botanical infusion.

Tip 2: If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them 

If you can’t beat the bitter flavor, why not enhance it? Bitter doesn’t have to be an unpleasant taste sensation. Play up the bitter notes in your botanical infusion by crafting edibles with other bitter ingredients. Dark chocolate, coffee, mint, and hops are all popular flavors with bitter notes. Use these flavors with your botanical infusion and trick your brain into thinking you are eating an edible with a bitter profile you enjoy.  

Acids also pair well with bitter flavors. Balance the bitterness of a botanical infusion by using lemon or lime juice. The earthy notes of a therapeutic oil infusion marry wonderfully with the bright acidic notes of lemon, like in these Rosemary Meyer Lemon Bars. Better yet, create an infusion with your LĒVO infusion machine using a strain known for its citrus notes. To do that, seek out a strain high in limonene terpenes. 

Additionally, don't limit yourself to the mindset that all edibles must be sweet. The earthy richness of botanicals complements savory dishes and pairs well with cheeses. Herbs like rosemary and thyme also benefit from the robust woodsy flavor of botanicals. Try incorporating your botanical infusion into vinaigrettes or as part of a stunning charcuterie board.

Tip 3: Stronger is Better 

You may think that a weaker infusion yields a better-tasting edible. After all, a weak oil infusion has a faint flavor. However, with a weak infusion, you will also get a weak edible that may not give you the therapeutic sensation you seek. Potent botanical infusions have a strong flavor profile. The flip side is that you can use less of the oil infusion in recipes without sacrificing the medicinal effects of your edibles. 

Tip 4: Want a Subtle Effect and Subtler Flavor? Try Microdosing 

If you are more concerned with taste and want a subtle therapeutic effect, consider microdosing instead. With microdosing, you use small amounts of botanicals to deliver a more subtle medicinal effect on the mind and body. Using very small amounts of an infusion also makes it easier to mask the bitter flavor of most botanicals. 

Creating a More Potent Infusion 

Ready to try creating your own potent infusions to make homemade edibles? It’s easy with the LĒVO line of infusion machines. Why LĒVO? LĒVO is the world’s first automated infusion machine that takes the guesswork and hassle out of making artisanal oil infusions at home. The LĒVO C makes creating potent infusions a breeze with its jumbo pod capable of holding up to one ounce of botanical material. Suitable for home and small business use, you get a potent, high-quality infusion every time. You can also use the LĒVO II or the LĒVO Lux to make strong, artisanal infusions. The basin in both machines can hold two power pods, each power pod holding up to eight grams. Doubling the power pods in your machine results in a more potent oil infusion and is perfect for creating therapeutic but flavorful edibles. 

The entire line of LĒVO infusion machines also features a unique activate cycle. Running your botanicals through this innovative cycle prepares them for infusion and promotes potency. If you aren’t sure which infusion machine can meet your needs, you can compare all the LĒVO infusion machine models side by side to find the one that is best suited for you! 

One of the great and simple ways to create a more potent infusion is by using LĒVO’s double pod method. Taking advantage of the double pod method is simple. Start by filling two power pods with your favorite botanical. Grind the plant to promote better infusion. However, not too fine, as plant material can seep into your oil infusion if you grind it too much, clouding the final product with unwanted plant matter. Place both power pods in the basin and begin an activate cycle for maximum potency. Add your oil or butter to the dishwasher-safe basin when the activate cycle is complete. Select the appropriate time and temperature settings and walk away while your carrier is LĒVO made and infused to perfection!

If you need more help creating better-tasting edibles, check out the LĒVO Love Club on Facebook. The LLC is a private group of welcoming LĒVO owners who love to share tips, tricks, and recipes with others. The community can help you get the most out of your LĒVO infusion machine. We hope to see you there!

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