How to rehydrate buds

It’s quite common to preserve weed for months and by the time you open the containers where it has been stored it is overly dried. Even though it might not be in the conditions you were expecting, there is no need to throw it away. Although it is not possible to restore all of its initial properties, you can rehydrate buds by using different home tricks and products.

One of the biggest threats when storing weed is the possibility of mold showing up. However, overly dry weed can also be a nuisance if not prevented or stopped on time.

Why does cannabis get too dry?

The main reasons for cannabis to become overly dry are how long it has been stored and how. This normally happens in very dry climates, when it is stored in areas with low humidity and high temperatures.

It also depends on the drying process used. It’s important to remember that cannabis dries out from the outside to the inside, which means that plenty of times the outer leaves are dry while the inside of the buds and the stems are still retaining too much water. A trick to know the level of humidity is to break the stem.

When a plant is trimmed to dry it out, the stem is initially soft and bends easily. This is a sign that it needs to continue getting dry. If on the other hand it breaks, it means it is dry enough.

How to rehydrate buds

There are plenty of techniques to rehydrate buds, although some are faster than others. Depending on the available time, you can opt for one of the following options to rehydrate cannabis.

Home tricks

These methods can help recover dry buds in a matter of hours. A great option for those seeking immediate results. Some of them are:

• Orange or apple peel

Using fruit peels is a very popular home trick. This simple method can provide good results in just hours. Orange peel is most often used, although apple ones are also suitable.

For this method, you need to place orange peels next to the buds in a glass container for a few hours. This formula not only rehydrates buds, but it also adds a soft citrus flavor.

Make sure to not leave the buds in the jar for too long as this can cause mold. It’s very important to take them out on time. After a few hours you’ll notice how the buds are back to looking fresh.

Lettuce provides a similar effect, although in this case you need to wrap the leaves in a kitchen towel to stop them from sticking to the weed. People that don’t have these foods at hand can also use sliced bread following the same process. In this case, be extra careful with mold proliferation, as yeast can induce its fast growth.

• Kitchen towel and cotton

If you don’t have any of the previously mentioned ingredients, you can use a piece of kitchen towel or cotton ball and moist it. Place it on the upper part of the container and close the lid.

Make sure to prevent the kitchen towel or cotton from touching the buds, otherwise they could get stuck together. When using cotton, wrap it in tin foil with holes.

Place the materials in the glass jar next to the buds and let it sit for a couple of hours. For best results, repeat the technique over the next few days.

This technique is very popular for large amounts of dry cannabis buds as it works as a humidity bomb that moistens the buds.

• Use recently trimmed buds

One of the best ways to rehydrate buds is to mix the overly dry buds with the fresh ones and let humidity spread evenly over the flowers, although it can take a few weeks. The greatest advantage of this system is that the dry buds absorb the flavors and scents of the fresh strain, recovering some of their lost aromas.

Products to hydrate dry buds

• Bovedas

These products help humidity self-regulation by promoting humidity to stay within the chosen percentage inside the jar, like for example Boveda 62%. This method preserves weed in great conditions while helping to cure the flowers. It acts by regulating the humidity of both, overly dry buds and fresh flowers, obtaining optimum curing conditions.

• Humidifiers

The most effective way to minimize dehydration is to create the perfect environment. Instead of storing weed in jars, you can opt for recipients with incorporated humidity controllers. You can also monitor temperature and humidity using a hygrometer.

Other products

There is a good selection of products to cure and preserve buds, such as refrigerated chambers. Another way to cure cannabis successfully is to use different size wooden boxes with built-in humidity controllers to monitor the curing process.

All of these techniques allow us to rehydrate buds. However, in order to avoid these situations, it is best to choose proper storage methods and control humidity and temperature on a frequent basis. A good preservation can avoid future problems.