June 25, 2021 by Angela Laufer

Using concentrated, cannabis-infused olive oil in this pineapple mango salsa recipe makes it a refreshing, terpene-loaded, medicated dish. You can serve it alone as an appetizer, side-dish, or as a topping over your favorite grilled chicken or fish!

Terpenes are not only prominent in cannabis, but they are also naturally occurring in the foods we eat; fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. They affect receptors and neurotransmitters in the brain and can provide a wide variety of physical and mental benefits. In this recipe alone, we can find terpenes like Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Ocimene and Pinene, which can act as a decongestant, provide anti-inflammatory effects, calming effects, uplifting effects, and more. Not only do terpenes work together, but they also support other cannabis molecules in producing desired effects, this is called the “Entourage Effect”.

Step 1: Chop & Dice All Your Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs: Start chopping and dicing your mango, peach, tomatoes, white onion, red and yellow bell pepper, cilantro and garlic, and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Take your pineapple and cut it in half lengthwise. If you want to use it as a serving bowl for your finished salsa, scoop out the pineapple about an inch from the sides. Dice and add 1 cup of the scooped pineapple into your mixing bowl.

Step 2: Stir in Rest of Ingredients: Stir in the garlic, lime juice, salt, sugar, and cannabis-infused olive oil.

*For this recipe, I did not specify the amount of cannabis-infused olive oil to use. To figure out what your oil and individual serving’s THC content would be, and in turn how much you’d like to put in your salsa, our Concentrated Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil recipe has a formula to explain and help you through the process. Knowing your dosage will help you remain educated, responsible and confident in your cannabis cooking ventures!*

Step 3: Cover & Refrigerate: Cover your mixing bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Step 4: Enjoy!: Enjoy your medicated pineapple mango salsa as an appetizer or side dish with tortilla or pita chips, OR over your favorite grilled chicken or fish. I chose to prepare roasted chicken over a bed of rice, to top with this salsa for a full-meal experience that didn’t disappoint. (:

Cooking with Cannabis-Infused Ingredients

A good starting point for ingesting cannabis edibles is to limit yourself to <5mg THC ; even less if you are new to THC-infused food. It can have the tendency to be a lot stronger, more intense, and can differ drastically from smoking it. For one, the effects can take anywhere from a half hour to 3 hours to fully metabolize, depending on an individual’s unique body and metabolic rate. In addition, because the THC is digested through your liver, and can more readily cross the body’s blood-brain barrier, the high can be stronger and last longer.

With that said, your infusion’s potency depends on many factors, from how long and hot it was cooked, to the potency of your starting product, as well as taking into consideration if your strain was indica or sativa leaning. To test the potency and effect of your finished product, try a smaller amount (<5mg) and see how that dose affects you after an hour or so. Titrate your dose as desired, and you can then use this personalized “standard” dose as a baseline for your recipes.

Happy Cooking!