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How do you prepare your Hemp??

P

Paul S Murray

Active Member
Just picked up my seasonal 20kg bag of Hemp..Just wondered what different ways there is to prepare it. In the past, I've soaked it in water over night, drained it, then boiled it in fresh water for 30-40 minutes, drained it, let it cool off, then bagged it up in 2 pint resealable bags and put in the freezer until required. Is there any miracle additives I could put in to enhance it's performance???
 
Hi Paul

I do mine in a pressure cooker, bring to boil, leave for an hour, bring to boil and it's done soon after......and no smell. Regarding miracle additives, you don't need em as hemp is good for what it is in my opinion, bi-carbonate of soda cleans it up though.

Best Regards
Dave
 
As above, but then funnel it into 4 pint plastic milk bottles and freeze (allow room for expansion). This enables plenty of hemp juice to be retained and this can be used when mixing groundbait. It's also easy to carry to the river and pour into bait droppers.
 
steam mine for 40 minutes in 2 old steamers that way very little oil content is lost in the steaming process unlike the boiling of hemp. then simply tip into 1kg bags and freeze.
 
Great idea to use plastic milk containers! I'll try that this season. I've forever got a load of hemp juice swilling around in the bottom of my bag!

Cheers,

Andy
 
Good quality fresh hemp will split with a 48hr soak and no boil. Other than that i chuck a load in a cool box fill to the brim with boiling water, place a couple of bricks on the lid to keep it well sealed and leave overnight. In the morning loads of nicely done hemp.
 
Soak it overnight then bring to the boil a saucepan at a time (minimal liquid) as soon as it bubbles, dump it into a cool box. Usually a couple of pans will do me a gallon of hemp.

Leave for a few hours and you have perfect hemp with some really strong hempy liquid which is great for making paste/groundbait etc.

Addiditives, Sugar and salt during the boiling or some chili flakes. Once cooked or defrosting if kept frozen, a good dollop of hemp oil.

Just put 4 bags of the stuff in my freezer ready for the carp and tench session next week.:)
 
i do mine similar to Dave but some bicarbonate of soda added in the cooking process too
hemp oil, the good thing with this is its almost impossible to overdo the amount added within reason, its also good as a coating for maggots for on the feeder mixed with a little ground hemp....j.w
 
Dave Wingfield said:
Hi Paul

I do mine in a pressure cooker, bring to boil, leave for an hour, bring to boil and it's done soon after......and no smell. Regarding miracle additives, you don't need em as hemp is good for what it is in my opinion, bi-carbonate of soda cleans it up though.

Best Regards
Dave
Click to expand...

Dave, how much hemp to water, does the hemp absorb much and does it split well using your method?
 
I use two methods depending on how much is required, both produce hemp with little fuss and very little smell:

1) Small amounts can be successfully prepared in a flask (Wilkinson's 1 litre stainless steel recommended, they were on sale a while ago for £4.99), overnight. Measure out one pint of hemp and rinse, add to pre-heated flask. Top up with boiling water to 3/4 full, no more (you must leave some room for expansion), fit top, shake flask, carefully undo top to allow pressure out, re-tighten top. Leave overnight and the hemp will be ready in the morning (around 8 - 10 hours).

2) Larger amounts can be prepared in a cool box. Rinse hemp and place in cool box. Add boiling water covering the hemp with 1 - 2 inches, stir well, add lid, cover box with towel/blanket, leave to go cold.

As for additives, I use bi-card/salt/chilli. Bi-card/salt/dry chilli flakes = 1 x teaspoon per pint. If using fresh chillies usually 1 - 2 roughly chopped with seeds per pint.
 
Hi Paul,
it depends on how much you are going to prepare.
If you are going to cook large amounts,then a must is an electric tea urn, put your uncooked bait in the urn,fill with water and soak overnight, then turn on the urn and bring to the boil, then turn down the power and let the hemp simmer,when it starts to split and shows the white kernals turn of the power and let it cool down, you can then take out the hemp all nicely cooked and bag up some of it ready for the freezer and the rest is ready for use.
Brian.
 
Hi Les

Usually I fill the cooker about 3/4 full of hemp and then totally immerse it in boiling water ensuring it doesn't boil over initially, I then check it and top up the water, the hemp usually splits perfectly. The beauty of using a pressure cooker is once it pressurises you turn it off and leave it to work its magic.

Best Regards
Dave
 
I used the coolbox method (small coolbox) for small amounts or my baby burco for the larger lots. If you get a burco make sure it does not have an exposed element!

Often use the juice for re hydrating air dried boilies

Other than bi carb & some salt thinking of using fresh chillies for some this year but more for carp stalking.
 
If you can get hold of one, i use a Burco water boiler you can get at least
10 pints of hemp in one and you can plug it in outside on a extension cable
so no smelling the house out.;)
 
Dave Wingfield said:
Hi Les

Usually I fill the cooker about 3/4 full of hemp and then totally immerse it in boiling water ensuring it doesn't boil over initially, I then check it and top up the water, the hemp usually splits perfectly. The beauty of using a pressure cooker is once it pressurises you turn it off and leave it to work its magic.

Best Regards
Dave
Click to expand...

I like the sound of this method, thanks Dave, can't wait to try. Les
 
Andy Clitheroe said:
If you can get hold of one, i use a Burco water boiler you can get at least
10 pints of hemp in one and you can plug it in outside on a extension cable
so no smelling the house out.;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, found an old burco boiler at work and after reading this I thought I would liberate it. Just done 16 pints of hemp in one go, took about 1.5 hours after the initial overnight soak:).

Not sure who was happiest with it, me or the wife, as you say extension lead to garden and no smell in the house ;)
 
Bicarbonate of soda makes it turn black, the match anglers swear by it.

How much chilli flakes to a pint?
Does it matter/ can it be overloaded?

Regards,
Jeff
 
Dave Burr said:
Soak it overnight then bring to the boil a saucepan at a time (minimal liquid) as soon as it bubbles, dump it into a cool box. Usually a couple of pans will do me a gallon of hemp.

Leave for a few hours and you have perfect hemp with some really strong hempy liquid which is great for making paste/groundbait etc.

Addiditives, Sugar and salt during the boiling or some chili flakes. Once cooked or defrosting if kept frozen, a good dollop of hemp oil.

Just put 4 bags of the stuff in my freezer ready for the carp and tench session next week.:)[/QUOTE

Just tried this method as written by Dave, but soaked it for 3 days as it was giant hemp, and cant fault it at all. Just done 5 gallon of hemp, ready for my freezer. Cheers Dave.
Click to expand...
 
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