Homemade Tahini

Tahini, aka sesame paste, is a very common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine and has many uses in the kitchen. Not only is it an essential component in making hummus, or baba ganoush, but it's also fantastic in dressings, sauces and countless recipes!

Tahini can get a tad pricey when you buy it at the grocery store, especially if you like to reach for the organic, fair trade jar like I do; the good thing is that you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost, in very little time, and chances are it will taste much better, too!

The only ingredients that you will need to make tahini paste are sesame seeds and some light tasting oil. Although me, I like to add a little pinch of salt to mine: I find it helps in bringing out the delicate nutty flavor of the seeds.

Of course, your main ingredient would be sesame seeds. Which ones to use is entirely up to you, as any kind will work: natural unhulled, hulled raw or hulled toasted. Even the black variety works! Each variety will give your tahini a different flavor, color or texture.

The stuff you get at the store is typically made from hulled, raw sesame seeds. These seeds give out a lighter-colored and smoother tahini. Me, I prefer to stick with the unhulled natural sesame seeds, although the final texture of the paste is not quite as smooth, I find it has a richer flavor and also harbors more of the good nutrients. Hey, I'm all for less processed!

Since the natural unhulled seeds tend to be a tad more bitter than their hulled counterparts, it's a good idea to slightly toast them before using, to help tone their bitterness down a notch and also boost their natural nutty flavor. I strongly recommend that you take this same approach if using the hulled, raw variety. Your final product will taste so much better! continue reading

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