Tahini

Excerpt from Adam and Joanne, creators of Inspired Taste

You only need THREE ingredients to make tahini.

Sesame seeds — We use hulled seeds (pictured below on the left) and toast them in a dry skillet to bring out their natural nuttiness.

Oil — To help the tahini become a creamy smooth paste, we add a few tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil. Try avocado, extra-virgin, olive, vegetable, and grape seed oil. Sesame oil (not toasted sesame oil) also works.

Salt is optional, but I always use it. It just makes the tahini taste better.

Step 1: Toast the sesame seeds. I love toasting the sesame seeds before making tahini. It tastes better. I toast them in a dry skillet on the stovetop. Sesame seeds are tiny and can burn quickly. Toast them over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they take on a light golden color.

Step 2: Process the sesame seeds until crumbly. Throw the toasted sesame seeds into the bowl of a food processor, shut the lid, and then process until a crumbly paste begins to form. We have a 10-cup Magimix food processor. It is powerful, which helps when making tahini. Most food processors on the market today will do the trick. Blenders are hit and miss — read through our comment section for tips from other readers who used a blender to make this recipe.

Step 3: Add oil and process into a smooth cream. We add a few tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil to help the tahini turn into an extra smooth, drippy paste. You can eliminate some of the oil if you would like, but the tahini won’t be as smooth or pourable. We’ve found that 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil does the trick

Step 4: Store tahini in an airtight container for one month. It might separate over time like a natural peanut butter would. If this happens, give the tahini a good stir before using it.