Tahini
Ingredients
- 140 g sesame seeds (hulled (white); 1 cup)
- 2 T canola oil (up to 4T, as needed)
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
Method
Toast the sesame seeds:
Place sesame seeds in a wide, dry saucepan over medium-low heat and toast, stirring constantly until the seeds become fragrant and very lightly colored (not brown), 3 to 5 minutes. Careful here, sesame seeds can burn quickly.
Transfer toasted seeds to a baking sheet or large plate and cool completely.
Make Tahini:
Add sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor then process until a crumbly paste forms, about 1 minute.
Add 2 Tbsp of the oil then process for 2 to 3 minutes more, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor a couple times. Check the tahini’s consistency. It should be smooth, not gritty and should be pourable. You may need to process for another minute or add 1-2 additional Tbsp of oil.
Taste the tahini for seasoning then add salt to taste. Process 5 to 10 seconds to mix it in.
To Store:
Store tahini covered in the refrigerator for one month. You may notice it separates over time, like a natural peanut butter would. If this happens, give the tahini a good stir before using.
Notes
Notes from source: Making tahini at home is easy and much less expensive than buying from the store. We recommend looking for sesame seeds in bulk bins or at International, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets for the best deals. While tahini can be made from unhulled, sprouted, and hulled sesame seeds, we prefer to use hulled sesame seeds for tahini. Tahini can be kept in the refrigerator for a month.