Tutorial: How to Make Tahini

Tahini is a paste made from toasted sesame seeds.  It is used in many Middle Eastern recipes, most importantly for me Hummus, and is simple to make.

I finally bought a food processor a few months ago.  One of my main reasons to get it was to make Hummus.  I still have not used it for that purpose yet, but I use it for many other things.  One other thing that I've needed for Hummus is Tahini.  I bought some sesame seeds months ago and they have been sitting in my pantry waiting to be used.  Today I finally made Tahini, and it's easy.

First heat some sesame seeds in a dry frying pan on low heat.  I used about 1/2 cup.

Stir, and shake until toasted (light brown) and they smell kind of nutty.  This takes patience because you do not want to burn them.

At this point remove them from the heat and remove them from the frying pan, they will still be hot and continue to get darker.  I poured them directly into the blender.

Cover with the lid, remove the center cup and blend, carefully it can get messy, while adding about 1/4 cup of olive oil or until it reaches the desired consistency.  It will smell and look similar to peanut butter but you want it to be easily pourable.  I used a little over 1/4 cup of oil.  Pour into a seal-able container and refrigerate.  It should keep for 3 months.  Now I can make my Hummus and other recipes requiring Tahini.  Yes you can buy Tahini at many grocery stores, but is is easy and inexpensive to make at home.

Enjoy.