Guest Post: DIY Homemade Tahini

As an avid DIYer I know that when spring arrives I’m often busy working on a number of house remodeling and freelance projects like interior and exterior painting. Several years ago around this time I realized I needed to eat more nutritionally while on the job and stumbled upon tahini, one of the world’s healthiest foods.

A pasty substance used as a staple from North Africa to China tahini is composed of ground sesame seeds and became a great supplement to my diet.

Finished Tahini

It’s a good source of antioxidants, copper and iron, and its high levels of calcium and protein make it ideal for vegetarians and vegans.

While I am neither I don’t only use it as a sauce to sprinkle on meat and chicken but often utilize it as the main ingredient in salad dressing, have been known to mix it with rice and fish, and when the recipe calls I even put it in cookies!
Still, the best way to eat tahini is with some fresh baked bread and olive oil and although it could be bought pre-made I’d recommend mixing it yourself. The process isn’t difficult and only takes a few minutes from start to finish. The biggest problem you’ll run into is deciding if you like it creamier or thicker.

Because it’s so easy to make, I suggest doing some trial runs to see what works best for you. I used to like it saucy yet after having dinner at a friend’s where she made it thick I actually started pouring it out of the container and dabbing in the raw paste with my fingers.

So if you’re interested in trying out tahini but not sure where to start here’s a little guide for your adventure:

1.      Purchase tahini paste, preferably an organic brand, and gather the following items.

•       A container that holds at least four cups (you probably won’t make this much just for yourself but the deeper dish helps when mixing) and a mixing spoon.
•       1 lemon
•       2 cups of water
•       Salt
•       1 cup of fresh parsley and/or coriander (optional)

2.      Start small and pour 1 cup of tahini into the bowl. I don’t focus on the measuring part so much so don’t be afraid if you eyeball it and drop in a little more or a little less.

3.      Squeeze half the lemon pouring the juice minus any seeds on the tahini paste and mix together vigorously.

Once you start mixing and the paste expands it gets creamy and the type of desired consistency becomes clearer. The more liquid you drop in the creamier it will be. Also consider whether to add in the other half of lemon. Doing so makes it tarter as opposed to pouring in water which will tone it down. Either way it’s all about experimentation and personal expression so take your time and find a good balance.

4.      Once you’ve come to some sort of conclusion regarding consistency mix in salt a little bit at a time tasting as you go.

5.      Finally, after the actual tahini is ready to eat an optional step is to add chopped parsley or coriander. Doing so changes the texture slightly but provides further flavor to the overall experience.

Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He blogs for pros across the U.S. like Lemon Grove, CA, painters and Portland, OR, Garage Door
contractors.