Mix tahini with onion, garlic and cayenne pepper to make a salad dressing.
Middle Eastern foods like hummus, baba ghanoush and halvah, use tahini, a creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds. You can purchase a jar or can of tahini year-round at most large grocery stores or Asian supermarkets, or you can make your own in a blender at home by mixing white sesame seeds with peanut oil. In addition to being used in a variety of dishes, tahini can also be used as a replacement for peanut butter, although it can be very bitter, especially if it is unhulled. While tahini is easy to store and will not easily spoil, the storage techniques differ depending on whether the container is sealed or open.
Instructions
1. Store unopened and sealed tahini, either canned or in a jar, in a cool, dry location, like a cupboard. Tahini can be typically stored for up to a year.
2. Store sesame seeds, which are used to make your own tahini, in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot as well. have a high oil content, meaning they turn rancid quickly, so only store them for three months in the cupboard. Refrigerate for six months or freeze for up to a year.
3. Place opened jars of tahini in the refrigerator. Depending on the brand and whether or not it's organic, the times can vary for storing opened tahini in the refrigerator, so look for the expiration date. Usually, this is no more than six weeks, but some homemade tahini can turn in as little as five days. Opened cans of tahini or homemade tahini should be put into an airtight container before placing in the refrigerator.
4. Remove the tahini from the refrigerator when ready to use again. Turn the container or jar upside down for 30 minutes because the sesame oil will have separated from the solid mixture. Shake well before opening and stir to blend in the oil.
5. Wait until the tahini reaches room temperature before serving.
Tags: airtight container, homemade tahini, make your, sesame seeds, tahini refrigerator