Simple Homemade Tahini

One of the key tenets of creating less waste in the kitchen is focusing on building blocks that are incredibly versatile. I used to have ‘the condiment shelf of doom’ in my refrigerator, full of salad dressings of every flavor, half-filled jars, and bottles with just a tablespoon or so left in them. Slowly over time I found that prepping big batches of base ingredients and then just whipping together the amount I need for a certain dish creates so much less waste and is an even better way of tailoring flavors to dishes.

One of these staples that I always have on hand is a simple homemade tahini! It is a great base for creating those aforementioned dressings, but also for a homemade hummus, or throwing into a noodle dish for extra flavor. So, what exactly is tahini? Many people think that tahini is a dressing on its own- but the sauce you drizzle on dishes is actually tahini *sauce* with added flavors like lemon. Tahini on its own is more of a base ingredient (though you can eat it by itself too, it just isn’t the tastiest in my opinion) made from roasted sesame seeds and oil.

Traditional Tahini

This tahini is not traditional, but rather a *simple* tahini that makes it easy to make at home. Traditional tahini is thought to originate in the middle east- in modern day Iran and Syria. Originally called ‘ardeh,’ it eventually spread across the middle east, India, and the Mediterranean and became known as tahini because of the Arabic word ṭaḥīna which means ‘to grind.’ Why? Because traditional tahini was made by soaking hull-on sesame seeds in salt water to soften the hull for removal then grinding the soaked seeds into a paste, no toasting. This is why traditional tahini is often much lighter in color than the typical tahini we see in grocery stores. This process is time-intensive and with hulled sesame seeds can be overly salty which is why we use a modernized process for everyday use!

Simple Homemade Tahini Ingredients

Simple Homemade Tahini Method

Preheat a wide, flat bottomed skillet to medium-low heat.

Pour the sesame seeds into the heated skillet in a thin layer and dry roast for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the seeds are a light golden brown. We’re toasting the seeds enough so their oils bring out their naturally nutty flavor but not so much that they start to become dry and brittle. The gentle heat of toasting creates an enzyme reaction that releases their oil- a quicker way to bring out flavor rather than the traditional soak!

Remove the seeds from the heat (especially if you’re using a cast iron pan) and let cool. Then using either an immersion blender, a high-speed blender, or a food processor start to process the seeds into a paste. Slowly add in oil to help this process along; you do not need to use both tablespoons if your seeds are releasing enough oil to create a smooth texture on their own!

Continue to blend until the seeds become a uniform, loose paste. It can slowly drip like a liquid but still is more paste (solid) then liquid. This is why tahini paste is different than tahini sauce- the tahini sauce you see drizzled on dishes has additional ingredients and liquids added!

Store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 months or you can freeze it in ice cube trays for up to three months. The oils from the tahini will naturally separate with time, so be sure to stir before use.

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