Tahini recipe?

[incredible edible]

Can anyone recommend a good brand of tahini? I've used Krinos in the past and liked it. Unfortunately, I can't find it around here. The brand I'm using now is not as smooth and a bit more bitter than I like.

Thanks.

 

[Sarah 1426]

I know this was posted a while ago but I came across it and thought I would give my opinoin.
We use Al-Rahib tahineh to make hummos.
My father owns a middle eastern grocery store and he is Lebanese so we have tried many kinds and we have found that this one is the best.

 

[sarah]

hey u r my namesake,just wanted to say hi...welcome to this forum

 

[Sarah 1426]

Hey! thanks for the welcome!
this seems like an awsome fourm and i absolutely LOVE cooking...

 

[Kaitain]

I found out the hard way that there are two kinds of tahini, one without the shells and one made with the shells still on! The one with the shells on is terrible, it's bitter and tastes more like shells than seed. That's probably what you bought IE.

I found some tahini in my local publix, but am afraid to buy it because it is almost $6 for a small can and it doesn't say if it's shell-less or not. If I could at least see it I could tell but it is in a metal can. You can tell the difference by the darkness. The version with the shells is much darker, a little darker than peanut butter I think, while the good stuff is a very light tan.

 

[sarah]

i use a lebanese tahini,with the name of california garden,its quite ok too.

 

[Michael in FtW]

My favorite tahini came from a little middle eastern store that only lasted for about 3 years, certainly not because I didn't shop there every week. I can't tell the name because there was nothing on the label in English.

The stuff I'm using now is "Joyva" brand (it's all my grocery store carries) .... it's a little sweeter because it has honey and sugar in it ... but I can always add another clove of garlic and a little more lemon juice if I need to to "tart" it up.

 

[Claire]

I don't use tahini a lot, so cheat. Every brand of tahini I've seen comes in a huge jar, when I only need less than half of that a year. So when I make hummus or something else requiriing it, I use toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil to taste. Not quite the same, but at least tastes fresher every time, and I'm not faced with a year-old half-jar of what looks sort of like the sidewalk outside.

 

[GB]

I use Joyva as well, but only because it is the only brand I can find around here. I am not crazy about it, but I don't use it often.

 

[Raine]

What part of GA are you located in?

 

[Yakuta]

I am with Claire. I prefer to make sesame paste of my own. It is healthier and more fragrant and I have less waste (Tahini paste can go rancid quickly).

Toast white sesame seeds till they have a slight color. Toast it on low. Put them in a coffee or spice grinder and powder. Mix them with a tiny bit of water (I don't use any oil expect a tiny bit of olive oil when I make hummus with it) to make a paste and then use it in the recipe as directed. Much fresher.

 

[Alix]

I never thought of that. Geez.