The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Why is my tahini not creamy? ›

Adding a few tablespoons of mild-tasting oil is helpful.

This helps the tahini become more smooth, creamy, and drippy.

Knowing that tahini seizes, and how to fix it, is the key to how to make a great sauce with the desired consistency: smooth! Fix the seized mixture with the addition of ice cold water. ​You may only need a little water to smooth out the mixture; it's best to start with less water and add more as needed.

A small amount of added water acts like a glue, wetting particles just enough to get them to stick together, but eventually if you add too much water, the mixture turns into an evenly thinned-out liquid.

The seeds continue to 'cook' even when taken off the heat, so be careful not to over toast them. Transfer the cooled toasted seeds to a food processor (ideally 600W or more) and blend for 5 - 7 minutes**. The key to smooth and runny tahini is to give it time, so keep blending.

Protein and Acid Interaction: Sesame seeds are rich in proteins, and when these proteins come into contact with an acid (like lemon juice), they can thicken or clump together.

If it is too bitter, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey. And if the flavor is too sharp, mellow it with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Once you get your jar of tahini home, you want to open it up and give it a stir to make sure it's incorporated. (If the oil has fully separated, such as in the photo above, Food editor Joe Yonan uses an immersion blender to reincorporate it, after which he says it stays emulsified.)

Because tahini contains no extra ingredients or emulsifiers, it can—and usually will—separate into oil (on the top) and solids (at the bottom), just like an all-natural peanut butter. A quick stir or shake should be enough to return it to a cohesive pourable or spoonable state.

Once opened, tahini can be refrigerated to maintain its freshness. Expect it to last from three weeks to one year, depending on its composition and storage conditions. You can also keep it in the pantry after opening the jar, but it may spoil more quickly.

As seen above, tahini is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Studies have shown that consuming these types of fats can lower harmful cholesterol levels as well as lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The calcium and magnesium in tahini may also work to decrease blood pressure naturally.

How to stop tahini from separating? ›

A little trick for avoiding oil separation is to turn the tahini upside down every now and again.

If you suspect that you may have an allergy to sesame seeds, avoid eating tahini. Tahini is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and could cause an adverse reaction in those who are allergic to sesame seeds.

Whisk the water and add the cumin at the end and which it in. taste and adjust salt, cumin or more lime to your taste. Then adjust thickness to your taste, add more water if you need to thin it out and add more tahini paste if you need to thicken it out.

Whisk cold water into the tahini to loosen it.

The water will cause the tahini to clump together at first, but these clumps will disappear as you add more water. Continue to add spoonfuls of water until the tahini is as thin as you want it. Keep in mind that the tahini may lose some of its flavor if you thin it a lot.

Generally, pure tahini should last for several months after opening. The oil may separate and come to the top, but you can mix it back in with a teaspoon. This flavorful spread can also thicken over time, especially when refrigerated.

What happens after owning tahini for longer than its shelf life? The texture of the tahini and the natural oils might start to harden, so the tahini might get thick and stiff making it more difficult to stir or mix. As long as it hasn't been exposed to moisture or excessive heat, the tahini should still be safe to eat.