Question for Anyone Who Uses Tahini -- New Question at #23

[Acadianna]

I've never bought tahini, so I can't speak from experience.  Wikipedia says that many manufacturers recommend refrigeration because of the high oil content.  The article also says this is especially true for raw, organic tahini.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahini

[Venus193]

Successful on the first attempt!

Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce

1/2 lb long pasta (I recommend Barilla Plus)
1 large cucumber

1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2-3 tbsp dark sesame oil
4 tbsp soy sauce*
1 tbsp white wine or rice vinegar
6 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp minced ginger
dash cayenne pepper (optional)

3 scallions, diced 

*I add slivered ginger and the Chinese restaurant hot sauce to my soy sauce bottle.

Prepare pasta al dente, then drain and rinse in very cold water.  Peel cucumber, split lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut into slivers.  Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, mix liquid and paste ingredients together with wooden spoon until smooth.  Thin with a small amount of water until the paste is the consistency of heavy cream.  Add more soy sauce and cayenne for a spicier flavor.  Mix in ginger, then toss cucumber and pasta together with sauce.  Garnish with scallions.  Can be served immediately or refrigerated.  Serves 3 or 4.

Enjoy with some black tea with mint on the rocks.

[Akka]

Thank you Venus! this sounds very tasty!

I think I have all the ingredients at hand, so I might give it a try tomorrow!

[Nikko-chan]

I refrigerate it.  I used to make hummus often but not so much anymore as there is a great store near me now that has some wonderful flavors.  Any suggestions for other uses?

No suggestions for other uses, but if you ever want to make homemade hummus and don't have Tahini, you can use a bit of peanut butter instead.

[siamesecat2965]

thanks for the recipe! Love cold sesame noodles, will have to try sometime.

[Venus193]

For the price of a single-serving order from my Chinese take-out I can make almost enough for a party.

[mrs_deb]

I have a very similar recipe to that - so yummy.  Thanks for reminding me!

[cicero]

I don't.

I live in Israel, i usually buy  a more natural brand (made in one of the Arab cities).

tips i got from an old fashioned manufacturer in the Old City was to never put ANYTHING in the container - pour the tahini out into the bowl. they also said not to eat the "thicker" stuff left at the bottom (whe you are close to finishing the tahini). they said it's deposits from the stone grinders. i don't know if this is true.

a great "recipe" - mix equal parts tahini and yoghurt, and add in a few squeezes of lemon juice. use as salad dressing (can also add garlic)

[Venus193]

Has anyone ever had the problem of the sauce separating?

I had mixed it to a texture that I thought was a little thick, then tried to add more soy sauce.  The oil began leeching out of it and the paste in it is stiff.  Can this be fixed or do I need to start from scratch?

[magician5]

A neighbor from Saudi Arabia said she freezes it in an ice cube tray - result, no separation problem. It doesn't spoil at room temperature but stirring it even at the best of times is a real "bear" - turns to concrete at the bottom if you let it settle - so freezing small cubes of it sounds perfect.

[jmarvellous]

I refrigerate because it takes more than a month to use a jar (which is good, because it's not cheap).
I also live in Texas and refrigerate more things than some northerners do, I'm sure.

I made baked cubed eggplant yesterday -- tossed in olive oil, cumin salt and pepper and baked for about 25 mins at 425, then tossed with a dressing made of tahini, lime juice, hot water (to thin it) and some salt and pepper, with a bit of cayenne and a dash of peanut sauce thrown in for a kick. Awesome! Served atop couscous cooked with some herbs.

Homemade hummus can be great, too. There are about a million recipes out there.

[Venus193]

I didn't refrigerate it and it's 4 weeks later.  I can't figure out why it would blend well and then separate after adding more soy sauce.

I guess tomorrow I'll start over again.

[cicero]

Has anyone ever had the problem of the sauce separating?

I had mixed it to a texture that I thought was a little thick, then tried to add more soy sauce.  The oil began leeching out of it and the paste in it is stiff.  Can this be fixed or do I need to start from scratch?

i never mix it with soy sauce, just water and lemon or water/lemon/yogurt. It does separate sometimes, i just add a little more water and mix.

for those who have trouble with the initial mixing - try putting the water in the bowl first and then pouring the tahini into the water. for some reason it's easier to mix that way (don't ask me why). or use a blender.