Home made hummus?

[Mrs Pingu]

Has anybody made their own that hasn't been disgusting and tastes as good as the stuff from the chilled aisle in the supermarket & got a recipe to share?

I tried making a batch using a Guardian recipe using tinned chickpeas but it was pretty bogging and I had to put a ton of cumin in it to cover the taste. I have read Felicity Cloake saying that using dried peas is better but I'm unwilling to go through all that faff unless I know someone has had good results that way.

(ETA: have seen elsewhere about using peanut butter instead of tahini which could be interesting as tahini is disgusterous).

[fuaran]

I make my own, I think it is much nicer than the supermarket stuff.
I use dried chickpeas. Not sure if it makes much difference, though sometimes the tinned ones seem a bit slimy. Not too much faff if you soak and cook up a big batch of dried chickpeas, then freeze until needed.

I like plenty of garlic for the taste. And usually a bit of chili, or other spices.
If you want it like the supermarkets, needs plenty of oil and salt. I use a generous slug of nice olive oil.

[citoyen]

Whenever I make it, it's always vastly superior to any shop-bought stuff (though I do like the Sabra stuff). Sometimes use tinned chickpeas, sometimes dried ones. Dried ones are no faff at all if you use a pressure cooker.

I would give you a recipe but I don't use one. Just chuck the chickpeas in the food processor with a generous pinch of salt, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. Quantities... use your instinct and adjust to taste.

Even if I did give you a recipe, you probably wouldn't like it because I tend to go quite heavy on the tahini, because I bloody love the stuff.

Fuaran may have a good point re the salt and oil.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Has anybody made their own that hasn't been disgusting and tastes as good as the stuff from the chilled aisle in the supermarket & got a recipe to share?

Yes. Sorry about the website, but the method works. Beautiful hummus even with tinned chickpeas. It also includes tahini I’m afraid! However I think the critical things that make it work are the peeling of the chickpeas and the ice-cold water - that’s how you get it to Lebanese restaurant level texture.

https://frommybowl.com/best-hummus-recipe/

[Mrs Pingu]

From my reading this afternoon it seems like there can be quite a range in quality of tahini, with some tasting quite bitter (yes, you Sainsbury's).
I have got some dried peas soaking and will give them a toot in the pressure cooker a bit later, once this cat gets off my lap.

[citoyen]

I think the critical things that make it work are the peeling of the chickpeas and the ice-cold water

Interesting. I've never peeled the chickpeas to make humous, but do when making falafels. I can vouch for baking soda in the water making a big difference to how easy it is to peel them.

[Paul H]

I use tinned, but boil for about 15 min with a little bicarbonate of soda added which softens the skins, then rinse with cold water.  Blend to taste, I don't use much oil and plenty of lemon,  sometimes a pinch of nutmeg or cumin.
EDIT - Just read the above, I've never peeled, though might try it, the baking soda makes then so soft they blend in anyway.

[Mrs Pingu]

Hmm. Need to decide whether to try adding less of my bogging tahini or use PB or nothing at all...
Maybe I'll try nothing for a start.

Where are people on adding the aqua faba or cooking liquid? I see Sgt Pluck's recipe doesn't.

[Hot Flatus]

The key is to give it a big dose of tahini, and get the right amount of salt.

I make my own tahini 

[fuaran]

I think the tahini is essential for the texture, to bind it together. Doesn't need too much, maybe a spoon or two.

I wouldn't add the cooking liquid. Just add fresh water to get the right consistency.
Use the aquafaba to make vegan meringue instead.

[L CC]

No1Son makes ours- loads of tahini and garlic and MUCH nicer than shop stuff... but a less reliable supply, and, erm, no help as I don't know his recipe.

[citoyen]

From my reading this afternoon it seems like there can be quite a range in quality of tahini

I find the quality of tinned chickpeas can vary hugely as well.

[Mrs Pingu]

OK. Being as what I am a scientist, I will half my cooked peas and try making a batch with tahini (but not 6 blinking tbsp!) and a batch without. I shall report back. Thanks for the support

[Hot Flatus]

My recipe:

1 can of chickpeas, drained AND rinsed
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 heaped tablespoon of tahini
Large lug of sunflower oil (never olive oil!)

Blend in food processor.

Add more oil, and a little bit of water to get consistency. Must be whizzed up to fuck. No visible bits of chickpea.

Add salt, bit by bit, tasting in between after whizzing up. (this is crucial)

Add more lemon juice if needed.

The garlic and lemon just tends to mellow and blend in after an hour or so.

[telstarbox]

We have a Turkish supermarket at the bottom of our road so we leave it to the experts.

[Mrs Pingu]

Well, I'm pleased to report that was a success.
A darn sight better than my first attempt. I see what you all meant about needing to tweak the flavours. I tried it without tahini for a start but it was too lemony.

What I ended up with:
200g dried chick peas, soaked for a couple of hours in water & 1 tsp bicarb. Then rinsed & cooked in the pressure cooker on high for 25 mins.
I started picking the skins off (got all the easy loose ones) but then gave up on that.
Whizzed up with:
Juice of a small lemon
3 level tbsp (measures) tahini
3 garlic cloves
2 small pinches salt
Enough cold water to make it un-gakky.

Thanks folks 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Excellent!

[ian]

I've never peeled a chickpea, but I like a slightly lumpy texture. I always boil the canned ones, mostly in an unscientific belief that a bit more cooking prevents them from giving me the farts. Decent tahini makes all the difference and don't forget the salt, otherwise it's just grey sludge. Add it to taste.

This said, I'm lazy, so I mostly just buy a tub these days or go to a restaurant where you get the bonus of things cooked with fire.

[bairn again]

Glad you got it sussed Mrs Pingu! 

We never buy hummus - home made is quicker cheaper and better.  Here's the guide I gave to each of our little ones when they left home as students.....

- 1 tin of chickpeas (saving about half a mug of the juice)
- 1 Lime (the juice thereof) 
- 1 red chilli deseeded
- 3 tablespoons of dark tahini 
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- Olive oil
- salt to season

This will give about 2-3 normal servings.
 
As folk have posted ^ its really a matter of taste - I like mine heavy on the dark tahini, prefer lime juice to lemon juice - I pop the chick peas, crushed garlic chopped chilli and lime juice into a food processor then whizz it up adding the juice from the tin / olive oil until its about the right consistency (tasting it as I go). 

When I first started making hummus I was overly concerned about it being too runny and overcompensated resulting in it being overly thick (somebody used the word "gakky" which Id never heard of before now but its spot on and I will use it from now on!).

No more than 5 minutes work.     

[Pickled Onion]

I make hummus weekly, and learned pretty early on that the one thing that makes it taste bogging is lack of salt. Don't be scared to add it - half a teaspoon per tin of chickpeas. It shouldn't taste salty, but any less it tastes like sludge.

Ignore the recipes that include the slime from the tin - either boil your dried chickpeas, or use a tin and rinse thoroughly.

Recipe = per 1 tin of chickpeas add 2 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp tahini, 4 tbsp lemon (approx 1 lemon, fresh is better but bottled is easier) 0.5 tsp salt, cold water as needed for correct thickness.

As for adding olive oil, this is a matter of some debate in hummus-eating countries (think campag/shimano) but there is no need for any. Add a little really good extra virgin if you like the flavour. Supermarket hummus has lots of oil - this is solely to give it longer shelf life. Water-based hummus will last a week, and freezes well.

[JennyB]

This guy seems to have the right idea. 

[Mrs Pingu]

Glad you got it sussed Mrs Pingu! 

When I first started making hummus I was overly concerned about it being too runny and overcompensated resulting in it being overly thick (somebody used the word "gakky" which Id never heard of before now but its spot on and I will use it from now on!).

That would be me. Pingu always gives me a funny look when I use it, but it's a very apt description (I feel) of that feeling when you put too much peanut butter in your mouth at once.

Line juice, I love a lime so may try.
We tried a spoon of hummus with a bit of olive oil on it and decided we didn't much like it. Maybe it's different blended in.

[Hot Flatus]

Hummus is nice drizzled in olive oil with sumac or paprika sprinkled on top and a bit of chopped parsley.

Olive oil in the hummus makes it taste gash, for some reason.

[neilrj]

Gagh (pronounced Gak) and is the Klingon food of wriggly worms in Star Trek...

[hellymedic]

I STILL don't fancy the mint & chocolate dessert hummus about which I posted a couple of Christmases ago...