Comments on: 10 Common Mistakes in Hummus Recipes http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/ Eat hummus. Give chickpeas a chance... Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:11:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Birgit http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-24060 Birgit Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:04:37 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-24060 I know you don't like canned chickpeas, but I don't have a choice here in Germany. I bought a can, brought tahini from England, and just mixed away. A bit of fresh garlic (so fresh, the skins were still soft), a bit of lemon and almost no salt (because there seems to be salt in the canned chickpeas). Anyway. It is absolutely devine. I shall now retire to my favourite armchair, watch an episode of "Starsky & Hutch" and nibble on some carrots dipped in my hummus. My idea of heaven! :-) I know you don’t like canned chickpeas, but I don’t have a choice here in Germany. I bought a can, brought tahini from England, and just mixed away. A bit of fresh garlic (so fresh, the skins were still soft), a bit of lemon and almost no salt (because there seems to be salt in the canned chickpeas).
Anyway. It is absolutely devine.
I shall now retire to my favourite armchair, watch an episode of “Starsky & Hutch” and nibble on some carrots dipped in my hummus.

My idea of heaven! :-)

]]> By: bob http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-14365 bob Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:20:37 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-14365 I think the secret to finding your own perfect hummus is to go slowly on ingredients, tasting as you go. I've eaten so much hummus with too little lemon and tahini (not to mention garlic); it's just bland chick-pea mush. Start with the tahini, when it's good for you then add lemon juice. Same for salt. Cumin is great but it's also a spice that can ruin a dish if you use too much. So much of cooking is about taking the time to get good ingredients, tasting yourself and being aware of how ingredients affect flavor rather than just following a forumula! By the way, the "salt in the cooking water keeps beans from softening" idea is actually a myth; it doesn't affect them even though logically it might seem that it should; it can actually help them absorb water. It also makes for better tasting beans in recipes where the beans stay whole (like msabbha). What does inhibit water uptake is acid - not an issue for hummus but for other dried bean recipes. That's why many traditional bean recipes that have tomatoes or tomato paste add them late in the cooking. But I think the secret to finding your own perfect hummus is to go slowly on ingredients, tasting as you go. I’ve eaten so much hummus with too little lemon and tahini (not to mention garlic); it’s just bland chick-pea mush. Start with the tahini, when it’s good for you then add lemon juice. Same for salt. Cumin is great but it’s also a spice that can ruin a dish if you use too much.

So much of cooking is about taking the time to get good ingredients, tasting yourself and being aware of how ingredients affect flavor rather than just following a forumula!

By the way, the “salt in the cooking water keeps beans from softening” idea is actually a myth; it doesn’t affect them even though logically it might seem that it should; it can actually help them absorb water. It also makes for better tasting beans in recipes where the beans stay whole (like msabbha). What does inhibit water uptake is acid – not an issue for hummus but for other dried bean recipes. That’s why many traditional bean recipes that have tomatoes or tomato paste add them late in the cooking. But

]]> By: Alison http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-11458 Alison Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:24:51 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-11458 Thanks for the recipe and all the info. After a summer in Israel I needed to learn how to make the real stuff. I can agree with you more about the need to use dried chickpeas over canned ones. Thanks for the recipe and all the info. After a summer in Israel I needed to learn how to make the real stuff. I can agree with you more about the need to use dried chickpeas over canned ones.

]]> By: shooky http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-4638 shooky Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:43:29 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-4638 Candice - I'm not sure there's much you CAN do. If you didn't add too much raw tahini you can make some thick tahini sauce (with no salt) and add from the salty hummus until it is eatable. It may work or it may just waste all the tahini you have left... Candice – I’m not sure there’s much you CAN do. If you didn’t add too much raw tahini you can make some thick tahini sauce (with no salt) and add from the salty hummus until it is eatable. It may work or it may just waste all the tahini you have left…

]]> By: Candice http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-4632 Candice Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:40:46 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-4632 I followed a new recipe that didn't call for cumin and for too much salt. How do I correct that? I followed a new recipe that didn’t call for cumin and for too much salt. How do I correct that?

]]> By: shooky http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-3115 shooky Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:57:13 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-3115 Starhawk - Certain chickpea varieties are a bit fragile and do not survive a pleasure cooker well. Beside that you're right. Too much salt is a truly bad thing, and I too belong to the too-much-garlic school myself. Anyhow, it's better to add very little garlic - if any - to the hummus itself and add it only on top of it when you serve it. Try that. Starhawk -

Certain chickpea varieties are a bit fragile and do not survive a pleasure cooker well. Beside that you’re right.

Too much salt is a truly bad thing, and I too belong to the too-much-garlic school myself. Anyhow, it’s better to add very little garlic – if any – to the hummus itself and add it only on top of it when you serve it. Try that.

]]> By: Starhawk Laughingsun http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-3073 Starhawk Laughingsun Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:23:35 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-3073 Ok i might be guilty of the too much garlic thing lol. The baking soda is not a bad idea and it works with all beans (ie they cook softer). BTW a pressure cooker would also do the trick without the baking soda or the salt. Americans eat too much salt it is in everything here even things you wouldn't think should have it so I and most vegetarians here do not cook with it unless absolutely necessary. Ok i might be guilty of the too much garlic thing lol. The baking soda is not a bad idea and it works with all beans (ie they cook softer). BTW a pressure cooker would also do the trick without the baking soda or the salt. Americans eat too much salt it is in everything here even things you wouldn’t think should have it so I and most vegetarians here do not cook with it unless absolutely necessary.

]]> By: Mer http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2226 Mer Sun, 02 Dec 2007 04:40:49 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2226 Thank you. :0) Thank you. :0)

]]> By: shooky http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2222 shooky Sat, 01 Dec 2007 23:10:38 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2222 Mer - oops... corrected, sorry. Mer – oops… corrected, sorry.

]]> By: Mer http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2221 Mer Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:03:45 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2221 I am glad that you like <a href="http://playingwithmyfood.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">my blog</a>, but... Please revise this post and remove me from #5. It isn't accurate. The recipe I posted calls for garlic cloves. Thank you. I am glad that you like my blog, but…

Please revise this post and remove me from #5. It isn’t accurate. The recipe I posted calls for garlic cloves.

Thank you.

]]> By: shooky http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2215 shooky Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:22:58 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2215 Hi Mer, I respect laziness, but when it comes to hummus I think it's worth to use proper ingredients and give it a little more effort, because the outcome can really be 10 times better, as already said. I too liked your blog (as well as your fine looking profile picture). I checked over 40 recipes before I made this list, and chose the ones coming from what looked to me like the nicest blogs and bloggers. Please come again. Shooky Hi Mer,

I respect laziness, but when it comes to hummus I think it’s worth to use proper ingredients and give it a little more effort, because the outcome can really be 10 times better, as already said.

I too liked your blog (as well as your fine looking profile picture). I checked over 40 recipes before I made this list, and chose the ones coming from what looked to me like the nicest blogs and bloggers.

Please come again.
Shooky

]]> By: Mer http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2213 Mer Fri, 30 Nov 2007 01:54:29 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2213 Hi! I am the author of the blog Playing With My Food. I understand that using canned lemon juice is rather lazy, it just was what I had on hand at the moment when I came home and decided I needed hummus immediately. :0) I also thought that if I posted the recipe using ingredients people had on-hand, my readers would be more likely to give homemade hummus a try. I would like to ask that you find another blog to use for your example in #5, however. Because the first ingredient in the recipe I posted is "2 cloves garlic - roughly chopped." And if you look again you will see the head of garlic in the picture of the ingredients... right next to the canned chickpeas and bottled lemon juice. ;0) I've been enjoying your blog, by the way... and will have to give your recipes a try. Hi! I am the author of the blog Playing With My Food.

I understand that using canned lemon juice is rather lazy, it just was what I had on hand at the moment when I came home and decided I needed hummus immediately. :0) I also thought that if I posted the recipe using ingredients people had on-hand, my readers would be more likely to give homemade hummus a try.

I would like to ask that you find another blog to use for your example in #5, however. Because the first ingredient in the recipe I posted is “2 cloves garlic – roughly chopped.” And if you look again you will see the head of garlic in the picture of the ingredients… right next to the canned chickpeas and bottled lemon juice. ;0)

I’ve been enjoying your blog, by the way… and will have to give your recipes a try.

]]> By: shooky http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2209 shooky Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:43:15 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2209 Mother - try our complete recipe http://humus101.com/EN/2006/10/14/hummus-recipe/ and try to specify the problem - is it with the texture? does it have an aftertaste? Be as specific as you can and I'll try to answer. Sometimes there only a minor change to be done, that elevates the hummus to new hights. Mother – try our complete recipe
http://humus101.com/EN/2006/10/14/hummus-recipe/
and try to specify the problem – is it with the texture? does it have an aftertaste? Be as specific as you can and I’ll try to answer. Sometimes there only a minor change to be done, that elevates the hummus to new hights.

]]> By: mother in israel http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2206 mother in israel Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:55:53 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2206 My 16yo son prefers my tehina to storebought, but not the chumus. I do everything you mentioned except add the baking powder to the chickpeas; guess I'll have to try it. What is the proper amount? My 16yo son prefers my tehina to storebought, but not the chumus. I do everything you mentioned except add the baking powder to the chickpeas; guess I’ll have to try it. What is the proper amount?

]]> By: shooky http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/comment-page-1/#comment-2203 shooky Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:22:24 +0000 http://humus101.com/EN/2007/11/27/10-common-mistakes-in-hummus-recipes/#comment-2203 Yael - there's a link at the beginning of the post. Also, look for "The Recipes" category on the upper left corner of the page. Yael – there’s a link at the beginning of the post. Also, look for “The Recipes” category on the upper left corner of the page.

]]>