# Hummus is disgusting



## Argamemnon (Feb 2, 2009)

I had hummus for the first time, I made it myself and I seriously think it's disgusting. I have no idea why people like it so much. No hummus for me ever again, lol.. What a huge disappointment....

I made it with the following ingredients:

1 can chickpeas
3 garlic cloves (smashed with salt)
1 1/2 lemon juice
3/4 cup tahini
2 tsp cumin
100 ml water
salt

I think the tahini flavor was overwhelming. Maybe I used too much..


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## GB (Feb 2, 2009)

Sorry to hear that. I think it is great stuff. Before you give up on it why not taste it prepared by someone else (buy at the store or restaurant) in case you you just did a bad job of making it.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 2, 2009)

Perhaps you are right, I will have to use much less tahini, but somehow I don't think I'll like it. Guacamole, pesto and salsa are next. I had tasted ready made versions from the store, but have never made them myself.


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## mcnerd (Feb 2, 2009)

I've never added water to a Hummus recipe and I only had a couple Tblsp. of Tahini.  No wonder it doesn't taste right.

You should eat some commercial Hummus so you know what it actually tastes like.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 2, 2009)

Yes, 3/4 cup tahini for 1 can chickpeas seems too much..


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## GB (Feb 2, 2009)

Whoa I didn't notice the measurements. Yeah WAY too much tahini. I have never added water either. Too much garlic too IMO.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 2, 2009)

GB said:


> Whoa I didn't notice the measurements. Yeah WAY too much tahini. I have never added water either. Too much garlic too IMO.


Yes, I also didn't like the strong garlic taste.


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## GB (Feb 2, 2009)

I would go with just one clove next time. The garlic is raw so the flavor is very strong.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 2, 2009)

And just a few TBSP tahini, I think?


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## GB (Feb 2, 2009)

Yeah


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## Argamemnon (Feb 2, 2009)

The worst part is that I had doubled the recipe. I have practically used the whole jar of tahini, lol!


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## GB (Feb 2, 2009)

There has got to be something you can turn it into. What I am not sure, but maybe someone will have an idea.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 2, 2009)

Here's my recipe. We love it. I usually don't even use tahini, since it's so expensive and I don't have any other recipes that use it.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, canned -- reserve liquid
1/2 cup roasted red peppers -- diced
3 tablespoons tahini (optional)
2 tablespoons lemon juice -- freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic -- halved
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne -- or to taste
1 teaspoon salt -- or to taste

Process beans, red peppers, tahini, lemon juice, oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and salt in food processor until smooth. If mixture seems too thick, blend in 1 to 2 tbsp. reserved liquid or water to create desired consistency. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, to let flavors mingle.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

Thanks for the recipe Gotgarlic, I'll give it one more try with less tahini, lol.


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## GB (Feb 3, 2009)

I would highly recommend buying a small amount in the store first before your next attempt so you know what it tastes like and if you even want to bother trying to make it. This way you will have a baseline to know what flavor to shoot for. Otherwise it is kind of like telling someone who has never seen the ocean to paint a picture of it.


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## Yakuta (Feb 3, 2009)

As others indicated there is a lot more tahini than you need in it and tahini is super strong stuff.  

If you want to tame it down and not throw the entire thing out you can do the following.  

Take about a cup of what you made and stir it with a cup of yogurt.  Add some freshly roasted cumin powder to it.  Put in juice of half a lime, lots of fresh parsley and you can use it as a dipping sauce or even in pita sandwiches.  The yogurt will help mellow it down and it will still give it a nice taste. 

If you can get Greek or Middle eastern yogurt it would be great because it's less sour and more thick and creamy so the texture will be great.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

GB said:


> I would highly recommend buying a small amount in the store first before your next attempt so you know what it tastes like and if you even want to bother trying to make it. This way you will have a baseline to know what flavor to shoot for. Otherwise it is kind of like telling someone who has never seen the ocean to paint a picture of it.


Makes sense, thanks for the tip. I will also buy several other dip sauces first before making them myself...


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## padams2359 (Feb 3, 2009)

The RRBP recipe above looks to have the correct proportions.  I think it was too much lemon juice also.  I use 1 heaping tbls of tahini.  I find that it has a very close taste and texture to Roux, and that taste awefull on it's own.  We love garlic, and I don't think I would have used 3 cloves.  There was a restaurant that we went to years ago in Burbank, CA.  They had a dip that was basically pureed garlic.  My wife and our friend loved the stuff, I could not handle it.  It was nothing compared to what those two smelled like the next day when we were out at the Farmer’s Market.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

Yakuta said:


> As others indicated there is a lot more tahini than you need in it and tahini is super strong stuff.
> 
> If you want to tame it down and not throw the entire thing out you can do the following.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tip, my mother has already added some sort of syrup to it.


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## BreezyCooking (Feb 3, 2009)

One little request?  Respectfully, next time around, I'd think a bit first before posting a title like "Hummus Is Disgusting".  What if you had made it absolutely correctly, but just didn't like it yourself?  That wouldn't make it "disgusting" to those of us who do like it.

I do not like, nor will I ever like, calves liver.  But I'd never dream of coming on here & say it's disgusting.


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## GB (Feb 3, 2009)

Respectfully Breezy, it is just one persons opinion. That is great that you would not come on and say something like that. I never would either. That does not mean that this person should act the same as us.

OK back to disgusting, I mean discussing hummus


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## jabbur (Feb 3, 2009)

I personally don't care for "plain" hummus but could really pic out on roasted red pepper hummus.  IMO, the peppers give it just a hint of sweetness and depth of flavor missing from "plain".  I'd definitely try GotGarlic's recipe and agree with others to try ready made first.


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## Fearless Kitchen (Feb 3, 2009)

Well, that's a lot more tahini per can of chickpeas than I usually use.  I don't want to call it "wrong," but yeah, I can see where it would be overwhelming.  The recipe I usually use is posted on my website (www.fearlesskitchen.com); I think the original came from Cliff Wright.  It usually goes over pretty well.  

I wouldn't recommend omitting the tahini completely, but it can be kind of overwhelming.  



Argamemnon said:


> I had hummus for the first time, I made it myself and I seriously think it's disgusting. I have no idea why people like it so much. No hummus for me ever again, lol.. What a huge disappointment....
> 
> I made it with the following ingredients:
> 
> ...


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## MaryE (Feb 3, 2009)

Hi!

I'm sorry you didn't like your hummus! I love the stuff, but, since I'm lebanese, I kinda grew up on it. If it helps, here's my recipe. The amount of tahini in yours definitely seems off. And, make sure that you rinse off the chickpeas. Otherwise, your hummus can have a bit of an off taste. And, adjust the amount of garlic for your personal preference.

2 cans chick peas, rinsed and drained
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1 ⅛- 1 ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tp salt.

Stick it all in a good blender and let 'er rip!

BTW, hummus is great with toasted pita chips.

Cut up the pita into wedges. Lay out on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with
olive oil and lightly salt. Toast in 375 degrees oven for about 12-15 minutes or until crisp.

Good luck!


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## Constance (Feb 3, 2009)

I don't think I would have ever tasted hummus if I hadn't had it at a Greek restaurant first. They served it with pita triangles and some excellent EVOO to pour over the hummus (just a little). I really liked it. 
When I tried to fix it at home, it wasn't as good as theirs.


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## Scotch (Feb 3, 2009)

It is sort of different from anything most Americans are used to, and I suppose it's something of an acquired taste -- but I love it, as do my grandkids. It is a dip, not something most people would eat alone with a fork or spoon.


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## LPBeier (Feb 3, 2009)

Argamemnon, there are several recent thread discussing hummus and various recipes for it.  I will go and find the links for you.  I also have one of my own.  Recently I had a bunch of cooked lentils that I didn't know what to do with so I googled and found a recipe for lentil hummus.  I have also made black bean hummus.  Now the purists will say this isn't hummus because it isn't chickpeas, but whatever you call it, I call it delicious!


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## LPBeier (Feb 3, 2009)

Here are the links:

Hummus Help
I'm on a Hummus Kick
Can I Freeze Hummus?

I know there is another very recent one, but I can't find it right now.

I agree that the amount of garlic and tahini should be small in comparison to the chickpeas.  And you can flavour it as well, as noted in these threads.

I hope your next experience is better than your first.  It is a wonderful and healthy snack!


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## Mel! (Feb 3, 2009)

I love Hummus.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

BreezyCooking said:


> One little request? Respectfully, next time around, I'd think a bit first before posting a title like "Hummus Is Disgusting". What if you had made it absolutely correctly, but just didn't like it yourself? That wouldn't make it "disgusting" to those of us who do like it.
> 
> I do not like, nor will I ever like, calves liver. But I'd never dream of coming on here & say it's disgusting.


One could also choose not to take everything so seriously; life is much more fun that way ;-)





BreezyCooking said:


> I do not like, nor will I ever like, calves liver. But I'd never dream of coming on here & say it's disgusting.


I love calves liver!


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## jennyema (Feb 3, 2009)

Argamemnon said:


> I had hummus for the first time, I made it myself and I seriously think it's disgusting. I have no idea why people like it so much. No hummus for me ever again, lol.. What a huge disappointment....
> 
> I made it with the following ingredients:
> 
> ...


 
Depending on the size of the can of chickpeas that's either too much tahini or *TOO MUCH* tahini.  I imagine it would have been unpleasant if you were expecting it to taste like store-bought.

Was that really from a recipe?


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

jennyema said:


> Depending on the size of the can of chickpeas that's either too much tahini or *TOO MUCH* tahini. I imagine it would have been unpleasant if you were expecting it to taste like store-bought.
> 
> Was that really from a recipe?


Yes, it was from this site: Binnur's Turkish Cookbook: Hummus

You are right, it's TOO MUCH tahini 

Also, my can of chickpeas was very small, which made it even worse; it could not have been more disastrous


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## Callisto in NC (Feb 3, 2009)

This is mine.  You definitely used too much tahini paste.  

1 12-oz can garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp tahini sauce (sesame paste)
juice of 1 small lemon
½ tsp salt

I blend it up in the food processor.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

LPBeier said:


> Here are the links:
> 
> Hummus Help
> I'm on a Hummus Kick
> ...


Thanks for the links LPBeier!


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

GB said:


> Respectfully Breezy, it is just one persons opinion. That is great that you would not come on and say something like that. I never would either. That does not mean that this person should act the same as us.
> 
> OK back to disgusting, I mean discussing hummus


Ok, I'll rephrase; my hummus was disgusting. I thought I made it correctly, and just couldn't imagine anyone liking the hummus I made. 
That's why I called it disgusting, I'm sure most of you would agree if you tasted it! 

Are we friends now?


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## GB (Feb 3, 2009)

As long as you don't make me eat your hummus then we are friends


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

Hahaha, I would never do that.... maybe I would make an exception for BreezyCooking.


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## Callisto in NC (Feb 3, 2009)

Argamemnon said:


> Yes, it was from this site: Binnur's Turkish Cookbook: Hummus
> 
> You are right, it's TOO MUCH tahini
> 
> Also, my can of chickpeas was very small, which made it even worse; it could not have been more disastrous


That's part of the problem with the recipe this person posted (the blog, not you) they didn't specify how big a can of chickpeas to use.  Since things like that vary, they really should have put a size.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

Callisto in NC said:


> That's part of the problem with the recipe this person posted (the blog, not you) they didn't specify how big a can of chickpeas to use. Since things like that vary, they really should have put a size.


Yes, that's true, but no matter how big your can of chickpeas is, the amount of tahini specified in the recipe is insane. She is a very nice person so I forgive her.


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## GB (Feb 3, 2009)

Whats interesting is that the comments on that site all say how delicious that recipe is.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 3, 2009)

GB said:


> Whats interesting is that the comments on that site all say how delicious that recipe is.


That's why I chose her recipe, lol.. it was far from delicious. It baffles me, maybe I will ask her.


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## Callisto in NC (Feb 3, 2009)

Argamemnon said:


> Yes, that's true, but no matter how big your can of chickpeas is, the amount of tahini specified in the recipe is insane. She is a very nice person so I forgive her.


My guess is they are assuming everyone will use a standard size.  



GB said:


> Whats interesting is that the comments on that site all say how delicious that recipe is.


  My guess is they're all using the industrial coffee can size of beans.


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## Callisto in NC (Feb 4, 2009)

Okay, even though your hummus didn't turn out so well, you inspired me to make some today and it rocked.  I took the recipe I posted earlier and added roasted garlic instead of regular and green onions.  I did have to add an extra half of can of chickpeas because the tahini was too strong.  It was really good.


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## Glorie (Feb 4, 2009)

Try cutting down the tahini to a couple of Tbsp's, use extra virgin olive oil instead of water and try roasting the garlic first for a much sweeter, milder taste  )


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## Argamemnon (Feb 4, 2009)

Callisto in NC said:


> Okay, even though your hummus didn't turn out so well, you inspired me to make some today and it rocked. I took the recipe I posted earlier and added roasted garlic instead of regular and green onions. I did have to add an extra half of can of chickpeas because the tahini was too strong. It was really good.


I'm glad to hear that your hummus turned out great.





Glorie said:


> Try cutting down the tahini to a couple of Tbsp's, use extra virgin olive oil instead of water and try roasting the garlic first for a much sweeter, milder taste )


Thanks Glorie, those are great tips. I love extra virgin olive oil in everything, so I will definitely add some next time.

BTW, what about the consistency of hummus. I assume that it shouldn't be too thick but not runny either?


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## Glorie (Feb 4, 2009)

It should be the consistancy of very soft peanut butter


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## Callisto in NC (Feb 4, 2009)

Here are two pictures of my hummus.  You'll see it hangs on to the knife and the cracker stands up in the mixture.  Hope this helps.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 4, 2009)

Hmmm.. looks really good!


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## Callisto in NC (Feb 4, 2009)

Argamemnon said:


> Hmmm.. looks really good!


Thanks.  Hope it helps you understand what hummus should look like.  

The last time I made it I added toasted pine nuts but those are really expensive right now so I substituted roasted garlic and green onions this time.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 4, 2009)

Callisto in NC said:


> Thanks. Hope it helps you understand what hummus should look like.


I assume that hummus should have a strong chickpea taste. Unlike mine, which had an overwhelming tahini-garlic taste. It was nothing like real hummus I think.


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## Callisto in NC (Feb 4, 2009)

Yes, strong chickpea, slight sesame (tahini) taste, hint of garlic and whatever else you decide to add.  I know you are in the Netherlands so I don't know if chickpeas have water in the cans, but if they do, reserve it to add to the hummus.  Here's exactly what I did.

Set up food processor
Drain water off of one 12 ounce can of chickpeas and set water aside
Put chickpeas in food processor
add about 1/3 of the water from the chickpeas
Chop with food processor
Add two spoonfuls of tahini paste
Blend again
Add more juice from the can, another half a can of chickpeas (too strong tahini with the spoonfuls I used) and juice as necessary plus three squirts of lemon juice
Add teaspoon of salt
Blend.
Chop three green onions add to mixture
Take 4 cloves of roasted garlic (I had difficulties extracting the garlic from the bulb)
Mix it all up and enjoy.  

If you use two cans of chickpeas (ours are like 80 cents each) you can add additional chickpeas as necessary.  It's a taste and go thing, as a lot of things are.  

Good luck.


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## Argamemnon (Feb 5, 2009)

Thanks Callisto, I will give it one more try.


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