Is homemade hummus cheaper than store-bought?
From
| September 30, 2009
In Frugal Food & Facts, Kitchen Basics
Featured Recipe: Classic Hummus
At first glance, homemade hummus might seem like a giant WHY since prepared hummus is widely available in an array of flavors. Gotta admit – we sometimes buy it, too. But store-bought hummus costs a ton more than homemade, plus we like to think ours tastes tons better.
The trick, however, is that you’ve got to be willing to make hummus often, since the most expensive ingredient is a jar of sesame paste (also called tahini). Each batch of hummus only requires three tablespoons of sesame paste, so divided by the lifespan of the jar, it’s actually quite cheap. But if you buy tahini and only make our spread once, you’d spend quite a bit less simply buying hummus already made.
Another aspect of homemade hummus is the level of control you have over the taste. If you like a really tart flavor, use a bit more lemon juice. And for a spicy bite, throw in an extra clove of garlic. Finally, for a smooth and mellow undertone, use roasted garlic instead of fresh.
We like to serve hummus with pita chips or crackers, baby carrots and celery sticks and also jumbo ripe olives. Drizzle a tiny bit of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika on top for a lovely garnish.
Have you ever made your own hummus? Was it easy? Would you ever do it again?
Comments
From Beverly Mills - September 30, 2009
Great idea with the roasted peppers! I’m going to try that for sure.
From Karen Graham - September 30, 2009
I learned to make hummus when I worked at a Palestinian restaurant, and since then I have never been satisfied with grocery store hummus and its pasty texture.
However, I have never been able to equal the [quaintly labeled] “Garlicky Homos” from Holy Land Deli in Minneapolis. I consider that the holy grail of hummus.
From Beverly Mills - September 30, 2009
From Martha Bursey, via Facebook:
I’m spoiled by Neomonde’s hummus! However, it’s too far to go to Raleigh when the craving hits. Making hummus is easy. To get the smooth creamy blend like Neomonde’s, I put a few teaspoons of the water from cooking the chickpeas into the food processor with all the other ingredients.
From Beverly Mills - September 30, 2009
From Heidi in Fort Lauderdale, via Facebook:
Great topic! I really would like to make it myself and I’ll check out your recipe. For store bought, I prefer the Sabra brand, with the pine nuts on top.
From Beverly Mills - September 30, 2009
From Anna in Minneapolis, via Facebook:
I make it myself from a recipe loosely based on The Barefoot Contessa’s. Hers is a little too lemony as-is. And the most important ingredient is actually a really good food processor!
Related Recipes
Classic Hummus
September 10, 2009
Prepared hummus is available in the deli of larger supermarkets, but it’s very quick (and more delicious) to make your own.
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From Raincloud - September 30, 2009
I have enjoyed making home-made hummus since making it at Wild Oats Market as cook. It’s really not that difficult (i’m not -that- awesome of a chef) and it has much more “soul” than the store bought kind. I typically use 3 cans of Garbanzo beans for a jumbo batch since my family absolutely -loves- the stuff, and it’s a fantastic way to get them to eat beans which are a lot good protein and a lot of beneficial fiber as well. Adding roasted red bell peppers is a healthy alternative to pimento spread and tastes (i think) similar.