Easy Homemade Hummus Recipe:

[sarbar]

I eat a lot of hummus, as it is low in fat, high in fiber and protien (if you get the types not made with a lot of oil.)
Fantastic Foods makes a passable instant version, but for me it is too high in sodium.

I worked on a recipe the past week, and came up with an acceptable version. I do use a food processor, as I quadrupled the recipe in the last making (this afternoon).


Homemade Hummus:

At home process in a blender or food processor till smooth:
1 15 ounce can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbl water or lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp granulated garlic
salt to taste if desired

Spread on parchment lined dehydrator trays, dry till dry. This takes about 3-5 hours, depending on humidity. 135* As it dries, break up the cracking hummus, and powder it up, this helps speed up the drying. It is dry, well, when dry.
When dry, crumble into a powder and split evenly into two sandwich bags. Each bag will need about 1/2 cup of cold water. It rehydrates almost instantly. If desired, add a tsp or two of olive oil when rehydrating.
Each bag serves 1. Excellent in mini pita bread or on tortillas.
(Notes: I find that when rehydrating, use same amount water as mix. Then add more if too stiff. Cold water works just fine. Warm is not needed.)
Note 2: Adding a jar of drained roasted red peppers is excellent.
Note 3: Eden Organics makes excellent garbanzo beans that are very low sodium. Otherwise, I use heavily rinsed Trader Joe organic ones.

(I currently eat almost all organic food. Health issues dictate this.)

[orangebug]

Curiousity. Why rinse the chick peas?

I make hummus frequently for dips. I would rather use minced garlic cloves. Since I haven't tried dehydrating it, I hadn't considered making it without the EEVO, but it would be worth the try for a very nice trail lunch with pita or a veggie burrito.

[StarLyte]

Curiousity. Why rinse the chick peas?

I just read that post too and was wondering. I love the recipe - thanks for posting.

[sarbar]

Sorry, I should have explained that!

I rinse all canned beans, as it helps remove more of the sodium. Also, if you use normal canned beans, they are packed in an unappetizing liquid. It contains preservatives and a LOT of sodium. It just makes the beans smell and taste better :)

Btw, while I can eat the hummus without olive oil, it defintely tastes better with some added in. Adding oil on the trail will give the dried hummus a very long and stable shelf life :) Oil and fats can go rancid. Love EVOO!!

[bigcranky]

Sarbar is right. If you check the sodium content of canned beans, it's usually pretty high, but rinsing them gets rid of much of it. I just made posole yesterday, and the canned hominy had something like 800mg sodium per serving, but rinsing them got rid of a large chunk of that.

Now I have to see if I can dry it for a hiking dinner <g>. Hadn't thought of that.

[orangebug]

Well, I'm not one to be upset over sodium, after numerous demonstrations that it is perfectly safe for those with normal kidneys and blood pressures. I'm usually needing a broad amount of electrolytes throughout the day while hiking.

Think this is a matter of taste.

[Mountain Maiden]

but rinsing them gets rid of much of it. ...... something like 800mg sodium per serving, but rinsing them got rid of a large chunk of that.


Ok--that makes sense. BUT--how do we know it does? :-? And, how MUCH do you think it actually removes? Can it be measured? Are garbanzo beans always canned? (I have never seen them any other way but, then again, have never looked.)

:sunSunrise

[orangebug]

You can buy chickpeas dried at Hispanic markets, farmer's markets and the like.

[Just Jeff]

You can taste the difference for a lot of canned foods - rinse them and they taste less salty. I assume you can "measure" rinsing garbonzo beans by taste if you want to test it.

My local Whole Foods has some pretty good hummus powder in the bulk dried goods section, but it's pretty salty. I always add EVOO to mine in the field, too. I usually mix it up in a freezer bag, then rip a tortilla and dip the pieces in. Sometimes I add Taco Bell hot sauce, too.

[sarbar]

Even though normal health humans can handle the sodium, it doesn't mean you SHOULD ;) If you can cut back, it never hurts a person. The average American consumes 4-6,000 mg a day of sodium. What is recomended? 1500-2500 mg give or take!
That, and honestly, if you use any canned beans, they really need to be rinsed. Would you really want to consume the liquid they sit in? Not me.....that stuff is gross ;)

Or you can always home cook dry beans! That gives you about as natural as can be!

(Yes, I live on a pretty low sodium diet. And I don't consume much extra sodium when backpacking. Whoever started that old wives tale years ago needs a beating! When people think they need salt, usually what they need is potassium! One of the best things around for potasium is potatoes. Yep, a bag of tater chips can actually be good for you. Or an orange, or banana! One of my Dr's was a backpacker also, and his feelings were that consume a regular diet, drink plenty, and make sure you get fresh veggies and fruits when hiking. And to not use backpacking as an excuse to live on Pop Tarts :D

[orangebug]

Even though normal health humans can handle the sodium, it doesn't mean you SHOULD ;) If you can cut back, it never hurts a person. The average American consumes 4-6,000 mg a day of sodium. What is recomended? 1500-2500 mg give or take!
That, and honestly, if you use any canned beans, they really need to be rinsed. Would you really want to consume the liquid they sit in? Not me.....that stuff is gross ;)You could reduce sodium, as normal kidneys do well with it. You can get too low in sodium - and actually die from it - as a result of excessive water and too little electrolyte replacement. Runners often get this problem, and some suspect hikers do also.

It is a matter of taste. Even the icky glop around the beans has some value. It makes a nice substitute for okra glop. The main reason to rinse beans after hydrating them is to remove much of what make flatulence. I like to use it for fire starter, don't you? :eek:

[humunuku]

yeah, but wheres the tahini???? thants kinda a key ingredient

[sarbar]

The tahini....can be added instead of water! :)

As for going to low sodium: in the US, I wouldn't worry to much about that happening if eating anything processed these days. You'd really have to try these days to go too low. Sad, it is.

Okra glop? AHHHHHH!!! :D That stuff is vile...lol! Thanks for making me think of it.

[Ramble~On]

:) Oil and fats can go rancid. Love EVOO!!

Am I missing out on something here ?....What is EVOO ?

thanks

[Ramble~On]

:-? Me are thinking "Extra Virgin Olive Oil"

Ding Ding Ding...do I win a prize ?

[Jack Tarlin]

Incidentally, there's a great company called Fantastic Foods that makes a terrific instant hummos. All you really need is water, tho if you add a little garlic powder, olive oil, and lemon juice, it's as good as what you'd eat at home. Really good with pita bread, but also fine with bagels.

I eat this stuff a lot on the Trail, especially up North where it's easy to find, tho some of the better hiker food places down south (like Bluff Mtn. Outfitters in Hot Springs) carry it.

[sarbar]

Yep..it is a Rachel Ray saying ;) She is always pouring the olive oil on everything!

I do like the instant hummus by Fantastic Foods (it is what you find in bulk bins often), but for me, it is too high in sodium :( Good stuff though!
It is really good with cucumbers!

[bigcranky]

Ok--that makes sense. BUT--how do we know it does? :-? And, how MUCH do you think it actually removes? Can it be measured? Are garbanzo beans always canned? (I have never seen them any other way but, then again, have never looked.)

:sunSunrise


Hi, Sunrise,

I can't quantify the reduction, no. But the glop tasted *very* salty, and rinsing it off the beans got rid of whatever percentage of salt was in it.

As for another poster who just doesn't worry about sodium, that's fine -- but those of us with high blood pressure need to do so. Sarbar's web site is a terrific resource for us. (Thanks, BTW!!!)

Finally, I do use dried beans whenever possible -- that gives me the most control over what goes in the final product.

Great thread.

[Mountain Maiden]

Hi, Sunrise,

--- but those of us with high blood pressure need to do so....

Finally, I do use dried beans whenever possible -- that gives me the most control over what goes in the final product.

Great thread.
Yeahhh, I know about the HBP stuff--that's kinda' why I was askin.' I like the idea of using the dried. Do you 'soak, rinse and cook' ?

I love hummus but, enuff of the "GLOP" talk! Blechhhh!:eek: Makes me shudder just thinking of okra-slime! I have dried okra tho' and used it in soup base with dehydrated tomatoes, onions, etc.

:sun

[sarbar]

If using dried, I'd treat them like any other dried bean: soak overnight, drain, rinse and then boil/simmer till done. Then you could use them the same way as canned :)

[bigcranky]

Instead of 'soak, rinse, cook,' we often do the quick soak method -- put the dried beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then turn it off and wait an hour. Now rinse and cook as usual. Works pretty well.