Hot Dog It's a Food Blog: Tuesday Tip: The Secret to Hummus

Something that can usually be found in my fridge is a batch of homemade hummus. Plain. Jalapeño Cilantro. Avocado. Everything. I love it all. But it took me awhile to perfect my hummus recipes. And today I want to share that secret step with you.

The first step I always take when making homemade hummus is removing the outer shell from the chickpeas/garbanzo beans. This is a timely step, but oh so worth it in the end when you have a perfectly creamy texture instead of lumpy and grainy.

Start by draining the chickpeas and reserving the drained liquid. Pour the beans and 1/2 cup water into a small sauce pan and heat over medium heat on the stove until they begin to simmer. Cook for another minute.

Remove from the heat and drain. Once the beans have cooled off enough to handle by hand, begin to lightly squeeze each individual bean, until the clear outer skin slides off. Discard the skins and keep the beans in a separate bowl. Continue to do this until all of the beans have been shed of their grainy shell. Then add them into the food processor as the recipe calls.

Trust me, this is a step I will never take for granted, and worth the extra 10 minutes. Just turn on a good play list on your iPod and go to town!