This is a bit embarrassing.
I bought a jar of Tahini. I opened it, and as expected, the oil had separated to the top. I tried to mix it back in.
The mass below the oil was so thick, it literally took me about 5 minutes to blend the mixture. I’ve never experienced that before. Maybe it was sitting on the store shelf too long. I couldn’t believe it.
I was thinking maybe I should have warmed it up in the microwave.
What would you do?
This happens with all my jars of good sesame paste. I use a wooden chopstick (I have lots of real chopsticks at home - not just the take out ones) and stick it in as far as it will go and slowly stir. You might need to loosen up the top part first, and then work your way down. Many take out chopsticks are probably too weak for this, so if you have at least one decent pair, that’ll work!
Edit: Just wanted to add, I usually also start by poking a hole or two (or more) as far down as I can go to get some of the oil down there. It does help with loosening it up when you start to stir.
It happens with every tahini jar. The hole making, as suggested by kobuta, is the way to go. But there’s no getting away from the fact, the process is a pain in the arse. You’ve done well to get it sorted out in only five minutes.
I’ve had some success storing the jar upside down - but not always.
I just dig out with a Spoon into my Food Processor and process till smooth. Then it goes back into the Container and into the Fridge. It usually stays homogenized for a good while and so is easy to use.
Bet you could use a Stick Blender right in the Container.
I have a really great tool for stirring separated natural peanut butter. It might work for tahini too, which I agree with @Harters is a really big pain to deal with.
