How to Toast Sesame Seeds

How to Toast Sesame Seeds

If you recently tried sesame seeds in a restaurant dish and wondered why you haven't been using them at home, you're not alone. Sesame seeds are an often forgotten ingredient that can take the flavor of your meal from good to great. While sesame seeds can be enjoyed raw, they taste even better when toasted. And, because sesame seeds are easy to toast at home, you don't have to be a professional chef to use toasted sesame seeds in your recipes. Curious to learn how to toast sesame seeds to perfection? Read on for step by step instructions.

What Are Sesame Seeds?

white sesame seeds Sesame seeds are the seeds of the sesame planta type of annual herb. The sesame plant produces foxglove-like flowers containing pods in which edible seeds are found. When sesame seeds are mature and ready to harvest, the pod will burst, revealing all the seeds. During harvesting, the hulls of sesame seeds are removed since they contain oxalic acid, which often produces a bitter flavor. While the most common way to enjoy sesame seeds is by eating them whole, they can also be pressed for oil and turned into a paste. Popular in Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine, sesame seeds are used in various dishes worldwide.

How to Toast Sesame Seeds

Toasted sesame seeds add a crunchy and nutty flavor to whatever you combine them with. They can be used to top noodles, veggies and much more. There are two popular ways to toast sesame seeds. Find step by step instructions for each below.

Stovetop Toasted Sesame Seeds

A simple way to toast sesame seeds is via the stovetop. The stovetop method of toasting is ideal when you have a small number of seeds you want to toast quickly. Prepared in just three minutes, toasting sesame seeds on the stove is a great way to level up any recipe when you're short on time. That said, when using the stovetop method, you'll want to ensure that you don't add more than one layer of sesame seeds at a time. Adding too many sesame seeds to your pan can cause them to cook unevenly, which makes the stovetop method hard for toasting large quantities. sesame seeds

How to Toast Sesame Seeds on the Stove

  1. Gather the desired amount of seeds and place them into a dry skilletdo not use any oil.
  2. Place the skillet on the stovetop at medium heat and cook for three minutes.
  3. Once the sesame seeds are golden and fragrant, they can be removed from the stove.
  4. Allow the sesame seeds to cool off before adding them to the desired dish.
Pro Tip: When making sesame seeds on the stovetop, watch them the entire time. Sesame seeds can burn very quickly, and even a minute too long can cause the seeds to burn.

Oven Toasted Sesame Seeds

If you're making large batches of toasted sesame seeds and have some time to make them, then toasting them in the oven is the best method. This is because oven toasted sesame seeds will cook more evenly than stovetop toasted ones. And, because you have a larger cooking space, you can cook more seeds at once. That said, oven toasted sesame seeds require more kitchen time as you will need to allow the oven to preheat before cooking.

How to Toast Sesame Seeds in the Oven

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Place the seeds onto a baking sheet and spread evenly into a single layer.
  3. Bake the seeds for about 5 minutes, stirring them once.
  4. Check to determine if the seeds are fragrant and golden brown.
  5. Once toasted, remove the seeds from the oven and baking sheet and transfer them onto a plate to prevent them from cooking further.
  6. Use the sesame seeds immediately, or allow them to cool off and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to Use Toasted Sesame Seeds

Everything Bagel Popcorn Once you've mastered toasting sesame seeds, you can begin using them in your recipes. While sesame seeds are most commonly used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, they can be added to several types of dishes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use sesame seeds. Now that you know how to toast sesame seeds, it's time to start cooking! Choose one of the recipes above, or whip up your kitchen masterpiece. We can't wait to see how you use the crunchy, nutty flavor of toasted sesame seeds to level up your meals. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we wish you a healthy and happy day.
Bob's Red Mill
October 15 2022

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