The Hack That Takes Store-Bought Hummus To The Next Level

Hummus has been around for a while — for centuries, in fact. While Food Republic says there are those that believe it originally hailed from ancient Egypt, the first recorded reference to this dish can be found later, in the 13th century. Today, hummus is claimed by a host of different cuisines including Greek, Israeli, Palestinian, and Arabic, but regardless of where it is from, its basic ingredients — chickpeas, sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic — have remained pretty much the same throughout time, even though certain liberties are taken. In same cases, cumin is added, the quantities of tahini is adjusted, or — in the case of Turkish hummus — olive oil is swapped out for butter. But we don't think we're going out on a limb by saying that no matter which kind you enjoy, the dip always tastes better when it's made fresh, rather than it is when it is store-bought.

Just-A-Cook points out that even though store-bought and homemade hummus are made with similar ingredients, the store-bought version will likely have additives such as citric acid, potassium sorbate, and "natural flavors" in order to keep it fresh and more shelf-stable. And these additives can be enough to change the flavor of the hummus. But there is one homemade hack that can take your dip to another level.

Other than being saddled down with extra flavors that come from preservatives, The Washington Post adds that supermarket hummus further suffers from another handicap that fresh, homemade hummus doesn't have. To explain, The Post quotes chef Michael Solomonov who says, "Great hummus is never refrigerated. The best places make a big batch each morning and close the doors when it runs out, usually by mid-afternoon."

Given this, the paper suggests the best way to bring store-bought hummus (back) to life is to warm up the dip by giving it a turn in the microwave, and mixing it with hot water or aquafaba — that's the liquid which chickpeas have been soaking in — to bring some silkiness back into the hummus' texture. But, if you really want to take store-bought hummus to the next level and have some time on your hands, bake it for about 25-30 minutes in a very hot oven (425 degrees Fahrenheit). And here's an extra tip — the hack works great for leftover hummus, too.