Processing the key ingredient: soaking and cooking chickpeas

Two methods of cooking chickpeas – boiling vs cooking

There are two methods of cooking chickpeas that manufacturers employ. The first method is draining the soaked chickpeas, removing their skins and transferring them onto trays and into an industrial steam cooker. The cooker is preheated at 124°C and the cooking time is around 30 minutes.

The second method involves the stainless steel vats that the chickpeas soak in – the vats for soaking are also repurposed as large cooking pots. The chickpeas are boiled in the vats for three hours during which some of the skins float to the top and are removed. This method is time-conserving as it does not include all the various steps between soaking and cooking. However, because some of the skins remain on the chickpeas, it can result in a lumpy consistency almost like peanut butter.

Innovations in the hummus production line

Hummus is made of chickpeas, tahini and spices. When the chickpeas are mixed with tahini, the tahini reacts with the water in the chickpeas and forms bacteria if it is not refrigerated immediately or preservatives are not added. Preservatives and stabilizers are therefore essential to extend hummus’s shelf life. However, being chemicals, preservatives and stabilizers alter the true taste of hummus and make it more grainy.

To combat the use of preservatives and offer hummus fans the freshest and tastiest hummus, Alon Kruvi and Rakesh Barmecha patented a make-your-own-hummus kit. The kit consists of three pouches filled with shelf-stable ingredients of hummus – chickpea puree, tahini and spices. Stored within a container in retort pouches, the three ingredients are kept separate to prevent spoiling and require no refrigeration until mixed together.