Super Quick Video Tips: Easiest Way to Skin Chickpeas for Super Smooth Hummus

We harness the power of food science on canned chickpeas.

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[edzmuda]

I use this technique by applying the baking soda as shown to dried chickpeas after they've been soaked but before being cooked, followed by removing the husks BEFORE cooking them till tender. The firm uncooked chickpeas allow you to roll the chickpeas between your hands much more aggressively (and effectively) without squishing any chickpeas. Once, the chickpeas husks have been removed they will cook in about half the time. It is also more sanitary since the heat will have killed any bacteria introduced from handling.

[frogriguez]

I just do the same agitation (between your hands in cold water) without the baking soda or additional cooking. Works perfect for me, takes 3-5 minutes. Just rub them all real good and the skins float away. Additionally you can rub them against a mesh strainer or colander. Also,  I find that baking soda changes the flavor.

[rocksterize]

I put them all into a bowl full of water and gently roll them back and forth in my hands. It removes the skins. then I use a smaller mesh strainer and my fingers to fish them out. Sometimes I strain all the water and put in new so I can see them better. A little bit of work to get every skin but much easier than this method in my opinion. Thanks for the vid :)

[shanibrandt]

At least half the chickpeas that you showed at the end still had the skin on. I tried this method and it only gets off maybe half the skins.

[EnergeticMan]

There is more than one way to skin a Chickpea, but this is the most complex, expensive and timely; Thank you.

[troydvorak]

I wanted to make a healthy snack. Taking the skin off chickpeas is such a waste of time. No wonder more people don't eat healthfully. You don't have to skin Doritos.

[psychologicallyspeaking]

if you do a big batch don’t put the skins down the disposal! they can turn to glue in there!! i have had a few incidents in this old house.

[flt]

This works if you're preparing a half cup of chickpeas (so does popping the skins off one by one). Try it with a larger batch and you're going to be there rubbing and rinsing all day.

[krncaps]

Jerusalem was co written with Sami Tamimi. you should give him credit. i doubt Ottolenghi grew up knowing about this.

[vin]

This method simply does not work that well and certainly does not get more than maybe 20% of the skins off, tops. And that's even after rubbing them vigorously through my hands 10+ times. I truly think the only way to actually get all the skins off is to do each chickpea one by one. I've even tried some of the other methods mentioned here in the comments and the same persists. I'll keep trying other ways as there's just gotta be a less tedious way to accomplish this. Also, I get very little of them to float to the top when they start coming off. How is this working for others, but not for me? I and others love my hummus, but I sure do hate spending an hour on just the process of removing the skins.

[AxelSituation]

This is nothing new. No, the skins do not float. They stay down at the bottom of the pan.

[lemagreengreen]

I've honestly never had any issue with my method, I'll have to try this one though.

I empty the can of its juice and then put in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Then drain the boiling water, replace with cold (maybe 2 times) and then rub all the chick peas between my fingers for a few minutes. The skins pop off and float to the top, you can just scoop them out easily using your hands.

[lulybsanto]

You don’t need baking soda just use your hands to scrub and all the skin come off

[RovingPunster]

TECHNIQUE IMPROVEMENT (for Dried chickpeas): Dear CI, your method to ease the removal of skins from canned (cooked) chickpeas works very well ... great job. After some experimental trial and error, I'd like to report that a very similar technique (just a few minor tweaks to yours, explained in detail below) works even better for DRIED chickpeas, and even improves slightly on Ottolenghi's method.

> Soak dried chickpeas for 8-14 hours at room temperature in 3x+ vol plain cool water (IMPROVEMENT #1: some advocate pre-blanching them in mildly alkalai water and rubbing prior to soaking - it's an unnecessary and mostly ineffective waste of time that leaves the peas looking ugly ... for better results, skip it and follow the rest of the steps below).

> Drain the soaked (but still uncooked) peas, then do the same 3-min saute with baking soda used in your video for canned peas (IMPROVEMENT #2: use med-high heat rather than medium heat, and use a plant mister filled with water to re-moisten the peas if the pan runs dry and begins to look chalky ... this helps keep the baking soda in contact with the skins, rather than stuck to the pan, and thereby improves it's efficacy in weakening/loosening the skins). Tip: If you're doing a double batch, and lack a powerful stove, saute the peas in two passes, and re-combine them in the same workbowl for rinsing and skinning below - that way, doing a double batch only adds a few extra minutes.

> Rinse and rub the peas in a large bowl of water using the same method as your video (IMPROVEMENT #3: instead of the opposing back and forth hand method in the video, I've found that an opposing clockwise/counterclockwise motion is more mechanically efficient at dislodging the skins, and because the peas haven't been fully cooked yet you can use firmer pressure than possible for canned/cooked peas). To remove the skins, stir the contents of the bowl, while gently tilting the bowl away from side nearest the running water ... the upwelling of water on the downhill side of the pan will encourage the skins to float up and over the lip. When all is done, the peas will have shed almost a cup and a half of skins (happily discard !). TIP: At this point, you can par-dry & roast the skinned chickpeas instead of making hummus, but that's a separate recipe.

> Cook the skinned peas in lightly salted water (IMPROVEMENT #4 - the pre-saute with baking soda, and subsequent rinsing/skinning you already did, results in an added double bonus. First, the rinsing removed the baking soda rather than leaving it in during cooking (which many find can adversely affect flavor and texture). Second, and most importantly, the alkalai pre-saute will have halved the time needed to cook the peas (from 45-60 mins down to just 20-30 mins) ... and shorter cooking means less of the flavor of the peas is lost into the cooking liquid.

Taken together, these add up to an improved result, and the 50% reduction in cooktime further reduces the convenience gap between canned and dried peas, and thus more people are likely to attempt and adopt it. I've since completely abandoned canned peas, and use dried exclusively (cheaper and better in every way). Please try and confirm. Cheers.

[michaelcole]

This works great and does not change the chickpeas. The baking soda only reacts with the skins and washes away quickly in water, along with the skins. My hummus was smooth as silk and definitely better than with the skins. 

[htpcdvd]

with all due respect, this seems more complicated than necessary. Save time and just rinse a few times. Tedious but worth it!

[feefeeable]

Well, never use canned chickpeas, and all you really need to do is soak dried chickpeas in water for couple of hours then rub them in your hands and the skin will fall off. Us Middle Eastern people NEVER use canned chickpeas.

[wanderer]

All I can say are the facts. The majority of chickpeas are produced and used in India and the mideast. Daily. People applying scientific breakdowns of cooking are overlooking the food and natural life aspect of cooking. Please people provide the nutritional benefits or other benefits to the myriad of techniques offered here. Bottom line, cook how you wish and enjoy the blessing of the food you have. Each person has different tastes. Texture of mashed potatoes to a skin on a chickpea are all subjective.

Checkout how the Indians, Turks, Arabs, etc. prepare and use chickpeas.

Enjoy the riches of your food.

[crochetingcanuck]

I agitate canned chickpeas in water without doing the baking soda and cooking first. Works the same.

[deoverbuurman]

BETTER METHOD! : Just skip all the baking soda steps and put the canned chickpeas in a bowl with warm water and rub them between your hands, keep rubbing and changing water to pour out the loose skins!! And get ready to make delicious hummus!!