How do you recombine completely separated tahini?

[Robin Garr]

Southwest Asian kitchen question: How in the heck do you get a big jar of tahini to reassemble after it has completely separated into thick sesame paste and clear oil after months on the shelf? I came up with a solution, which I'll post later, but I don't want to poison the well with my approach: Tell me yours, especially if you know an EASY and EFFECTIVE way.

[Karen/NoCA]

Don't know about Tahini, but here is what I did with a natural peanut butter. I dug it all out of the jar, added a little water from instant hot water dispenser into my food processor, and started pulsating it. Added a little hot water as needed until I got the right consistency.

[Jeff Grossman/NYC]

If the jar is big enough, how about an immersion blender?

[Jon Peterson]

I've only done it the old fashioned way with a fork and lots of elbow grease. I never need it enough to justify a large jar so no immersion blender for me. Can't wait for Robin's solution, maybe I'll start buying it again.

[Robin Garr]

I'm sorry, Jon, I thought I had posted the solution. I dumped it all into a big bowl - the solid part was so concentrated that I almost had to trowel it out - and then worked it together, slowly and carefully, with an immersion blender, taking care not to overload the motor. If it started to labor, I would pull it up into thinner waters to catch its breath before I pushed it down again. Eventually (5 minutes?) it was all blended, whereupon I poured it back into the cleaned jar, and it's been good ever since.

[Jon Peterson]

Thanks, Robin, especially for the "it's been good even since" part.