What do you mean you can make mustard at home? It was all I could do not to say, “Uh… how did you think it was made? By mustard elves under a tree?” Instead, I said, “Why yes, and it is really, really easy to make.”
I had this conversation years ago with another food blogger, and I tell you this because for even a food person to not know how to make mustard tells me that it must appear to be magic to most people. But it ain’t. If you have mustard seed and water, you can make mustard.
It’s that easy. And pretty much every culture in the Northern Hemisphere has done so: Mustard is to the North what chiles are to the tropics.
Mustard is a condiment of a thousand faces. Some are smooth, others almost entirely made from barely cracked seeds. Vinegar is often used, but wine, beer, grape must, and even fruit juices are used to moisten the seeds.
Sweetness is usually achieved by adding honey; an American “honey mustard” can be a 1:1 ratio of mustard to honey. A Bavarian sweet mustard, however, uses only sugar and water: no acid, no honey. Italians put fruit preserves in their mustard.
Mustard is one of Europe’s few native spices, although it also has been used in Chinese cooking for around 2,500 years as well. Ancient Rome was quite the hotbed of mustard-making, and it is Rome that gives us our name for mustard: It is a contraction of mustum ardens, or “hot must;” the Romans often added crushed mustard seeds to unfermented crushed grapes.
I’ve recreated a Roman recipe for mustard that uses almonds, pine nuts, mustard seed and red wine vinegar.
The basic idea behind making mustard is this: Grind seeds and add liquid. At its most basic, this is all mustard is. Both Chinese and English mustard (think Coleman’s) is nothing more than water and mustard powder. But there are some things you need to know to make great mustard.
First, you need cold liquid. What gives mustard its bite is a chemical inside the seeds reacting with cool or cold liquid. You also need to break the seeds to get at the fiery chemical — it’s like cutting an onion. Heat damages this reaction, however, so to make a hot mustard use cold water, and warm water for a more mellow mustard.
Mustard sauces lose punch when long-cooked, and should always have a little extra fresh mustard tossed in at the end of cooking.
This reaction is volatile, too. Left alone, your mustard will lose its bite in a few days, or in some cases even hours. But adding an acid, most often vinegar, sets the reaction in place — this is what happens with horseradish as well. Adding salt not only improves the flavor, but also helps preserve the mustard, too.
If you skip the vinegar and salt, you will still have mustard, but it will not keep for long. Not that it will go bad, but it will lose it’s flavor.
Once made with salt and vinegar, mustard is nearly invulnerable to deterioration. Mustard is one of the more powerful anti-microbial plants we know of, and, considering it is mixed with vinegar and salt, it becomes a heady mix no wee beastie can survive in. It is said that mustard will never go bad, although it can dry out.
You have three choices when it comes to which variety of mustard seed you use: White, brown and black. White mustard undergoes a different, milder reaction than do brown mustard or black mustard, which are far zingier. American yellow mustard is made with white mustard seed and turmeric, brown mustards are in most of your better mustards, and black mustard is used in hot mustards or in Indian cuisine.
(Note: You can tame black and brown mustard seeds by soaking them in water overnight before grinding.)
Incidentally, the wild mustard all over California is black mustard. You can thank Father Junipero Serra for that one: He used mustard, which grows like a weed, to mark his travels in Alta California 250 years ago.
The famous Grey Poupon mustard — Dijon has been a center of mustard-making for nearly a millennium now — is traditionally made with stone ground brown mustard and verjus, the tart juice of unripe grapes. I prefer this style of mustard, and most of my homemade mustards are grainy like Dijon. I grind my seeds with a spice grinder, but you could get all old school and use a mortar and pestle.
The best mustards, in my opinion, combine brown or black mustard seeds with yellow mustard powder: The two sets of chemical reactions complement each other and made a more complex mustard.
Always add water or a non-acidic liquid first, let the mixture sit for 10 minutes or so, then add the acid (vinegar, verjus, lemon juice, etc).
Add salt to taste, but it’s typically about 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of prepared mustard.
Finally, let your mustard set in the fridge or in a cool place for at least a day before you serve it. Bitterness is a byproduct of the mustard reaction, but that bitterness fades after a day or so. Pure mustards can be kept at room temperature, but mustards with other ingredients, like the Roman nut mustard I mention above, should be kept in the fridge.
So there you have it. Easy-peasy. Now you really have no reason to ever buy mustard again.
Basic Country Mustard
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons mustard seeds, about 50 grams
- 1/2 cup mustard powder, about 50 grams
- 1/2 cup water or beer
- 3 tablespoons vinegar (cider white wine or sherry)
- 2 teaspoons salt, about 5 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
- 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (optional)
Instructions
- Grind the whole mustard seeds for a few seconds in a spice or coffee grinder, or by hand with a mortar and pestle. You want them mostly whole because you are using mustard powder, too.
- Pour the semi-ground seeds into a bowl and add the salt and mustard powder. If using, add one of the optional ingredients, too.
- Pour in the water or beer, then stir well. When everything is incorporated, let this sit for up to 10 minutes. The longer you let it sit, the mellower the mustard will be. When you’re ready, pour in the vinegar.
- Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge. It will be runny at first. Don’t worry, it will thicken up overnight. Wait at least 12 hours before using. Mustard made this way will last a year in the fridge.
Notes
- Change the liquid and you change the mustard.
- Grind the mustard seeds a lot or a little and you change the texture — or skip the whole seeds altogether and use just mustard powder. Or skip the powder and just use seeds.
- Want herbs in there? Go for it.
- Like honey mustard? Pour some honey in.
- Want your mustard even spicier? Add chiles or freshly grated horseradish.
Just wondering…after mixing all the ingredients you say to refrigerate it for 2 days or so. Can this be done without refrigeration, like on the counter at room temperature, or does it have to be cold?
Karen: Pretty sure it will be OK at room temperature. I know the finished mustard is.
I love to learn about the chemistry of foods – and live your recipes, mustard included.
As I am making kombucha regulary, I want to share a super simple way of using kombucha for mustard. You just cover your mustard seeds (I mixed the yellow with the black) with kombucha in a glas jar. Cover with a mousselin cloth and leave on the kitchen table for 1-2 weeks, depending of the temperature and the acidity. Taste the seeds after a week. When soft and spingy and a nice acid taste, you just blend them and add salt according to taste (and preservation, I guess, if you want to keep it for a longer time). You can mix with honey as well. As vinegar is a fermentation, too, it is just another way of getting the result with pure ingredients. And use your homemade kombucha ?
Thank you for posting this simple easy to follow recipe. It was my first time making mustard and your recipe made it easier.
This is a very clear and comprehensive explanation of how to make your own mustard at home. Also some interesting historical facts. Thanks for posting, Hank.
Super new to this world of making everything for myself. I’m wondering how I could go about preserving mustard if I made it in big batches without using the refrigerator?
Ashley: That’s the great thing about mustard! You don’t need to do anything. It is a preservative. The seeds themselves, as well as the vinegar and salt you put in makes mustard pretty close to indestructible — unless it’s a mustard with a lot of additives, but even in that case, honey and alcohol (wine and beer) are also preservative. I’ve had a jar of homemade mustard live in my pantry a year with no problems.
I’ve been making my own (Dijon style) mustard from a recipe similar to your basic country (white wine and water instead of beer) for a long time and it used to work fine, but the last several batches haven’t seemed to solidify well/liquid separates. Any idea what I could be doing differently or suggestion?
I don’t like most hot foods, but this came out so good, I was really surprised, it was hot but flavorful, I ate it on crackers too. Is there a way to seal the jars for shelf stable until opened to give as gifts?
Love this! I have been making my own homemade mustards for 2+ years now and this is an excellent base starting point! I use many kinds of liquors in mine. I buy the tiny bottles of liquor. Equal amounts of liquor to vinegar. I use our coffee bean grinder to grind the seeds.
I made a double batch of this mustard last night. I may be jumping the gun on this, but, mine is still not as thick as I would like. Does it just need a bit more time? Tried some today, and the flavor profile is incredible! Pungent, spicy and a touch of sweetness.
How would you make cajun mustard?
Looking up a recipe for mustard and look who I found! Can’t wait to try the recipe.
I made the mustard with water & white vinegar. The outcome is very runny & lot strong for our taste, how do tone it down taste-wise & to thicken.
The batch was too hot for our tastes as well, so rather than toss it, I added a bit of water and put it on the stove (low temp) and brought just to a boil. Stirring it constantly, let it bubble for about 30 secs, (add another splash of water if its too thick), and then removed to a bowl to cool. The heating up took out most of the super hot taste. This isn’t a perfect solution as you do sacrifice a bit of the spicy taste but otherwise we would not have eaten it and now its pleasant for us.
So if I’m using all whole seeds and grinding my own (can’t find mustard “powder” anywhere-except what comes in those little spice bottles and that would take entire bottle to make 1/2 cup). Do I use a full 12 tablespoons of seeds ground up (100gms) in the recipe?
Making the mustard was so fun. And taste was incredible, I used beer light ale. Can I can it in a 10min. Water bath like I do my jellies?
Love this recipe! I lightly toasted the yellow mustard seed in a pan before grinding them in the mortar & pestle. Used beer, white wine vinegar & honey. The flavour is amazing. Looking forward to more of your recipes!
Made this to go with Venison Summer Sausage. Turned out great without any optional ingredients. Can’t wait to experiment with additives. Will need to make more sausage!!
Hank, I love your mustard recipe, your duck breast recipe, and you even came through for me when I was trying to brine smelt eggs. I did it, and then thought wait, these are freshwater fish eggs, so I put them in the freezer for a while before I eat them. Which is supposed to kill off all the little slimy things, not the eggs but their occupants.
I have to say one more thing and that is just to urge you to take care of yourself. After your scary illness last year, maybe you will begin to do that? Seems like that was too big big a load you carried this year.
I am so glad I found this site.
I have a question:
I am counting all sugars and carbs, and I am trying to duplicate and improve this wonderful KEY LIME MUSTARD with GINGER product I usually buy in the stores. It is smooth with no visible seeds , and it’s also very mild and a little sweet in flavor.
I looked at the nutritional label, and they use vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, egg yolks, ginger, Key Lime Oil, and Citric Acid.
I’d like to eliminate the sugar and substitute truvia, and I’d also like to eliminate the yolks.
Can you suggest a basic recipe with those substitutions (and possibly improvements)? I’m really having fun learning about mustard and how to cook it.
Thanks,
Tina Herrforth
P.S. Have you ever heard of the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin? I live near it, and it’s a hoot. Got some really goofy fun stuff from the gift shop there years ago. It’s in Mt. Horeb, right outside of Madison.
Hank! Thank you so much for this! I have been looking for days, for my old recipe from years back( using wines, beer and liquor), to no avail! 99% of the other ones all call for using the blender after soaking the seeds, or an immersion blender! I don’t want to use either method! I want to grind the seeds from the beginning, in my coffee grinder; just as you have instructed! But, I wasn’t happy with my first batches; way too thick! So, here you have given us the perfect ratio of dry to liquids! Thanks tons!
I do have an amazing Bavarian recipe that I have already made the herb/spice infused vinegar for! It should be terrific! I don’t have the author’s name in front of me, or I would have shared it! When I find it, I will post then.
I made mustard for the first time. It is pretty hot… It has been in the refrigerator for 1 day. Will it cool down or can I add some vinegar or some other ingredient to it now that will cool it down?
Thanks
Stennis: It will mellow a little over time, but your best bet is to use hot liquid and yellow mustard seeds when you make it if you want a mild mustard.
I made two different kinds, one with tarragon and one with roasted garlic. I used yellow mustard seeds and rice wine vinegar. Both were EXCELLENT and are gone!! Hubby says no more store bought!! I agree. Tonight I made another roasted garlic and used some left over champagne, roasted garlic again. Can’t wait for this one! Going to make mustard for Christmas gifts along with jam and applesauce made previously!! Fun, fun. Will try the Roman nut mustard when my bulk seeds arrive!! Thanks for the recipes!!
I use 5% vinegar and yellow and black seeds.Let them soak for a day or two and puree’ them.If it’s a little thick I might add wine or malt vinegar.I never use any water,just vinegars.It’s really hard to screw this up.If it’s good to you it’s good.
I made some some mustard with apple cider vinegar and verjus, and it stayed incredibly bitter even after 4 days. Why is that?
Monz: Could be your seeds. Try yellow mustard seeds next time.
What type of beers to you recommend? Dark, ales, hoppy, so many to choose from now days?
Stennis: Depends on your taste. I usually prefer cheap lagers for most, but a porter or brown ale is a nice change.
Thanks for the recipe & history. Don’t use mustard as much as I used to so jars end up being in the way on shelf or in fridge. So looking for rx to make as much as needed when needed (now, a day ahead). Will have to come up with a reason to make this soon.
Can you substitute whiskey or bourbon for the beer ???? Have made this mustard with beer multiple times but i want to expand my horizons
KJ: Yes, you can do that.
What herbs do recommend trying? Is it best to use fresh or dried herbs? If fresh is used, will that effect the amount of time it is safe to eat?
I have been making your recipe for a while and it usually turns out great. I just made a jar on Friday and it seemed funnier than normal and now on Monday afternoon, it is still quite runny. I think I followed the recipe correctly. Any advice on what I can do to thicken it up?
Thanks
David: Add more powdered mustard.
If you put in fresh herbs will it still last a year in the fridge?
Danielle: Not sure, but there is a lot of vinegar in there, so it should.
If you were going to use beer. What type would you use. Thanks.
Glo: I like all sorts, but stouts, ambers and IPAs are my favorite.
My first batch turned out well, thank you for the detailed recipe and instruction. There have been several comments regarding canning & shelf life and you response has typically been that there is no need to boil and “can” and that the shelf life of standard mustard is pretty long and longer if refrigerated.
My question is will boiling/caning hurt the mustard in anyway? I am using standard canning jars for storage of the mustard and giving some as gifts and am concerned that since the lids “pop” since they have not been sealed in a boiling process that folks will be skeptical of the freshness of the mustard.
If I were to can them in a standard boiling process to create the vacuum and seal the lids will it negatively impact the mustard?
Brian: No idea. I have never canned mustard.
You have me really excited to start making mustard. Have you ever preserved horseradish?
Make your own mustard people. I became upset when all the “stone ground” mustard went up in price about 10 or 15 years ago so I started to make my own. It’s cheaper and you know what’s in what you make. Try different vinegars, add fruit, grind finer or coarser There is no limit to what you can do.Small batches are easy. Write down your experiments because sometimes you get a real winner and you want to do it again.
I agree with Charlez. It’s too salty
Marc: Then use less salt. Salt sensitivity is very individual, too. Adjust to your own taste.
What is your source for this volume of mustard seeds?
Man, this recipe is super salty. Would it be better to 1/2 the salt and add more later if required?
Charles: Has to be the salt you are using, or your sensitivity to salt. You are the only person in close to 10 years who has said this recipe is too salty. So yeah, use half of whatever salt you are using, then add more. Right now, to save the batch, make up some more mustard without salt and add it to the first batch.
I usually make a simple mustard with yellow powder mixed to a paste with olive oil. Then thinned out with spice or cider vinegar. I’ll have to try it with salt or honey sometime.
Hank,
I made this and mine turned out way too hot (I didn’t have any brown mustard seeds so I gave it a go using just black seeds) but I already added the vinegar and let it sit for a few days. Any way to rescue it now? Thanks.
Beth: Nope. Black mustard is by far the hottest mustard there is.
Second batch came out runny. Any way to thicken after the refrigeration step?
Rich: Add more mustard powder.
I am so excited to try!
Have you (or anyone reading) tried a cherry mustard?
Does the beer need to be allowed to go ‘flat’ prior to being used to make the mustard?
Shane: Nope. It’ll go flat as the mustard mellows.
“C. CHoen: Mustard needs no special canning. It is indestructible.”
Interesting – how long would you say it stays good in the fridge once made?
Mads: I’ve had some in the fridge 2 years and it was fine.
Is it possible to store it out of the fridge? If so, would you advise to boil the jar once closed, like we do for jams or pickles?
Thank you in advance
C. CHoen: Mustard needs no special canning. It is indestructible.
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been reading in many places how to make mustard but thankfully yours gives more than just the recipe.
Do you know the shelf life of homemade mustard?
Denise: Until the Second Coming.
I want strong mustard. I should hit my nose. Plz guide
I’m a rookie but would like to make a mustard with aged cheddar added. Is this possible? If so, what precautions should I take?
Silverdude: You cannot do that to the best of my knowledge. Sorry.
Can wine be used in place of vinegar?
Athena: You bet!
Herbs are mentioned, any recommendations?
Paul: Sure. I’d recommend oregano, thyme, a little rosemary or sage, a bit of lovage maybe?
Can this recipe be canned
Ray: No need. Mustard doesn’t go bad.
Should the seeds be dried first?
Shari: No need. But they are easier to crush when they are.
Oops! I just went through the directions too fast and I added the vinegar right along with the other ingredients before it sat for 10 minutes! Did I jut ruin my whole batch?
Great recipe. Tried it this morning.very flexible, thanks.
super easy, and really good! easy to modify with different herbs too 🙂
What’s the best type of mustard rub for steak and ribs?
I once had a cognac mustard in France. Any recipes for that?
I’ve been searching ever since. Tp
I like making homemade stuff, but would really like to make it from my own grown mustard seed. Where can I get that?
I make a variety of mustards three with bear two of them are heavy beer and one is light. the light one always reacts. I leave to soak for a couple of days before jarring up.
I use both powder and seed for these
If omitting the seeds, do you need more mustard powder?
Savy: Yes, but the proportions are not exact, so you’ll need to play with it.
I love home made mustard, but thought it would be harder to make than this, so I never tried. i decided this weekend that I was going to get more adventurous in my cooking, because I was bored with the basics. So glad I found this recipe. I just made a batch and it’s amazing!
Yum! I’m on my 3rd batch with your instructions and this time I added a little applewood smoked sea salt and some italian herbs. It smells delicious already. Thanks for posting this, it’s so much easier than I ever thought it would be and I’ve been passing around fresh mustard to my friends and family and referring them to this post.
Hank could I also add chopped garlic to the recipe? Would the result have to be refrigerated?
LarryD: I would refrigerate it.
I like making things from scratch. So I am giving mustard a try following your instructions. I remember my Grandmother always made it, but she never wrote any recipes down.
This is awesome. I love vinaigrette which needs mustard but it’s not a staple or a “thing” here in Ghana and so is difficult to find. I’m definitely giving it a try. Thank you
About how long will the mustard keep, do you think? I’m considering making mustard for Christmas gifts.
Shannon: Forever. Like years…
I made just the basic recipe & canned it. It is so yummy! I also did some with white wine,its ok but not my favorite,then i did cranberry habanero!well lets see i have gone thru 4 jars of that,1 jar of dijon,3 jars of basic! Never ever will i buy storebought mustard again!
your deep purple mentioned above inspired me to use some of the cranberry sauce i had just come here to make. the sauce is delicious, hopefully the mustard will be as well.
sunflower seeds, turmeric and a dash bourbon with added maple (in keeping with the cranberry recipe theme).
What kind of mustard is the on the top part of the webpage? I’d really like to make it, it looks delicious!
By the way, I have been using this recipe for over a year now and I absolutely love it.
Thanks!
Thanks for this article. One question though: If we are going to the trouble of grinding seeds, why are we also adding a store-buoght powder? Shouldn’t we just grind two different kinds of mustard seeds together in the first place?
Tillie: You can do that. But the store-bought powder is very finely ground. Hard to do with a normal grinder.
Just made mustard white.wine with peacan and mapel syrup.
Really a nice taste
If I’m wanting to use white wine, would I use that in place of the vinegar or in place of the water?
Thanks!
Andrew: In place of the vinegar.
Going to try this, but I also want to try it without the mustard powder. Or, can I make mustard powder simply by grinding mustard seed?
Penny: Yes.
Hello from Poland 🙂 Mustard is – like THE MUST ingredient here. .. 🙂 Just made a huge jar of it according to your recipe: it’s amazing!!! With a bit of black pepper. Thank you a lot! 🙂 !!!
my mustard always turns out bitter… and it doesn´t fade away…
First time I ever made my own mustard, just a day after making my first catsup. I made a little for an aioli-based remoulade, and for the aioli I had used cloves that had been pickling in pepperoncini juice, so I decided to pour off some of that for the acid. That added a lot of tang to it, and I splashed in some rice vinegar to sweeten it a bit. I think it complemented the aioli very well.
I tried leaving out the turmeric since that’s the culprit behind mustard stains, but a little bit does thicken and bind it, just like with curry.
I have tried making this mustard 4 times, and every time it has been way too spicy and/or bitter. What am I doing wrong? I have tried putting in water, beer, water and beer; I’ve let the mustard and water/beer sit 10 minutes before adding the apple cider vinegar, I’ve tried 30 minutes, I’ve tried several hours, it’s now 24 hours later and my current batch is still very spicy and bitter.
I still haven’t added the vinegar–have I waited too long? Not long enough? Should I add the vinegar? Should I add honey?
Have I ground the brown mustard seeds too much? Will it be spicier/more bitter if I over-grind them before mixing?
Thanks for your help!
Ryan: Hot water should tame things a bit.
Instead of using the store bought mustard powder, like Colemans, is there a way to make the powder? Is that just the yellow seeds powdered? If so, it doesn’t taste like Colemans. How can you make a powder that really rivals Colemans?
Jamison: Not sure.
Oh BTW – Thanks for the well written article and great information.
Oceans of blessings & prosperity!!
Sue
Wish I had seen the writings and blogs before I bought mustard. However what I make I know will be so much better than what I can buy in regular grocery and so much cheaper than packaged gourmet. Reading everyone’s experiments was very entertaining. Just go for it!
For Bob on his hot mustard. Just use it up in cooking
(ie Marinating roasts) and start with a fresh batch for the table.
I cook most things from scratch so in the kitchen 3 – 8 hours a day!
Croutons, spice blends, juicing oranges & grapefruit, etc
Mustard as gifts – how fun!!
Hi Hank.
I just used your recipe to make some mustard, and it’s excellent but very hot (because I crossed up the hot/cold water part; I used cold water thinking I’d get mild mustard).
Is there a way to mellow out the sharpness once the mustard has been made?
Bob: Dilute it with some of a new batch. And it will mellow eventually.
Oh…and also, I meant to say that I cannot find brown so maybe a mix of yellow and black?
Christina: Sure, it’ll work fine. Any seeds will. I do a yellow-black seed mix all the time.
Hello! I know this thread is a year old, but I am going to ask anyway. I live in Mexico and have access to black, yellow/white and red. I have never seen red and I cannot find any reference online to red except to plant to grow greens. The red actually looks a lot like both the brown and the black in close up photos. I want to make beer mustard, spicy brown and dijon for my deli. Any thoughts or knowledge about red mustard seeds?
What an excellent post, I will be trying a variation on dijon mustard. Thanks!
Hi. I am looking forward to trying your recipes ! When you nominate mustard powder what do you mean ? We can buy mustard powder or do you make it by blitzing seeds till super fine ???
Joanne: Either works. Or both! You get a better texture.
Great recipe!! I made this yesterday using beer. I let it sit about 9 minutes before adding white wine vinegar. I let it sit overnight in the fridge and it ended up being very thick. This may have something to do with humidity or moisture content of the mustard seeds. I had an open bottle of white wine, so I poured some in to get the right consistency. Result = awesome. It has a strong kick almost like wasabi. I will be experimenting with different ingredients.
Thanks for the recipe.
I made my first batch and it was great!
Made my second batch with beer. ..not great.
Made a third batch just like the first batch. …not great.
The second and third batches are way spicy and bitter. Anyone who eats them gets a stomach ache. They’ve been in my fridge for a couple weeks, is there anyway to fix or use them? I’d hate to waste all that.
Not sure what I did differently. I actually left them to sit longer then the first batch before adding vinegar but they were crazy spicy.
Hey Buddy, I made some mustard this afternoon. Ground up some very old whole white mustard seeds from the Indian Market, about half a cup. Added a teaspoon of homegrown coriander seed, also old as you know what, and two whole cloves. Preservative that eugenol is. To this I added half a little can of ridiculously-overpriced ground mustard. Then I poured about 3/4 of a can of Labatt’s Blue ( I drink it by the silo, so it was actually 3/8 of the actual can, just as a reference, ~9 ounces) into the bowl and stirred it up. I set the timer for 7 minutes, liking heat. When the timer beeped I dropped three, three finger pinches of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (the only salt I could find without cyanide at Kroger) and a good splash of Red Wine Vinegar, local, from the Picnic Basket Market. Of course I always taste things, and you are entirely correct, it is slightly bitter, in an unpleasant manner. It also has a nice heat to it from the Allyl isothiocyanate. It’s in a nice pint jar in the fridge now, but already tastes better than any commercial shibby they sell for 37 cents an ounce in the stores. Thanks for the education, and I have subscribed. To your email letter that is.
Straightforward and well-researched article Hank. Took me a while to find it in search results, but should be on top. I’ll bookmark your blog. Keep writing, you are very informative.
I just recently acquired a mustard recipe and have made tons. It is awesome slathered on a brisket left in the fridge two days with a rub and it comes out superb after being smoked. Love the article, thanks for all the info.
This is fantastic. You explain things exactly as I’d want them to be explained. SO Informative, thank you!! I can’t wait to make my own.
Incidentally, I got on the mustard kick just yesterday after trying a recipe that I’ll share a link to here, as my way of offering something in return. This mustard chicken was amazing served with green beans amandine:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016200-laurie-colwins-baked-mustard-chicken
Hi Hank
I am a seed specialist and have a large quantity(10 tons in 25 kg bags) of Brassica juncea available that I would rather process than sell at a loss to the crushing businesses
Do you have any suggestions? I wondered if crushing the mustard with the condiments would make a difference rather than adding the condiments after crushing? Or soaking in verjuice prior to crushing. I have a very small screw crush (50kg/hour). Does hammer milling change the product?
I hope to hear from you
Thank you. Very informative. Keep up the good work.
Great post. I am growing mustard. It now has seed pods but still green. My research says to wait till it dries out and collect the seeds. So am assuming to grind them to make powder to use with making mustard? Process is interesting. Can’t wait for seeds to form. Sue
Thank you for this great explanation. Have been trying to replicate a lime and chilli mustard that is no longer available (locally made at a lime farm in Australia).
First batch was good. Second one was better! Just playing around with timing and water temperature now – and remembering to write down what I’ve done!
Great place to buy mustard seeds inexpensively: any Indian (as in India) market.
Thanks Hank for a great info site.
Can’t eat anything with Chilli so Mustard is the ‘hot’ spice for me. I’m always looking for different recipes, so was pleased to read the info on Dijon Mustard. Thanks also to “Foreignlady” August 31st, for the link to Elderberry Vinegar; added to mustard – sounds yummy and the Elderberries are just starting to fill up as it’s high summer here with lots of hot sunny summer holidays.
Thanks and Cheers, Bryan, Christcchurch, N.Z.
HI, I used horseddish sauce because I hadn’t any mustard and it turned out very well, just added a little garlic and salt and Bobs your Aunty.
Cheers
Hello hank
Excellent blog.
Can you use graines from other mustard family plants to make mustard ? Radishes, turnips, cabbage ?
Thank you
Lior: I’ve used radish and turnips, but not the others. It works OK, but they are not as zippy.
Thank you for this wonderful article. I will make waste to the last terrible batch I tried to make, and redo using the knowledge learned here.
Well, hell, now I’m going to feel obliged to collected wild mustard seed from the hillsides and turn it into a condiment. I do love combining food production with reducing non-native species populations.
Thanks for this.
Thanks for the useful information. I was wondering if the shelf-life of a mustard would change depending on additions? I made some elderberry vinegar and would like to try to concoct some elderberry mustard. If it works out, I might make some as gifts and would like to know how long it could keep (and if I can make it in advance!).
This is the elderberry vinegar recipe I used, if that’s helpful. http://www.food.com/recipe/elderberry-vinegar-255163
So, Hank……
You said there is no need to can the mustard, but if you wanted to put it on a shelf as opposed to the frig, is this mustard stable enough to do that?
Great post! You explained the process very well, and now that I understand it I have been able to make some delicious mustards.
I want to make mustard with fruit. I had a great fig mustard with balsamic vinegar at a German deli the other day. I’d like to try that. Is it best to use dried fruit or can I use some canned pears? And how will it affect it’s shelf life? Recipes are always welcome.
Thanks for the post. I’m new to the idea of making my own mustard as well.
Great tutorial! I was hoping someone before me had the idea to make mustard at home and tell us how to do it. I’m excited to try this! Thank you for sharing.
Just the explanation I was looking for. I can’t wait.
What do you think about hot-water canning the mustard? (So you can send through the mail to friends.) Let it sit in the fridge for a couple days before canning?
Rachel: No need to “can” mustard, as it never goes bad. Just hand-tighten the screw caps to your jars and you should be fine.
This is awesome! I love making mustard, but I have to say I loved reading this post almost as much. First time reader, and new fan! I’m going to be blogging about three basic dijons and I’ll be referencing this post! Love it.
I bought an amazing basil mustard in France last year and now I have the confidence to try duplicating it. Huzzah!
Hi Hank,
Thank you so much for the “basic recipe” and all the customized suggestions. I especially enjoyed learning about the types of mustard seed. Are there recommendations on the locations where the mustard seeds are grown? Does the climate affect the depth of flavor in the seeds?
This was a great little read. I’m purchasing my seeds today!
Sincerely,
Brenda
Great recipe! I am using my phone per your request, So far, so good! Typeset is very small…
If you’re looking for bulk mustard seed at ridiculously cheap prices, go to an Indian grocery store. Mustard seed is used liberally in their cooking, and you can buy big fresh bags for next to nothing. Great for other spices too, as well as various dried beans, basmati rice, and other interesting things.
Great recipe! Easy to follow and hopefully will turn out well! Thanks hank!
Where can you buy the mustard seeds?
Bonnie: Most supermarkets in the spice aisle, or online.
I like making violet mustard for wild game meats. I also like to add some cinnamon and clove.
I highly recommend making your own mustard, I probably have 4-5 different variations in my fridge right now, and I almost never make it the same way. Way better (and much cheaper) than store bought. Garlic, wine, fresh ground horseradish are all recommended!
My aunt uses milk as the liquid.
Very useful post! But can you explain why Coleman’s makes this monstrosity? http://www.colmans.co.uk/products/english-mustard-tube. We made the mistake of buying during a trip to Scotland many years ago and oh boy, nasty harsh stuff that was, tasted like just mustard powder and water. NOT a good thing on sandwichs, made my hubby cry!
Hank
Thanks for that.
I would echo the prior post of roasting the seeds, but also, if I wanted to use dried herbs how would you manage that? I have some really good Herbes de Provence and other mixtures from Penzy’s that might be good, but, of course, they’re dried, and I couldn’t replicate them all from my garden.
Thanks. Fun as always
Hank, great post. Who woulda thunk making mustard is so easy! I made a batch similar to your recipe. It was so hot the first couple of days I served it with shrimp & cocktail sauce, like Chinese hot mustard. After 2 weeks it changed and mellowed a lot. It seems like the flavor and style can be adjusted by using different ratios of the types of mustard seed & liquid to create any style of mustard one could imagine.
Never going to buy mustard at the store again!
Hank,
Great post. I’ve been meaning to do this for some time, and this is the most complete write-up I’ve seen. Thanks for that!
Does roasting the seeds before grinding impart any additional flavor?