authentic whole-grain mustard

Who would ever think that making your own mustard is easy? We’re not talking about any old mustard here. This one is full of flavor and texture. And you can totally customize it to suit your family’s preferences.

I used equal amounts of yellow mustard seeds and black mustard seeds for this presentation. The black mustard seed, which is often used interchangeably with brown, is definitely more bold in flavor than the yellow seeds. If you like your mustard on the mild side, you can always use less dark seeds and more yellow seeds …as long as the combined total is two-thirds of a cup.

Black, brown, and yellow mustard seeds come from the same family, but different varieties of the plant. As mentioned, the brown and black mustard seeds are hotter than their yellow counterpart, due to their high oil content. and they are sometimes smaller in size. Common to Asian and African cooking, black mustard seed is used for hot mustards like Dijon, spicy pickling brines, oil and spice blends, tangy sauces, and more.

It may be difficult to find the darker mustard seeds at your local market. I get mine at a local spice shop or at Amazon.

The seeds are soaked in the cider vinegar and water for at least 8 hours. Or up to 24 hours. The longer they soak, the softer the seeds will be. So it really does depend on how coarse you think you’d like the final texture to be. What you see here is the result of a 20 hour soak.

At this point, you’ll remove about a half-cup of the vinegar & mustard seed mixture. Set that aside. Add the brown sugar and salt to the remaining mixture. Using a small food processor or an immersion blender, process until the mixture is coarsely ground and thickened for about two minutes.

The reserved vinegar & mustard seed is now added to the processed mixture. The rest of the process is so easy. Just let this sit at room temperature in covered jars for one to two days, sampling here and there. When you are happy with the flavor and spiciness, transfer the jars to your fridge where they can hang out for up to six months. How awesome is that?

If you decide to let your mixture hang out at room temperature for any longer, keep a close watch on how the flavor develops. It will continue to become more spicy. Once it is refrigerated, the flavors will continue to mature but the level of spiciness should remain constant.

In my household, we love the fact that this delicious condiment contains no preservatives. And that it can be tailored to our taste. If someone close to you likes their mustard super spicy, fill a small jar just for him and let it sit at room temperature until he proclaims, “it’s spicy enough!”

So really, folks. This mustard is so delicious. You may never go back to the store bought stuff again. Try it on sandwiches and hot dogs. Serve it on the side with your favorite sliced cheeses and meats. You can even mix a small amount in with your homemade vinaigrette. And, be sure to share with your friends. A small jar of this goodness is always well received.

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authentic whole-grain mustard

Adapted from Leite's Culinaria

Homemade customizable whole-grain mustard made from just six ingredients.

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/3 cup yellow mustard seeds (60 grams)
• 1/3 cup black or brown mustard seeds (60 grams)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. Combine the vinegar, water, yellow mustard seeds, and brown mustard seeds in medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. (The resting time softens the seeds and ensures a creamy consistency.)

2. Take your vinegar and mustard seeds mixture and measure out 1/2 cup and set it aside. Combine the remaining vinegar and mustard seed mixture, sugar, and salt in a small food processor or use an immersion blender and process until coarsely ground and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the reserved vinegar and mustard seed mixture.

3. Using a funnel and spoon, portion mustard into two 1-cup (237 ml) jars. Cover and let the mustard stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 days to allow the ingredients to meld and develop a well-rounded spiciness. The longer it rests, the spicier it gets. Taste it often and once the desired spiciness has been reached, refrigerate and serve.

4. The mustard can be refrigerated for up to 6 months; once refrigerated, the flavor will continue to mature but will not become more spicy.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have personally experienced all of these products, and I recommend them because I have found them to be of superior quality.