How To Make Mustard At Home

 

Have you ever wondered how to make mustard at home? It’s actually quick, easy, and the process is pretty straightforward. In fact, what we know as mustard is nothing more than mustard seeds and some water. Sure, the list of ingredients can be longer, as vinegar is oftentimes added to preserve the spiciness of mustard since without its acidity mustard can go bland over time. You may have also noticed other ingredients in grocery store mustards, such as honey, sugar, or salt. We will give you the basic homemade mustard recipe and some variation so you can experiment a little.

How To Pick Mustard Seeds

You have to pick mustard seeds carefully, as the spiciness of the mustard depends on the seeds you use. If you like your mustard hot and spicy, use black mustard seeds, as that is the hottest variety. On the other hand, if you prefer a mild flavor, stick to yellow or white mustard seeds because they are not as hot as the black ones.

Another trick to remember – if you use warm liquid when you make mustard, the mustard will have a milder taste. If you use cold water the mustard will be hotter. So you can experiment with different types of mustard seeds, different liquid temperatures, and different ingredients to create different types of mustard.

How Long Does Homemade Mustard Last

Stored in a jar in the refrigerator, homemade mustard will last for approximately four months.

If you want to make a larger batch and store for longer, use canning jars and process the mustard jars for 10 minutes in boiling water. The mustard will last for a year or even more at room temperature.

Homemade Mustard Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of whole mustard seeds;
• 1/4 cup of mustard powder (grind mustard seeds to obtain the powder);
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt​;
• 1/4 cup of water;
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar.

Tools

• Spice grinder or mortar and pestle;
• Medium mixing bowl;
• Plastic wrap;
• Small glass jar with lid.

Directions

Use the spice grinder to grind the mustard seeds. It should take approximately 15 seconds or so to grind two tablespoons of mustard seeds, as you do not want to make a powder. You just want the seeds a little crushed. If you don’t have a spice grinder, you can use the mortar and pestle.

Transfer the crushed mustard seeds to a mixing bowl.

Add mustard powder and salt and stir to combine the dry ingredients. To make mustard powder, the grinder to crush mustard seeds until they turn to powder. Crush as many mustard seeds as needed to obtain ¼ cup of mustard powder.

Add the water and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine. At this stage the mustard will appear to be more of a liquid than a cream. This is how it should be. The consistency will change once the dry ingredients absorb the liquids.

Cover the bowl and store at room temperature for a couple of days. The 2-day wait time is important because the mustard thickens during this time.

It’s also important to note that freshly made mustard has a bitter and harsh taste. As the mustard ages, the bitterness mellows.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Store at room temperature for 2 days. During these 2 days the mustard will thicken up. If you like a mellow mustard taste, allow the mustard to age more, as after only 2 days it will be quite harsh and bitter.

After the 2 days, you can transfer the mustard to a glass jar. Make sure the lid is tightly sealed.

This classic condiment is perfect for sandwiches or to glaze ham and salmon.

Homemade Mustard Recipe Variations

As we previously mentioned, you can use different types of mustard seeds to obtain a different spiciness. But there are other ingredients you can use to change the taste of mustard and make it sweeter or more flavorful. Here are some ideas:

Replace water with cold beer and a teaspoon of honey to make a spicy, flavorful, and slightly sweet mustard.

You can also use white wine instead of water and tarragon vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar. Any other herb vinegar will work too. Chopped fresh herbs with basic wine vinegar are also a good idea.

Spicy Beer Mustard: Use cold beer instead of the water and add one teaspoon of honey.

Do you like honey mustard? Use yellow mustard seeds and add two tablespoons of honey to our basic recipe for a sweet and mild mustard or black mustard seeds and two tablespoons of honey for a hot and sweet variety.