Basics. (part 2) Mustard

As far as sauces go, there are few instances I can recall when I would pass up a good mustard. Eggs? Sure. Dogs? Definitely. Chicken? Beef? Pork? Seafood? Vegetables? You bet. On a cracker, or on some bread? Why not. Right off a spoon? Now you're talkin'!

Not only does mustard, especially the whole-grain variety (save the bright yellow for Wawa pretzels on the go), twist up flavors to give some sour and smoky tones, I've used it as an ingredient in other sauces. As a stand-alone or as an aid, mustard is one of my palate's favorite treats.

Never mind, the fact that most days I have no less than 4 or 5 different varieties of mustard in my fridge.  Except, when I opened the fridge and discovered this past weekend, that I was down to just one measly bottle of the the sunny yellow variety. *Sigh* And to think I was going to gobble up some mustard like it was yogurt. *Sigh, oh double triple sigh*

If you've ever looked at the ingredient list on any whole-grain mustard, you'll find that it's so basic it's criminal. I'm sure most of the time when I'm paying for mustard, I am paying mostly for the jar and the labor, in that order. The ingredients list is so consistently short, with 2 basic ingredients that just about every mustard has. I tried it for the first time this afternoon, amidst the hustle and bustle of getting our house ready for the holidays next week.

This first experiment, I'm using the mustard seeds whole (not ground), and I'm going to let the liquid break down the seeds a bit for me. I added some fennel and cumin seeds, a touch of salt, and I'm planning to add a touch of agave tomorrow evening to help temper the spiciness. We'll see how it goes.

Basic Mustard
Mustard seeds (use a combination of brown and yellow)
Vinegar (try any variety of vinegar, wine, or beer)

1. Place mustard seeds in a sterilized jar.
2. Cover with vinegar until just to the top of the seeds.
3. About an hour later, check on the mustard seeds. If it needs more vinegar to keep the seeds covered, add more vinegar.
4. Let steep overnight.
5. Enjoy.

If you like it spicy, keep the jar cool and use cool liquid. If you'd like it milder, heat up the mixture on the stove first to help soften the flavor in the seeds, let cool, and the jar and fridge. From this basic recipe, the sky's the limit on variations of additives: dried fruit, fruit rind, wines, different types of sweeteners, herbs, other spices, peppercorns, the list goes on. And for smoother texture, just grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle before mixing with the acid.