Homemade Mustard

Homemade Mustard

Yield 1 cup (250g)

Inspired by The Art of Living According to Joe Beef (Ten Speed) by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan and Meredith Erickson

I played around with Joe Beef’s version of homemade mustard, and came up with my own recipe, taking a nod from them by adding a dose of Canadian maple syrup to the batch. I added a spoonful of prepared horseradish to liven it up further. If you want to skip the wine, add water in its place. I’ve seen versions that used beer, too.

Note that I used white (or yellow) mustard seeds. There are darker seeds are much stronger. I didn’t use them with this batch but it might be interesting to do a mix or use those instead. You can find mustard seeds in most supermarkets as well as Indian markets. The turmeric gives the mustard a lively color, doesn’t it? You could tone it down by adding less, although I find it rather amusing.

• 1/3 cup (55g) mustard seeds
• 1/3 cup (80ml) white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) dry white wine (or water)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• big pinch of cayenne
• 2-4 tablespoons warm water, if necessary
• optional: 1-3 teaspoons prepared horseradish, to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the horseradish, in a stainless-steel bowl. Cover, and let stand for 2-3 days.

2. Put the ingredients in a blender and whiz until as smooth as possible. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water if the mustard is too thick. Blend in the horseradish, if using.

Storage: The mustard will keep for up to 6 months refrigerated, although it’s best if used within one month.

David Lebovitz