Seed of the Season: The Joys of Homemade Mustard

By: Katherine Montalto | January 27 2010
Posted in San Francisco Bay Area - Cook It - San Francisco

Photo: iStock

That bottle of mustard in your fridge door is older than you thought. Thousands of years old, actually. Well, maybe not that particular bottle, but the Romans enjoyed white wine mustard, and the ancient cultures in northern Africa, the Mediterranean and parts of Asia used the greens and seeds for food and medicine. Mustard lovers in the Bay Area are in luck this time of year. The late-winter and early-spring period is wild mustard season in the region. It's a great time to learn about the countless culinary applications of that remarkable seed, as well as how it's connected to the history of food in the United States. 

The American love affair with mustard began with French’s at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, when it was first paired on that most sacred of American foods: the hot dog.

The tastes of modern-day mustard enthusiasts, like the seed purveyors at the Whole Spice Company in Napa, have evolved far beyond the standard-issue ballpark yellow, and happily, there’s little need to pony up for pricey designer mustard. You can easily make your own mustard with a handful of ingredients from a trusted supplier (Penzey's Spices in Menlo Park is a safe bet and they also sell online) and kitchen equipment most home cooks normally have on hand. The flavors of store-bought mustard are limited to what's on the shelf, but versions of homemade mustard are limited only by your imagination.

As potential base ingredients, dried mustard, mustard flour, and ground mustard are different names for the same thing: mustard seeds that have been ground into a powder. If you're looking for convenience, mustard flour is an easy choice since it doesn't need the overnight soak that whole seeds require for flavor release.

If you have aspirations for intact mustard seed, it's a good idea to form a relationship with your favorite local purveyor so you know when the best mustard seed comes in. The good people at Lhasa Karnak are excellent spice-sellers to know. They serve the Berkeley area from their two locations in San Francisco and Marin County. From there you can put your seeds to work with a simple coarse mustard recipe that's ripe for tinkering, or throw some seeds in with your homemade sauerkraut or pickles.

Those who prefer that their mustard not be a multi-day project might enjoy this homemade version of Tarragon Honey Mustard, keeping these prep tips in mind.

- Mustard can cause oxidation, so avoid using aluminum bowls.

- The final recipe will thicken up in the refrigerator, but it will always be thinner than store-bought mustard. Adding less vinegar and more honey will produce a thicker texture in the end.

- Tarragon can be intense, and has a bit of a licorice flavor. Dried tarragon is milder than fresh, which keeps it from overpowering this mustard. Add small amounts of herbs at a time and taste as you go.

- The mustard will be quite spicy at first, but will mellow after a few days in the refrigerator.

Tarragon Honey Mustard

Ingredients:

5 teaspoons ground mustard

1 tablespoon water

2 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/4 tablespoon salt

Yield: 1/4 cup

Directions:

1. Mix ground mustard and water in a non-metallic bowl until well blended.

2. Stir in tarragon, honey, vinegar, and salt until well incorporated.

3. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to marry. Taste test the mustard; if too hot, add more honey a teaspoon at a time until the right sweetness is achieved.

4. Place in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store In the refrigerator up to a month.

Use your mustard to complement the flavors of a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, but don’t forget about the other foods that are iconic matches for mustard:

- Use as the base for a sauce or dressing, napped over baked salmon or roasted chicken.

- Whisk two teaspoons of mustard with three tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon vinegar for homemade vinaigrette. Use the dressing to coat chicken salad or pour over roasted red potatoes and chopped scallions for a warm potato salad.

- Rub on chicken or pork before grilling.

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