Monday, June 15, 2009

Old recipes: prepared mustard

Yesterday was an almost rainy, quiet Sunday afternoon and I found myself going through some old recipes. I hate to throw recipes out, even though I've had them for years and have never (yet!) got around to trying them... be that as it may, I rediscovered a few that I really, really should have tried a long time ago. They would have saved me some money and been fun, too.

One of them is how to make prepared mustard (for your hotdogs and hamburgers):

1 1/2 ounces mustard seed or powdered mustard (If you grow mustard greens, let some go to seed and use it, or you can use wild mustard seed, pennycress or even part radish seed)
2 ounces of water
4 ounces of vinegar (1/2 cup) - the recipe doesn't say, but I would use apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp turmeric - probably optional; it gives mustard its color
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar - this seems like a lot of sugar to me, so I'll taste it before adding it all.

Blend all ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Again, the recipe doesn't say so, but I would mill the seed first (use your blender on high), then add the rest.

If you try it, let me know how it works for you!

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipe - will be trying it soon and let you know how it is received... may heat it up some with some peppers..

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  2. Oh, please do let me know! I haven't tried it yet because I'm waiting for free seed. Frugal, huh? ;)

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  3. Hi, just tried your recipe, tumeric is not necesary although it helps a little. Take poetic license withthe types of vinegar you use as this seems to be where about 1/2 the flavor comes from. Freshers ingredients are better, but powders work well too. this is a reduction sauce not one that will thickin with just a little time so it will take at least 10-15 minutes to complete. All together makes a nice deli style prepared mustard, you can use food coloring for color if you wish, but the colors you see from prepared mustard in the store are next to impossible to get, and my children liked it brown despite their dislike of deli mustard.

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  4. Thanks for reporting! I STILL haven't tried it... waiting for this year's crop of mustard seed.

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