Half Grain Mustard

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians

Mustard is not only an incredibly versatile ingredient, it is also surprisingly simple to make. All you really need to do is take some mustard seeds, grind them up a little, and soak them for a few days. The addition of vinegar and salt gives it quite a long shelf life too. Some people say that it will stay good for over a year but I would recommend using it within 2 to 3 months.

There are a few things to note before you start making your own mustard. First, the kind of mustard seeds you use is important. Dark mustard seeds have a much stronger flavour than lighter ones so if you prefer a milder mustard, use less dark and more light. Secondly, the temperature of the liquid that you add to the seeds is important. If you add a hot liquid to the seeds, you will loose a lot of the mustardy flavour and after a few days, your mustard will start to turn bitter.

You can pick up whole mustard seeds in the spice section at most supermarkets but I would recommend going to an asian market. You can usually get bigger bags of seeds there and you will often have a better selection between light and dark.

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp yellow mustard seeds, 
• 6 tbsp black or brown mustard seeds, 
• 1 tbsp mustard powder, 
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 
• 5 tbsp water (if you want to add a bit more flavour, you can substitute the water for wine or beer. However, these may oxidise over time and reduce your mustards shelf life. If you are adding wine or beer, keep your mustard refrigerated and use within a week), 
• 1 tbsp salt, 
• 2 tsp honey.

Method:

• Combine the yellow and black mustard seeds and, using a spice grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle, lightly grind the seeds. Bursting the seeds slightly will allow them to release more flavour but you do not want to grind them to a complete powder.
• In bowl, combine the ground seeds with the mustard powder.
• Add the vinegar and water and mix to combine.
• Add the salt and honey and mix until dissolved.
• Cover and place in a cool dry place (the mixture will be very runny at this point and it will taste bitter but it will change dramatically over the next few days).
• Let sit for 3-4 days or until the seeds have absorbed almost all the liquid. Taste the mustard and if it tastes bitter, let it sit for another day.
• Add the mustard to a sterile jar.
• Serve immediately or keep in the fridge for future use.