I dont remember being a mustard fiend, but as I often say, proximity is everything.
With hot, grainy homemade mustard nearby, I find myself reaching for it at least once a day.
Sandwiches, sure;salad dressings, of course.
But almost anytime I add butter and lemon, I now add mustard.
Mustard is an idealglue for breadcrumbson almost anything, but fish and chicken, in particular.
It rarely burns, and adds a pleasant base of flavor and texture.
Heck, it even improvesscrambled eggs.
From there its about tasteI like sugar, honey, and horseradish.
Combine these elements to your personal taste, and the result is a delight.
However, I beseech you to consider leveling up and fermenting that mustard.
Fermented mustard mellows and marries the flavors, and adds an edge of umami thats hard to pin down.
Make it now and use it all winter in soups, stews, and risotto.
How grainy do you want it?
Mustard you make yourself can be as grainy as you like.
Be forewarned, because of the size of the seeds, this is a lengthy process.
Generally, I find a happy medium, and you will too.
How spicy do you want it?
Mustard isnt that spicy in and of itself, it gets spicy in conjunction with other ingredients.
Prepared horseradish, for instance, can be found in many mustards.
Since fresh horseradish loses its spice as soon as you cut it, starting with horseradish root isnt advised.
Garlic can also add a layer of heat.
you could taste as you go to adjust.
What if I dont have brine?
Usually when fermenting, you start with a salt brine of 2-3% salt.
you’re able to also use whey.
Think of these as starters for your own fermentation, just like a sourdough starter.
The watery part is the whey.
you’ve got the option to also phone a fermenting friend.
Itll take longer to ferment since youre starting from scratch, but itll still work.
I use yellow, brown and black in equal amounts.
Be aware, black and brown mustard seeds look the same.)
Add more brine as you should probably, to keep things moving.
Mix everything well with a long spoon.
Put a fermentation lid on, and put it in a dark place in a room between 60-80F.
Over the next day, youll see the ingredients in the jar separate, then ferment.
give a shot to catch it before that point.
The colder it is, the less it ferments.
The hotter, the more it ferments.
So if you have a really active ferment, move it someplace slightly colder.
Continue tasting the mustard, which should still be bitter, because the mustard seeds havent aged at all.
It takes time for them to mellow.
When youre happy with the ferment, add your vinegar and mix it in.
Because of the temperature, it will stop fermenting.
Enjoy your homemade mustard on everything, and watch as it gets better with age.
