I have a serious condiment addiction, and my latest can’t-get-enough craving is for mustards. Sweet, yellow, brown, honey … and most recently, grainy. I love to make dressings and marinades with it, top a Chicago dog, and mix into mac n’ cheese. Surprised at the lack of options in my local grocery, this past weekend I decided to make my own. After doing a little internet research I found out the process is actually ridiculously easy! There are lots of variations, but I tried a very basic recipe and am really excited about the results. Here’s my recipe:
Grainy Mustard
• 1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
• 3 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
In a glass or plastic (not metal) bowl I soaked mustard seeds in vinegar and water at room temperature for 1 1/2 days (if you try this and the seeds aren’t fully submerged, add enough additional water to cover). After soaking, I puréed the mixture with a hand blender with honey and salt until the texture was medium-coarse (which took about 2 minutes). Then, I then thinned it with a little additional water and adjusted the salt to my taste. That’s it! It turned out awesomely grainy with a nice tang, and should mellow out in a week. Next time I might try a variation like:
• Using beer, ale, or wine instead of vinegar
• Adding dried fruit such as apricots, cherries or raisins to the soaking
• Adjusting the ratio of seeds (brown seeds make for a spicier spread)
• Using smoked or flavored salts, sugar, or maple syrup to season
• Adding herbs and spices such as tarragon, thyme, paprika, or Chinese 5-spice powder.
Have you ever made your own condiments? — Rebecca F.

Photo: Rebecca Firlik