Category Archives: Mustard

CarolCooks2…Week 1…in my Kitchen……Made from scratch…Mustard…

Every Thursday I will show you how easy it is to replicate a processed food in your own kitchen…not only are most recipes easy to replicate but they make far more … are much more cost-effective …Who doesn’t like 3 for the price of one?

I am also really trying to get over the message that we should first and foremost be counting chemicals in our foods, not calories…I was going say count the sugar, salt and fat but we all know how important they are to our health and well being and that we should be aware of government guidelines but it seems the chemicals in our foods ..don’t quite carry the same importance for many…

Many illnesses/diseases are proven to be a direct result of the food and drinks we consume…I would much prefer to change my diet than pop a pill or three… Highly processed foods consumed in excess are known to have consequences for our health and our families health…

I am noticing when doing research the word “likely” crops up very frequently as in “likely safe”…and most times more than once in the same sentence…I don’t like it! It makes me uneasy…

It is also a fallacy that processed foods are too hard or too complicated to make…Many are just a process much like you follow a knitting or crochet pattern you just measure the ingredient and away you go …Yes, my mother and my grandmother taught me much but also much I have learnt myself…Yes, I have and still do have kitchen disasters (ask), my family…they would love to tell you…haha…I’ll do a post on them one day it will astound you…haha…

I make many of my own sauces, mixes and condiments …sometimes because I cannot buy it here and to import it costs far more than the ingredients it is also the preservatives I mean why else would something last for years…

I have also discovered TASTE…sometimes it is the taste… I can taste the ingredients and not just an overriding sweetness…I can see how much I can make in volume against the size of a pack I purchase in a store the cost speaks volumes both in my purse and in our health.

Ingredients: Store purchased Mustard.

Water, MUSTARD flour (21%), sugar, salt, WHEAT flour, turmeric, citric acid, stabiliser (xanthan gum) 8 ingredients…

My Homemade Mustard.

Ingredients: (5)

  • 1/4 cup cold quality vinegar (wine vinegar, rice vinegar etc.)
  • 1/2 a cup of cold water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 of a cup of mustard seeds

Let’s Cook!

 Mix together the water, vinegar, salt, and turmeric, then chill this in the refrigerator for a half-hour to an hour.

 Grind the mustard, then pour the cold liquid over the ground mustard immediately. Set it in the refrigerator overnight before using, for the best flavour.

If you don’t want yellow mustard, simply omit the turmeric.

The reason for the emphasis on cold vinegar and water is because this retains the flavour of the mustard,  otherwise, it loses its pungency quickly. The original recipe I used stated to let it stand overnight as this reduces the bitterness although I found 2/3 days was much better.

Also, as it chills, it should thicken up. This is the reason that store-bought mustard can be difficult to get out of the container if it comes directly from the refrigerator and isn’t at room temperature.

 

 

 

 This mustard will keep in the refrigerator for about a year due to its vinegar content although it doesn’t last that long here…they eat it!

My second batch was slightly smoother but I think I need to either dry my seeds in the oven or in the sun as dry frying it is so easy to burn them…which I did with the first batch so had to start again.

However, on doing a little research of my own I have found another recipe which recommends soaking the mustard seeds for 24/48hrs and then putting them in a small food processor and you will have a smooth paste after then passing the paste through a fine metal sieve however if you want grainier mustard then pass on the final step.

My quest for smooth mustard like the famous Colman’s mustard is not yet over but a work in progress……I will keep you updated…

In the meantime, my son taste tested …we had a little Colman’s mustard left so he used both on his dinner and said he really couldn’t taste any difference so it got the thumbs up from him and as he is a very good chef that was praise indeed!

About me and my cooking:

I use natural ingredients wherever possible. I do not use a packet or bottled ready-made mixes. I also do not use a microwave ( for personal) reasons.

I cook as far as it is humanly possible with fresh, homegrown or homemade condiments. I support local farmers as much as I can.

Saying that I am not fanatical and on occasions, I buy a bottle of salad cream…I just don’t buy ready meals or meals in a packet or tin I like to make my own.

To be honest, a lot of foodstuffs which I used to buy are so easy to make, more flavoursome and cheaper and importantly better for your health.

N.B. I have added a clickable link on mustard seeds which will give you further benefits and uses of this little seed.

Until next time enjoy!

Thank you for reading this post I hope you enjoy this new series…if you make your own mustard and have some tips to share please leave a comment I would love to hear from you…Love Carol x

Home made Mustard.

Who doesn’t love mustard on your Ham or other cold meats??

wholegrain mustard 1

I can get it here on occasions although as it is imported and I know you can’t have everything at local prices… Once it disappears from the shelves…stock control is not great here…It could be months before you see it again and yes we could stockpile but only so much…

A big cheer went up from me…Well, that didn’t last… I have got the mustard seeds from here before…but not anymore it’s that black hole of…” we no have, madam”

I tried online and unless I wanted to buy a minimum of a Tonne..yes this is not a typo a tonne of Black mustard seeds.  Or it was we don’t deliver to your area…. mmm

Then salvation came along in the guise of our friend Jan and he posted me some… Oh for good friends…I owe you a jar Jan 🙂

Well, the recipe didn’t go quite as planned however the result is a very nice whole grain mustard… but I now know why my Indian friends dry roast their spices it is not only to release their lovely flavours but to dry them out and then you should get a nice powder.

It took a while and a few tweaks but thank you for the recipe, Rex.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cold quality vinegar (wine vinegar, rice vinegar etc.)

1/2 a cup of cold water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 of a cup of mustard seeds

 

Let’s Cook!

 Mix together the water, vinegar, salt, and turmeric, then chill this in the refrigerator for a half hour to an hour.

 Grind the mustard, then pour the cold liquid over the ground mustard immediately. Set it in the refrigerator overnight before using, for the best flavour.

If you don’t want yellow mustard, simply omit the turmeric.

The reason for the emphasis on cold vinegar and water is because this retains the flavour of the mustard,  otherwise, it loses its pungency quickly. Let it stand overnight as this reduces the bitterness although I found 2/3 days was much better.

Also, as it chills, it should thicken up. This is the reason that store-bought mustard can be difficult to get out of the container if it comes directly from the refrigerator and isn’t at room temperature.

 This mustard will keep in the refrigerator for about a year due to its vinegar content.

Home made mustard

My second batch as you can see from the photo is smoother but I think I need to either dry my seeds in the oven or in the sun as dry frying it is so easy to burn them..which I did with the first batch so had to start again. However on doing a little research of my own I have found another recipe which recommends soaking the mustard seeds for 24/48hrs and then putting them in a small food processor and you will have a smooth paste after then passing the paste through a fine metal sieve however if you want a grainier mustard then pass on the final step.

My quest for a smooth mustard like the famous Colman’s mustard is not yet over but a work in progress……I will keep you updated…

In the meantime, my son taste tested …we had a little Colman’s mustard left so he used both on his dinner and said he really couldn’t taste any difference so it got the thumbs up from him and as he is a very good chef that was praise indeed!

About me and my cooking:

I use natural ingredients wherever possible. I do not use packet or bottled ready made mixes. I also do not use a microwave ( for personal) reasons.

I cook as far as it is humanly possible with fresh, home grown or home made condiments. I support local farmers as much as I can. Saying that I am not fanatical and on occasions, I buy a bottle of salad cream…I just don’t buy ready meals or meals in a packet or tin I like to make my own.

To be honest, a lot of foodstuffs which I used to buy are so easy to make, more flavoursome and cheaper and importantly better for your health.

Once I have perfected this mustard I will be attempting to make Worcestershire sauce. Will it taste like the famous Lea & Perrins sauce? Which I buy at the moment but intend to add it to my repertoire of homemade sauces etc…The list is growing.

N.B. I have added a clickable link on mustard seeds which will give you further benefits and uses of this little seed.

Until next time enjoy!

 

 

 

 

The health benefits of Mustard seeds.

You are what you eat…The benefits of Mustard Seeds.

lady holding veggies

 

Those tiny little seeds belong to the Brassica family and do they contain a bounty of benefits to your health and beauty.

I am loving what I am discovering about all these seeds and herbs we have so much at our fingers tips or growing naturally in our environment which benefit us for little or no money…Some effort? Yes, but some of that is minimal.

How long does it take to mix some mustard seeds with lavender or rose oil and you have a completely natural scrub and skin exfoliator?

Mix mustard powder with Aloe Vera and it is a natural skin hydrator…I am lucky that I have some growing in my garden…Do you or could you grow some?

I do think that more and more of us are becoming aware of just what we can make or grow and that is good…

Better for our health and easier on our pockets…

Mustard seeds have been found to have been mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit writings which go back 5,000years. They have been mentioned at least 5 times in the Bible and in the New Testament, The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a grain of mustard seed.

There are about 40 varieties of Mustard seed but generally, they are divided into  3 principal categories of black, white and brown.

Black is the most pungent and is found growing in the Middle East.

White mustard seeds are actually yellow in colour and come from the Mediterranean region, the mildest in flavour and American yellow mustard is made from these.

Brown mustard seeds are actually dark yellow and grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and are what Dijon mustard is made from.

There have and are currently many studies in the health benefits of mustard seeds and they are known to contain plentiful amounts of phytonutrients called Glucosinolates. They are also an excellent source of Selenium and Magnesium which is proven to help reduce inflammation in this case particularly beneficial in the gastrointestinal tract and colectoral cancers.

They have also been found to be an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids, manganese, phosphorus, copper and Vit B1.

The powder can be used as an effective muscle soak.

Also due to containing sulphur mustard has excellent antifungal properties.

It can be used in your diet in many ways, it can be used to baste meat or fish, a dip for vegetables or add the seeds to cabbage at the end of cooking.

Here is my recipe for homemade mustard

Until next time enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain Top Homemade Prepared Mustard

 

 

 

One of the joys of living here…NOT…Is the fact that everyone must use the same importer because everyone runs out of the same product at the same time and then it appears at the same time albeit months later and also it can be very expensive….

Well no more, thanx to my blogging friend Rex I now have a recipe in my hot, little hands and I will be making my own Yellow, mustard with no mayo just hot, smooth, yellow mustard.

Over to you Rex 🙂

 

 

There are a lot of different brands of prepared mustard sold in stores and each tastes a little different than the others. For flavor, though, it is far better to make your own. It is also quite simple; my favorite kind of recipe.Kinds of mustard. It needs to be mentioned that this is made with mustard seeds. That might seem like an absurdly simple statement, but there are three kinds of mustard seeds and all of them work well in this recipe and the variations.The three kinds of mustard seeds are white mustard, brown mustard, and black mustard. White mustard is the blandest and this is what most commercial prepared yellow mustard is made from. Brown mustard has more piquancy or ‘bite’ and it is more full of flavor. Black mustard is the most piquant of all and has the fullest flavor. Use the kind of mustard that suits your taste. You can even use a blend. “Grey Poupon” mustard is a mixture.The seeds Mustard seeds can be ground using a blender, food processor, herb grinder, or even a mortar and pestle. They can be course ground or fine ground, depending on your preference. Once they are ground, though, they need to be immediately immersed in a cold fluid. This is because the grinding process releases the volatile oils and these dissipate rapidly. Heat also destroys them. The cold fluid, especially with an acid and salt in the mixture, stabilizes the volatile oils.This is the secret that commercial products don’t tell you. Mustard is basically ground mustard seed and water, with both an acid and salt added. The yellow coloration comes from turmeric. Commercial companies tend to use low-quality vinegar for the acid and not much of it. Water is cheaper than vinegar. The Mountain Top version uses quality vinegar because the result never exceeds the quality of the ingredients. In fact, you can use whatever good salt that you prefer, too.Prepared mustard ingredients:3/4 cup mustard seeds, ground (mustard powder can be used if you must)1/2 cup cold water1/4 cup cold quality vinegar (wine vinegar, rice vinegar, cactus vinegar, etc.)1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground turmericPrepared mustard instructions:1. Mix together the water, vinegar, salt, and turmeric, then chill this in the refrigerator for a half hour to an hour.2. Grind the mustard, then pour the cold liquid over the ground mustard immediately. Set it in the refrigerator overnight before using, for the best flavor.If you don’t want yellow mustard, simply omit the turmeric.The reason for the emphasis on cold vinegar and water is because this retains the flavor of the mustard, which would otherwise degrade quickly. The reason for letting it stand overnight is because freshly ground mustard tends to have some bitterness to it. The bitterness goes away when it is allowed to stand for several hours.Also, as it chills, it should thicken up. This is the reason that store-bought mustard can be difficult to get out of the container if it comes directly from the refrigerator and isn’t at room temperature.This is also a tip; if you want your mustard to be easy to pour on hot dogs and burgers or whatever, let it warm up to room temperature. The vinegar prevents a lot of bacteria from growing, so you are covered in that regard. In fact, this mustard keeps for about a year in the refrigerator, though it becomes weaker with time.Note: Lessening the amount of fluid will result in thicker prepared mustard. If it is too thick, just add a little vinegar and stir it in.Bonus recipe As a bonus recipe, if you want to have some honey-mustard dipping sauce, simply mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 1/4 cup Mountain Top prepared mustard.It isn’t difficult at all to make prepared mustard and while there is a waiting time, it is definitely worth it. Once you try the Mountain Top prepared mustard, it is likely that you will wonder why you’ve been using the almost flavorless store-bought prepared mustard all this time

Source: Mountain Top Homemade Prepared Mustard