Thursday, February 9, 2012

Beer and Horseradish Mustard


While all my preserving compatriots are busy making gorgeous citrusy elixirs, I am here making very homely mustard. But it is not without its merit! Lately I've been using up my marmalading time (which is at night when baby is asleep, chez moi) to become fully besotted with Downton Abbey, like many folks are. (No spoilers in the comments, please! I'm a few episodes behind.) I keep on telling myself that it's okay, because come rhubarb season, I won't have a spare moment for the following eight months.

I realized I had to make some mustard because the other day I went shopping and thought: Oh, we need mustard. And then I realized I couldn't bear to buy horrible store mustard when my own would be so much better. I knew I had yellow and brown seeds, and powder all ready to go. But then, I got sucked into Season Two, Episode 5. The next day we had ham steaks for dinner, and my patient husband said, "You know, this would be good with some mustard. But, it seems we don't have any." He knew exactly why that was, and so, the next free moment I had, I whipped this up. Why do I procrastinate so??

On a completely unrelated note, does anybody remember the British miniseries Poldark? It makes me laugh to think of it, but I recall my parents watching it on PBS with some regularity. Makes me think that my son one day will wonder what the fuss was about Downton Abbey. Maybe I'll have to revisit it. Although, my mother called the other day with heraldic news: she found a neighborhood orange tree and a box full of them is winging its way to me as I type. Maybe a gorgeous citrusy elixir will soon be mine to make! But that does mean a sacrafice: no Poldark revival.

So, back to the mustard. Mustard recipes are all over the internets, and it is indeed easy to make. My first mustard came out lovely, but then I made--or thought I made--a horrible one. Ends up I tasted it too soon, which is a misstep. You must give mustard a little time. Make sure you visit Hank Shaw's mustard primer, it's filled with concise information. Local Kitchen has quite a few lovely recipes, and look at all these great ones at Punk Domestics! There's some mustard appreciation going on out there.

I loved the 6 DIY Mustard Recipes from The Kitchn and Sunset Magazine, but I must admit I was a bit put off by the addition of eggs and the use of the double boiler. I know that's lazy of me, but I prefer the easier soak/blend method. However, I understand the thickness quandary, and it made me think I might try a mustard experiment with chia seeds. Aha! We'll see how long that takes. Probably until my poor husband looks up all sad from his ham with an obvious mustard withdrawal.



Beer and Horseradish Mustard - a nice thick consistency, this mustard will do fine on a sandwich, a sausage, or pretzel. Strong, but not too sharp, it's a hearty condiment.


Makes about a cup. Store in the fridge, will keep probably forever but hopefully you'll finish it before then.

3 tablespoons of brown mustard seeds
3 tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's)
1/3 cup of beer (Slightly cringeworthy disclosure: I used Genny Cream Ale. Hey, it's local!)
1 heaping tablespoon of prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon of salt

Mix all in a pint jar. Let sit overnight in the fridge. The next day, put it in the food processor or blender and pulse until it's to your liking. Should be good to eat right then, but a few days is always good for smoothing out the bite.

20 comments:

  1. I remember Poldark! And War & Peace with Anthony Hopkins and The Forsyte Saga and all the other wonderful PBS series of my childhood. Lots of them can be streamed on Netflix. Clearly you haven't discovered the joys of watching these WHILE COOKING. Why must you choose when one pastime can enhance the other?! I've never made my own mustard, but think I will now. And, btw, gooseberry chutney is very nice with ham. ;-)

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    1. I love that you remember Poldark! I have been enjoying the instant plays on Netflix (we don't have TV) but for some reason I just can't cook and watch something at the same time. Sometimes I can't even listen to music and cook at the same time. As for the chutney, I fear I am still hoarding it. It's my precious...

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  2. That's all it takes to prepare your own mustard? I had no idea. Thanks. I'll have to try this.

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  3. Thanks for posting this information.

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  4. I have made many mustards with great sucess but the one I tried out of Sunset Mag, "Cognac Mustard" turned out so watery that I thought I made a mistake. Anyway not to waste good mustard powder and cognac, I blend it with mayo.
    Yours is on my list! AND by the way GENNY CREAM ALE???? I was practically raised on that beer.Love it.

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    1. Pat, what a shame. But as you say, there was no waste. I have another mustard I made that I'm still trying to figure out. If it doesn't happen, I'll fold some mayo in! And the Genny was the only thing in the fridge that I felt I could spare. Although it was in one of those cute squat bottles. I'm sure you recall them...; )

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  5. Omg....you are my twin. Separated at birth and a few (ahmmmmmm) years.

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  6. Lovely! Mustard has been on my list of things to try making for months now (and the seeds and powder have been sitting on my counter, too). I, too, LOVE Downton Abbey and cannot wait until tomorrow night's next installment.

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    1. I'm afraid I jumped the gun and took out the final episodes from Netflix. I can't remember when I last got so caught up in a show. It's slightly pathetic! The mustard is really just a side note....

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  7. I love that this recipe makes an appropriate amount of mustard. The last time I made mustard, I tread trying for a "yellow prepared" type and wasn't so happy with the result - but I have like a quart of it. Scale. Great!

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    1. I don't really like canning mustard because I like to switch it up so much. And prepared mustard can be wonky. Can you add mayo to it, like Pat (above) did? A quart of mustard is a ton, but I'm sure I don't need to tell you!

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    2. I use it in marinades or things that get cooked and it's fine. I hadn't canned it, it just 'grew'! I don't know why I never scaled down a recipe to this small size - its the simple things that get me the most. I've been thinking about mustard all day!

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  8. I made some very basic mustard right around thanksgiving. It was indeed pungent--I haven't tried it in a while, so I'm curious as to how much it's mellowed by now. Any idea how long this lasts in the fridge? I know regular store bought mustard can last seemingly forever...

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    1. I will bet it's better. When I had made that funky mustard a few years back, I had made it for a friend. I gave it to her, but apologized saying it was quite horrible. (Why I gave it to her anyway, is anyone's guess). She thought it was fine!! Try it, I wonder how it is!

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  9. Hi Julia,

    I made this mustard a couple months ago, and it came out great!! I went on vacation and just got back last week, and the mustard seems to have gone bad, it actually had that sulfur/bad egg smell. Any idea why that might have happened? Maybe it doesn't last that long in the fridge?

    Thanks,
    Kaity

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    1. Kaity, glad the mustard came out great! It should last in the fridge for a loooong time. Maybe even more than a year. However, sometimes, a knife gets double-dipped and something other than mustard gets caught inside and fouls it up. I'm guessing that's what happened here. Oops. It happens!

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  10. Thanks!! I'm gonna make it again and make sure I don't double-dip :)

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