“Almost anything is edible with a dab of French mustard on it.”
Though evidence of mustard cultivation dates back to the Indus Valley, well before the “Common Era”, it was the Roman’s who first used the seed for a condiment. Must (young wine) was added to the seed and a paste was made by grinding the mixture. There are many mustard styles. This approach is closest to the style made in Dijon, France. Originally, this was done with verjuice, or the juice of unripe green grapes. Over the years, a mixture of white wine and vinegar have replaced the tannic flavor of the former ingredient. The homage to Dijon comes in the form of the use of these liquids, and the brief cook that completes this recipe.
I grow one type of mustard, these days. It is the Osaka purple mustard. This variety is stunningly beautiful and has a nice progression of culinary applications. In the spring, it can be sow a month before last frost. The plant is quite cold tolerant, and will germinate at low temperatures. The tender young leaves are splendid in those bitter spring salads that are so key to the after-winter cleanse. Eating cured meat, root vegetables, caned goods, and bread all winter certainly calls for strong dose of spicy greens to prepare the body for a growing season of fresh food.
Later, in the summer, the mustard greens grow quite large, and can be perpetually harvested from the outside of the plant. These large, tougher, and hotter leaves are great for wilting. The cooking mellows the flavor, and softens the leafs. Older arugula also benefits from this treatment, and pairs nicely with the mustard. About the time I’m sick of it, it bolts. The flowers are a lovely, yellow, edible, and attractive to pollinators. The young seed pods are tender, and delicious. They can be lightly sauteed, or tossed fresh into a salad. Once the seed matures, I cut the stalks, tie them together, and hang them in the shade to fully dry.
I use a bucket thresher to free the seed from the fibrous matter. The linked video demonstrates this process, in addition to the actual preparation of the mustard condiment. I save seed for the following year, and there is even enough time left in the season to start a second round of mustard greens to enjoy after all of the more tender greens have wussed out in the cold.
Like most of my recipes, this one takes days. There is wild chemistry going on here, and it takes about a week for the flavor we want to arrive. The flavor of freshly prepared mustard is God awful. It must rest for several days before it has value. Mustard is antibiotic, and mold resistant. Therefore, it doesn’t require refrigeration. It will, however, maintain peak flavor longer under cold storage. I like to water bath can mine, to reduce oxidation, before I store it. I refrigerate after opening.
To grow a years worth of mustard I use about 75 square feet. Once you have grown it to seed once, it will volunteer the next season. It is a well behaved plant, so I often leave it where it grows. The broad leaves of my variety provide great shade for the soil. If the bolting plants shade my other plantings to their detriment, I take them out. The chickens love them.
The video linked to this post shows every step in detail. Here is the recipe:
Brown Dijon Mustard:
Ingredients:
1 cup whole brown mustard seed
1 cup ground brown mustard seed
1 head sliced garlic
8 minced shallots
1 ½ cups white wine
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Directions:
1. Place shallots, garlic, wine, vinegar, water and salt in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Strain out the onions and garlic, and pour the broth over the whole and ground mustard. Let rest at room temperature for 48 hours.
3. Grind the mustard to a smooth consistency. Add water as needed. (The consistency reached in the video is a bit stiff. Go a bit looser.)
4. Cook the mustard in a pot, over low heat, for ten minutes.
5. Hot pack the mustard into 4 sterilized pint jars and process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.
6. Let rest at room temperature for 3-7 days before tasting!
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