Herb to Know: The Mustard Seed - Mother Earth Living

5 tasty recipes with Mustard Seed

“The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field,”Matthew 13:31 reads. “Which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”

The mighty mustard plant bestows bright flowers that herald spring, crisp greens that spice up summer salads, and those magical seeds. Mustard seeds are key to cuisines around the world: from India, where they are pressed into rich, yellow cooking oil, to France, where the word Dijon needs no further explanation.

Growing Mustard

Mustards grow well in cool weather; plant seeds in early spring for a summer crop. Gardeners who live where winters are mild can sow mustard seeds again in the fall for a harvest the following spring. White (or yellow) mustard (Sinapis alba), black mustard (Brassica nigra), and brown mustard (B. juncea) grow well in most soils, but they perform best in well-drained, rich, moist soil and full sun. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep, then thin seedlings to 1 foot apart. When growing mustard for seed, feed once a month with a balanced fertilizer. Mustard seeds mature in three to six months, but plants will quickly bolt in areas where the weather becomes hot and dry. Mustard is virtually pest-free, but watch for slugs and flea beetles when the plants are young.

Harvest mustard pods just as they begin to change from green to tan, before they fall off and self-seed. (If your herb garden becomes a sea of yellow mustard, you’ll understand why Hindus considered mustard a fertility symbol.)

Dry the pods in a warm, dry place, then gently crush them to release the seeds. Pick out the coarse debris, then sift the rest through a kitchen colander with holes just large enough for the mustard seeds to pass through. Shake the seeds in a fine strainer to remove dust and dirt. Bottled seeds can be stored indefinitely.

Food and garden writer Carole Saville is the author of Exotic Herbs (Henry Holt, 1997).

If the word mustard brings to mind that yellow stuff you stripe on hot dogs, think again. The tiny mustard seed lends itself to a wide variety of flavors, forms, and functions.

I’m mad about mustard– Even on custard.

–Ogden Nash

Even though I wouldn’t go quite as far as putting it on my dessert, mustard is a wonderful condiment, and I have at least seven varieties in my refrigerator at the moment. The commercial ones include smooth and coarse blends and a few “gourmet” kinds containing roasted alliums and jalapeños. Then there are my homemade mustards, so hot that they seem to penetrate the roof of the mouth, travel to the sinuses, and make the eyes water. I use them sparingly.

My refrigerator holds none of that turmeric-laden American-style mustard, the kind that accompanies nearly every hot dog eaten in the United States.

When I was a child, that bright yellow stuff was always on the picnic table, the only condiment we ever used on corned beef sandwiches. It was in my grandmother’s deviled eggs (“deviled” means “highly seasoned”). Our ham, bologna, and cheese sandwiches had mayonnaise on one slice of bread and mustard on the other; that flavor is ingrained in my taste memory forever.

Although I eventually outgrew ball-park mustard, mustard condiments continue to be a staple. Whenever my family goes camping, I take along a jar of mustard-mayonnaise blend for convenience. That combination is also wonderful on pommes frites–the first time I tasted French fries with mustard mayonnaise purchased from a Parisian street vendor, I was hooked.

Just this morning for breakfast, I had hot mustard on a slice of whole-grain bread with aged Dutch cheese; the mustard’s zing cuts and complements the rich fat of the cheese. Mustard makes cream sauce less cloying and perks up the flavor. I stir 1 or 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard into 2 cups of white sauce shortly before serving. The mustard-flavored sauce is good with all types of meat, potatoes, and vegetables, even pasta. (Macaroni and cheese, after all, needs a bit of mustard powder to taste right.) A spoonful of Dijon mustard also counteracts the blandness of a bowl of potato or cheese soup. Equally easy is combining a stick of softened unsalted butter with a tablespoon of coarse-grained mustard and a finely minced shallot to make a knockout topping for warm bread or cooked vegetables, especially potatoes.

Susan Belsinger is a frequent contributor to The Herb Companion. Look for her new video, The Art of Flavor: From Garden to Kitchen (Herban Legends/Cooper Productions, 1999).

Telling the Mustards apart

The golden seeds of white mustard, a native of the Mediterranean region, are the mildest of the three species. They are used alone in American mustard and blended with black or brown mustard to prepare the English condiment. The whole seeds are used in pickling, and the young leaves lend spark to a green salad. Plants grow 2 to 4 feet tall, with rough, deeply incised leaves 6 to 8 inches long. Small yellow flowers are followed by beaked pods that contain from three to six seeds. Because it is cheap and grows fast, white mustard is also an excellent green manure, a crop that can be turned under to add organic matter and minerals to the soil as it decomposes.

The tiny, hot, dark brown seeds of black mustard, native to the Middle East, are used to make Dijon mustard. In Indian cuisine, the whole seeds are used in cooking and in pickled foods. Although black mustard is generally grown for its seed, its young, fresh leaves may be used to spice food. Plants usually grow 3 to 4 feet tall but may reach 6 feet or taller. The leaves are lobed and hairy, and the bright yellow flowers are followed by smooth, erect pods, each containing a dozen or more seeds.

Brown mustard, native to China, India, and Europe, has dark red-brown seeds whose flavor is only slightly milder than that of black mustard. They are used in Dijon and Chinese hot mustards and in Indian cuisine. The peppery young leaves, rich in vitamin B and beta carotene, are used to spice salads and sandwiches, and older leaves may be cooked as a potherb. Plants grow 3 to 4 feet tall, with branching stems, large blue-green leaves 6 inches to 1 foot long, and pale yellow flowers followed by slender beaked pods containing many seeds.

Mustard Madness

In January, February, and March, when the California hills are aglow with wild mustard flowers, West Coast mustard enthusiasts gather for the annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival. Some 250 entrants present mustards from around the world at the Worldwide Mustard Competion, held at the Clos Pegase winery, and Napa Valley chefs compete in a mustard recipe competition.

The festival’s grand opening event offers live theater, opera, a teaching kitchen, and delectable foods and wines. Visitors to the Marketplace can taste mustards and mustard products, wine, and craft brews and can browse through fine art and crafts for cooks and wine connoisseurs. Jazz, classical, and world music fills the air, horse-drawn carriage rides and hands-on art centers round out the entertainment. A photography contest, a marathon, an art exhibit, and numerous tastings are also featured.

For more information about the Napa Valley Mustard Festival, write PO Box 3603, Yountville, CA 94599; (707) 938-1133; the website is http://mustardfestival.org.

When in the midwest, a visit to the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, is mandatory for mustard lovers. There, you can sample and purchase 3,122 prepared mustards and check out the museum’s collection of antique mustard pots and mustard memorabilia. Owner Barry Levenson writes and publishes The Proper Mustard, an irreverent newsletter. For more information, write 109 East Main St., Mount Horeb, WI 53572; (608) 437-3986; or visit the museum’s website at www.mustardweb.com.

Powder Power

English mustard was traditionally made from finely ground black mustard seed. Nowadays, English mustard powder (called mustard flour in older recipes) commonly contains husked brown mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds, and a little wheat flour. When combined with water and allowed to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, it makes a pungent condiment to serve with meat or to season cheese dishes, sauces, and dressings.

Mixing mustard seeds–whole or crushed–with cold water causes the glucoside sinigrin to react with the enzyme myrosin to form the pungent sulfur compound allyl isothiocyanate. Adding an acid such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine; salt; or using hot water instead of cold will inhibit the enzymatic reaction and hence the heat of the mustard. Using boiling water will destroy the enzyme, resulting in a mild but bitter mustard. For a sharp mustard, let the mustard seeds and cold water stand 15 minutes before adding other ingredients or heating.

Making Mustards

Grind mustard seeds with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. The longer you grind, the finer the texture. In a stainless steel or glass bowl, mix 3/4 cup mustard powder with 1/2 cup water and let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 4 to 6 tablespoons water, vinegar, wine, and/or beer until the mustard is creamy. It will thicken further on standing. Mix mustard with water first; adding acid at the beginning makes it bitter.

Balsamic vinegar makes a darker, sweeter mustard, and hot pepper vinegar adds its own pungency. Herb-flavored vinegars impart taste without adding green flecks; I especially like those made with tarragon, ‘Dark Opal’ basil, chives, and savory.

If you don’t mind flecks, you may add 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh herb leaves or 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried ones; thyme, rosemary, tarragon, dill, chives, and basil are all nice, as are grated horseradish, minced garlic, and shallots. Mustard made with fresh herbs or garlic or shallots should be refrigerated and used within two months.

For a sweeter mustard to glaze ham or meats, add 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons brown or white sugar or honey.

Homemade mustards are incendiary when first mixed but mellow with age. Refrigeration slows the mellowing. For a spicy but not overwhelming mustard, store in a sealed jar at room temperature for four to six weeks, then refrigerate. Once opened, the mustard should be refrigerated.

Sources:

J. L. Hudson, Seedsman, Star Rte. 2, Box 337, La Honda, CA 94020. Catalog $1. Organic brown mustard seeds for greens, black mustard seeds.

The Redwood City Seed Co., PO Box 361, Redwood City, CA 94064. (650) 325-7333. Catalog free. Black and white mustard seeds.

New World Spices, 160 Ellis St., San Francisco, CA 94102. (800) 347-7795. Catalog free. Mustard spice blends.

San Francisco Herb Co., 250 14th St., San Francisco, CA 94103. (800) 227-4530. Catalog free. Brown and yellow mustard seeds, mustard powder.