I found a jar of mustard flour that I had put into one of my own jars - who knows how long ago? I didn't even know what it was used for, so I looked it up online and found your website. I see some of the uses for it now, but my question is, is there a shelf life for mustard flour? SC

Mustard flour is generally considered to have a shelf life of about two years. Mustard, prepared or dry, won't really go bad, it will just lose potency.

 

How difficult is it to grow my own mustard plants/seeds? I live at the 3500 foot elevation in California. Make a difference? Next question, if you do recommend my growing my own spice pepper plants, where do I buy the original seeds? Thank you for your advice, MB

I don't think you would have any trouble growing mustard, even at your elevation. Most gardeners grow mustard for the greens rather than the seeds. In my experience homegrown seeds are rather small and not much like the commercial seeds we can buy from a spice shop. Of course, you could always let your plants go to seed to decide for yourself. As for the pepper, I started to write that it can't be grown in this country, but then decided to check that fact. Turns out, some folks are babying pepper vines along in one way or another. I found a thread of information over at Dave's Garden. Sounds like you might want to hunt for a cutting rather than seeds.

 

Hi, I've noticed that a lot of store bought mustards contain 'vinegar' as an ingredient. I'm wondering if they're referring to regular white vinegar. The reason I'm curious is that I've seen many recipes for mustard now that contain elaborate ingredients (ie., red wine vinegar, white wine, etc). I'm curious if I can just use regular old white vinegar to make my mustard. Thanks, AB

My guess is that your basic commercial mustards contain the cheapest ingredients available and that is likely white vinegar. Those other vinegars like balsamic or red wine often have a higher acidity and more flavor than the basic white, but you could certainly achieve mustard with it.

 

I have some Sierra Nevada Stout and Stoneground Mustard sealed in jars dated with a shelf life of 2007, my question, is this still good to eat and would it harm us? We love this mustard and I bought a whole case. Thank you. N

Unless a mustard contains perishable ingredients like eggs or fresh vegetables it doesn't really "go bad." I suggest you call the manufacturer and ask them what they think if you are uncertain.

 

Great site - tons of information. My question has to do with cutting the mustard. Literally. I recently made a meatloaf recipe from a relative's memory. Naturally, there were no measurements. I went a little heavy on the mustard and tried to mask it by heavy-ing up on the other un-measured ingredients. Didn't work so well as mustard is so distinctive. I won't make the same mistake twice, but need to know: are there any herbs or spices that I could've added that would mellow out that mustardy goodness? Thank you so much, EM

 Aside from making a whole second batch of the recipe without the mustard to mix with the too-mustardy batch, I don't know of a way around this particular problem. In fact, I wonder if the overspiced meatloaf continued to build in heat as leftovers aged? I've noticed some dishes with chiles get hotter the longer they are around.

 

Hi! I’m wondering if you could tell me if it is normal for mustard seed to have a strange odour after soaking? I’d appreciate any advise you can give me on this matter. Thanks in anticipation, RM

This is an interesting question so I soaked some mustard seed and then smelled it. At first I thought, yes, that is strange, but after a few more sniffs it reminded me more of a vinegary mustard. Mustard seed has no aroma until it meets liquid.

 

Are mustard seeds good for sprouting? Are they edible? AM

According to the Sproutpeople, mustard seeds are a little more tricky to sprout than some other seeds but well worth the effort because they are delicious.

 

Can you tell me what is the shelf life of yellow mustard seeds and how can one tell if a mustard seed is past its prime? Thanks for all the information you provide on your site. L

You're welcome. Five years would probably be a good maximum for keeping mustard seeds around. You could check to see if it is viable by crushing and mixing with a little water. If you get flavor it will still be good but remember, it might be quite hot!

 

Can you safely repackage prepared mustard and how long will it keep. I found a great prepared mustard that I can buy by the gallon and would like to share it with some friends over the holidays but want to make sure I can safely re-package it. Can I and if so any hints and/or instructions? Thanks. RT

Once opened, commercial mustards should be stored in the refrigerator to preserve the flavorful pungency. You could certainly re-package it into impeccably clean jars with a label that suggests they store it in the fridge.

 

I recently purchased some ground mustard powder at a high quality Indian market and used it to make a sweet-hot honey mustard with eggs. Most of the recipes I reviewed were similar, but used Coleman's mustard powder. The resulting mustard (which was cooked and then refrigerated) is bitter and flat tasting after several days of refrigeration. It's inedible. Is there a significant difference between the Indian mustard powder and Coleman's? Does the bitterness improve with age? Most of the recipes indicated that the mustard could be used the following day. Not this one! Thank you for your help. AK

What most references call Indian mustard is the brown seed while Coleman's is the yellow, although technically called white seed. If you wanted to try the recipe again you might give the mustard a soak in the liquid ingredients for a couple of hours before cooking with the eggs. This would allow the enzymes time to develop thus creating a less bitter, more flavorful, mustard.

 

What is grainy mustard? DH

This is a type of prepared mustard where the seeds are coarsely ground rather than worked into a smooth powder. It usually refers to a brown or Dijon-style mustard.

 

Gentlemen, I will be ever so grateful if you can solve my problem. I make a family recipe mustard, it has flour in it which makes it too thick for my taste, otherwise it is very good. Most mustards that I see have no flour, but still have a nice texture? I don't think the flour affects the flavor. To remove it will lessen the volume significantly? and maybe make it a lot stronger, although it's strong now. Please help thank you. JS

The only recipe that I have seen with flour is to make a mustard plaster for when you have a cold. Removing the flour from your recipe will reduce the volume. If you let mustard sit at room temperature while aging it will become more mellow. Depending on your taste, it could take a month or more.

 

I just purchased a dozen 71/2 OZ jars of "Mr. Hot Mustard." "Best If Used By 9/4/09." After that date I assume the "hot" effect is not as strong. However, can the product be safely consumed after the date indicated and, if so, how much longer? BA

We talk about this on the More Tips and Hints Page. Please see the Cook's Tip titled "Mustard."

 

Hi, I read your Q&A on Mustard and have a question. I love mustard, and purchased a pound of unhulled brown mustard seed from an Indian market. I want to know is their a way for me to decorticate (dehull) the mustard seed myself? I've made quite a few wholegrain mustards and would like to try a regular mustard now. RP

It isn't really a matter of hulls, unless you bought them still in the pods, it is more a matter of grinding. It is tough to achieve the texture of finely milled commercial mustard flour at home but you can grind the seeds in a food processor or coffee grinder.

 

Hello! I have recently tried to to make homemade mustard for the first time and it came out so bitter! I'm not sure what I did wrong. I was following a recipe for horseradish-honey mustard and it called 4.0 oz of ground mustard but the rest of the dry ingredients were only in tbsp measurements...Is 4 oz an absurd amount of ground mustard to use for one recipe (makes about 2 cups). Can I save the mustard?? Thanks for your help! JS

I wonder if your mustard has improved on its own already. Freshly made mustard is at its most pungent. Left to age at room temperature, for days or even weeks, the taste will mellow. Four ounces is not an unusual amount for a recipe like that.

 

What makes a mustard sauce bitter sometimes. I make a mustard cream sauce with mustard, white wine and honey and sometimes it turns out bitter? DM

I need more information, like what sort of mustard you are using and if you are cooking the sauce, to be sure but it is likely the mustard. If you are using dry mustard, it's easy to go overboard. A small amount will usually suffice. If you are cooking the sauce and adding prepared mustard, I wonder if maybe the mustard is getting scorched.

 

We grew our own mustard this year and now what to do? I have sorted the mustard seeds from the garbage seeds, etc and this morning I ground some. I get very fine powder, however the hulls and 'heavier product' of the mustard seed look too good to dispose of. What can you tell me about what I have done and what to do with each product? Also, is it wise to store the ground product or am I better off grinding just what I need and storing the whole seed? S

What a fun project! For a fine, smooth mustard of the Chinese style, you'll probably want to discard the hulls. Many recipes for mustard begin with the whole seed so you can avoid the waste of the parts that look so good to you. I would definitely store the seeds whole. Have you seen the article "Making Mustard at Home?"

 

Though Coleman's Mustard is gluten friendly it is not wheat free. Coleman's English mustard contains 'wheat flour' which is unsuitable for people with celiacs disease. C

This is a point of confusion when it comes to dry mustard or prepared mustard. My own container of Coleman's dry mustard lists nothing but ground mustard seed on the ingredient list. Naturally, prepared mustard (as you find in a jar as a condiment) will have other ingredients that those on special diets will need to consider.

 

Can I make a large quantity of mustard and can it? Thx,JM

According to the book "Gourmet Mustards," mustard continues to lose flavor as it is stored at room temperature. The idea is to get the mustard to the heat level that you desire and then refrigerate to maintain that taste. I know this doesn't really explain why we can buy mustard from the shelf at the supermarket but I suppose some sort of technical advance is involved in the processing. You might look into the idea from the canning point of view, I'm afraid I'm a novice in that arena.

 

Recipe for salad dressing calls for dry mustard. I find I only have mustard seeds and prepared mustard on hand Can I substitute and if so, what quantity? JM

Since it's a salad dressing you could probably get away with using the prepared mustard, maybe twice as much as the measure of dry mustard called for. Otherwise, you could grind the seeds and use an equal amount.

 

Is it at all possible to eat too much mustard? I am the butt of my family's jokes, as I can go through a large bottle of Coleman's in one week by myself! Thanks! AE

I suppose you might want to consider all the sodium as prepared mustard is often high in salt content. Some folks find too much mustard irritating to their stomach but you probably wouldn't enjoy it so much if you had that problem.

 

Hi, I really like the valuable information on your web page. I made a batch of red wine mustard with brown seeds, yellow mustard powder, red wine vinegar, red wine, salt and a little water. I really like the texture and flavour but it is very, very hot. I have read about adding olive oil to tone it down but is there a way to make a recipe less hot without it getting too runny from adding extra liquid? Thanks for your help. NH

You may have discovered by now that a bit of time will help tone down the heat. The key is not to refrigerate your concoction until it has reached the degree of pungency you desire. I don't suppose you would like to share your recipe with the Reader Exchange? It sounds delicious.

 

What is the difference between ground mustard and mustard flour? G

Not a thing. Read more at "All About Mustard."

 

I am doing a project in industrial hygiene, involving exposure to chemicals. At a dinner party, a friend and I were cooking with mustard seeds and at the same time we turned to watch the seeds burst. Because we were so close to the stove ,we both inhaled the vapours. This resulted in us losing our voices for about 1/2hour,dryness and a scratchy sensation. Do you know of any toxicity ratings for this product? The seeds were white or beige seeds. Thanks PK

Interesting question. Since it is such an important subject, I hesitate to comment because I don't know for sure. I found conflicting information from several of the sources that I checked. While your discomfort was no doubt real, the same sort of reaction can be possible when cooking chiles or grinding horseradish. Let it serve a reminder to all of us that cooking aromas are not always "good."

 

When I grind up yellow mustard seeds to use for cooking the paste (with water) is inevitably more bitter than the mustard powder paste I obtain from mixing Coleman. Why is this? How can I avoid the bitterness (we use large amounts of mustard in Bengali cooking, Coleman's is getting expensive). MC

I'm not positive on this but I have a couple of ideas. Mustard mellows as it sits unrefrigerated so maybe you could try mixing up your paste a few hours in advance. Or maybe you are using too much. I learned from the Gourmet Mustards book that whole seeds grind into twice their volume. You might also try using a combination of yellow and brown mustard seeds as the commercial producers do.

 

I love some of the recipes on your site for home made mustard. I want to make batches for holiday gifts. Can I preserve it in some way? Like putting up vegetables? Or jams? Your help is appreciated! ME

Please see the Mustard entry on the More Hints and Tips Page.

 

Hi, I have an allergy to vinegar, mushrooms, etc. and wanted to make my own mustard. Can it be made without vinegar? If so, where can I find recipes? Thank you for replying.

 You have plenty of options for making mustard sans vinegar. You could try wine, beer or fruit juices. If you really want to get into making your own, I recommend the book Gourmet Mustards.

 

Hi, I am enquiring into the procedure for making whole grain mustards. As all the recipes you have provided on your site through links say you should blend or food process. This I assume is if you want to make mustards that are in paste form. I want to keep the mustard seeds whole. Regards, DH

Most of the mustards made at home with whole seeds will be fairly grainy. Although I haven't tried leaving the seeds whole I would think that you need to break them just a little to release the flavor. You could always make a small batch leaving the seeds whole to see what happens. Will you let us know if you do?

 

I live in N.E. Tenn. and the wild mustard is just now blooming. How do you collect the seed and dry it? Is this the way dried mustard all starts out? Would a dehydrator work to dry the seed? I've eaten homemade mustard when I was a kid and remember it was a real treat. Thanks REL

First, a disclaimer, I have never harvested wild mustard. I suggest that you check with a local expert before you eat anything you have not grown yourself. Mustard is considered an annoying agricultural weed in some communities so also check that the plants you have your eye on have not been sprayed with herbicides of any kind. That said, mustard seed is harvested from the pods after they have matured. The pods shatter to reveal the seeds. Commercially they are often dried mechanically. If you are going to use them to make mustard right away, I don't see any need to dry them at all. We soak the dried ones overnight before making mustard to reconstitute them.

 

Hello. Could you tell me if there is a difference between "dry" mustard and "ground" mustard. Can they be interchanged in recipes? The aroma of dry mustard is quite stronger and more pungent than the ground mustard I purchased. Thank you. LD

Dry mustard, mustard flour and ground mustard are all the same thing--powdered mustard seeds. This product has no real aroma or taste until some sort of liquid is introduced. Read more on the subject of mustard at "All About Mustard."

 

Hi, I live in Israel and the wild mustard plants have just begun to bloom. Can a good mustard be made solely from the fresh seeds that grow indigenously, or do I need to supplement with store-bought flour and/or other types of mustard seeds? Thank you, I

I did some surfing on the subject and sure enough, wild mustard is as good as cultivated mustard for condiment making. One thing to know, here in the States wild mustard is considered a pesky weed. You might want to check with local agricultural authorities to make sure the mustard in your area hasn't been sprayed with any sort of chemical control or other inedible and undesirable substances.

 

Hello: Your web page is great. I am intrigued by mustard making and am just beginning to explore the possibilities. One thing I cannot find on your (or anyone's) webpage is: what is mustard flour? How do you make it? Or do you buy it? Is it the same thing as dry mustard? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you, AM

Mustard flour, dry mustard, ground mustard--these are all different name for the same thing. Have you seen the article "All About Mustard?"

 

Hi, I have a friend who makes very good mustard and everybody we know is crazy about it. She wants to start selling it, but she has a hard time to find out what is the required ph level and where do you find an equipment that measures it? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you very much. T

Your friend should contact the local health department with these questions and more about what will be required to prepare and sell her product. I don't suppose she'd like to share the recipe?

 

How long do your mustard recipes keep? If they are preserved in sterlized jars? I would like to make some as Christmas gifts.  Thanks! C

Although I have never tried canning the mustard recipes on this site they should last for several months. You would want to use dried herbs rather than fresh for the Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Mustard and for the Dilled Honey Mustard. Since the Rosemary-Orange Mustard calls for fresh oranges, it does need to be stored in the refrigerator.

 

I tried to replicate those traditional neon mustard recipes (French's). Anyways, after boiling it for three times as long with three times the vinegar, sugar and salt, the BITTER flavor is still there and it's still a bit hot and spicy! How do French's produce non-bitter neon mustard? Is the chemical processing, acid-base washes, or msg or what???? AE

The flavor of your homemade mustard may mellow after it has aged a few days or weeks. I'm sure the French's recipe is a well-guarded secret but I'd be willing to bet that the "neon" color comes from turmeric.

 

Hello, I was inquiring as to whether you can double or triple your homemade mustard recipes (make in bulk?). Your reply will be appreciated. Thank You. OW

Sounds like you are thinking about making gifts. The recipes would double or triple without a hitch. For information about aging, storing and shelf life, see the cook's tip on the More Tips page.

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