Make Your Own Mustard

When I went to my make mustard for my father's holiday gift this year, I realized that I've never posted the go-to recipe I've been using for years now. The concept behind making mustard is very simple: soak mustard seeds in a vinegar-based liquid and then blend it. That liquid can be just vinegar and water, but I like to use beer or wine for more flavor, as well as honey for some sweetness to offset the spiciness. You can also add whatever spices your heart desires for endless variations. Despite using white seeds, which actually look yellow and are supposed to be the most mild of the types of mustard seeds, this comes out hotter than the storebought stuff and takes a few weeks to mellow out. I also recently learned you can heat the liquid first, which will cut the mustard's bite, but I haven't tried that yet.

Mustard seeds can be found in the spice section of most grocery stores. Some seeds I've bought are harder to blend than others for no apparent reason and result in a coarser mustard - just a warning. This makes a very simple gift, which you probably wish I told you a few weeks ago, or is a simple way to impress barbecue guests, or is just a good thing to have in your fridge since the anti-bacterial properties of mustard mean it will last for months.

Also, happy holidays!

Homemade Spicy Honey Mustard

1/4 cup white mustard seeds
1/4 cup beer or wine
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp honey

Combine all ingredients in an empty jar* and put in the fridge for a week. One to seven days later, blend the mixture until seeds are mostly ground and it reaches your desired consistency, adding a little water a tablespoon at a time if necessary.

* It is suggested that you rinse and save salsa and peanut butter jars since they are perfect for homemade condiments.