Yellow Mustard

This is more of a general guide than a specific recipe. Mustard is one of those condiments that you can dress up or down as you and your family please.

For each measure of a water-based liquid, you want an equal measure of mustard powder. In other words, if you're going to start with one cup of liquid, use one cup mustard powder. That's a good starting point for a useful amount. What kind of liquid can you use? Water, of course. But also consider beer, apple juice, or a dry white wine. I'd stay with a light beer, so it doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the mustard itself. You also need an acid, and again, there are lots of choices. Lemon juice has been traditional, but either distilled or apple cider vinegar are also favorites. For each cup of liquid and mustard powder, you want roughly 6 tablespoons of acid. The last requirement is salt, and for the proportions already discussed, use 2 teaspoons of your preferred salt. This is actually all you need, but it's fun to play around with flavors and textures. I have one piece of advice, however. Wait until the next day to add anything else. The reason is that when you first make this up, it will be fairly bitter. That bitterness will tend to mask and change the flavor of anything else you add. But it will mostly dissipate overnight, and then you'll be able to play around with other herbs and spices and get the true flavor. Turmeric is a traditional addition to mustard sauces. It not only makes the mustard more yellow, but its flavor also complements that of the mustard very nicely. If you made your mustard with one cup of liquid, start out with no more than a teaspoon of turmeric powder.

Mix your liquid and mustard powder in a small bowl. They don't need beating. Just mix until there are no obvious lumps. Let this sit for about 10 minutes.

Add your lemon juice (vinegar, acid of choise) and your preferred salt.

Move the mixture into a jar and store in the fridge overnight. The next day, add whatever other goodies you'd like: turmeric, garlic powder, chopped cilantro or other herbs, whatever you like. Add small amounts at a time and taste after each addition so you don't overwhelm the mixture with any one addition. My family likes finely chopped parsley along with turmeric. I don't measure the parsley, just chop and sprinkle and chop and sprinkle until I like how it looks and tastes.

You'll have noticed that this is not cooked. Cooking the mustard powder and water is often recommended, and you can do that. But it does considerably mute the spiciness of the mustard. If you want to cook this, just go ahead and mix everything together and cook at low heat for about 45 minutes. Turn on the fan over your stove if you used vinegar for the acid, because bubbling vinegar can be a bit overwhelming. I've seen recommendations to open all the doors and windows, but never found that necessary. However, we prefer the brighter spicier flavor of uncooked mustard sauce anyway.

Keep your mustard in the fridge, where it will last for at least six months (ours gets used up long before that though!).