Use a mortar and pestle to crush whole mustard seeds to make spicy, delicious Homemade Stone-Ground Mustard for sandwiches, burgers, and vinaigrettes.
I would never have thought about making Homemade Stone-Ground Mustard until my daughter demonstrated her creative culinary skills using a mortar and pestle (a wedding gift from her mother-in-law) during our visit to St. Louis last weekend. Although this kitchen device has been used since ancient times to grind spices, I’d never tried it myself. Why bother when you can rely on the convenience of the spice rack?
But…watching Allison demonstrate her technique and tasting that delicious mustard was so intriguing that I ordered my own Granite Angled Mortar and Pestle before I left St. Louis so that I could make mustard as soon as I got home!
You may be asking, “Is it worth the effort?” and I’d have to tell you, “Yes, I really think so!” It does take a little muscle, but it’s also kind of fun and the process only takes a few minutes. Once you are all done, the mustard can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a year—it has a really long shelf life!
Start with 6 tablespoons of mustard seed. My daughter used black mustard seed in her recipe, but I tried these brown mustard seed that I found at World Market. Pour them into the mortar and using the pestle, grind the seeds for a few seconds. Obviously, this is where the muscle comes in!
As you grind, you’ll notice a yellow mustard powder start to appear. Slowly add water—cold for a spicier mustard or hot for a milder mustard—and continue grinding to make more of a mustard paste with some whole seeds left in. The water temperature, whether cold or hot, will create a chemical reaction as you grind the seed that results in how much heat is in the mustard.
To this mixture, add the other ingredients and continue grinding until you have the consistency desired. Store the mustard in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving to allow the flavor to meld. This mustard is a delicious condiment for burgers or sandwiches. I also like to use stone-ground mustard in my favorite chicken salad and vinaigrettes. Oh, and I definitely plan to find other fun recipes to make with my new mortar and pestle!
Homemade Stone-Ground Mustard
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons brown mustard seed
- 1/2 cup water (cold or hot)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Crush mustard seed using a mortar and pestle for a few seconds.
- Slowly add water and continue grinding the seed. Use hot water for a milder mustard and cold water for a spicier mustard. Grind until the water is incorporated, leaving some seeds whole.
- Add the remaining ingredients and continue grinding until the desired consistency is achieved. Store the mustard in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.
- Mustard will keep for up to one year in refrigerator.
Notes
Dianne says
You contradict in your explanation and the recipe. Cold water and hot water, which is it. They say the opposite. Want to make the spicy version but don’t know wether to use cold or hot water.
sheilathigpen says
Thanks for pointing out my discrepancy! I’ve adjusted the recipe to note that you should use hot water for a milder mustard and cold water for a spicier mustard.