Commercial mustard is cheap and plentiful, but if you want something that really makes your pretzels, sandwiches, and more sing, make it yourself.
Here is the recipe for a winning basic homemade Ballpark Mustard, and you can riff on it by adding other spices, sweeteners, and flavorings. As always, I recommend you begin by making my recipe unaltered, and then you can riff on it.
Try adding honey or molasses or another sweetener, try swapping white wine, beer, liquors and liquers, white grape juices, lemon juice, or lime juice for some of the water or vinegar. Swap smoked paprika, ancho powder, or chipotle powder for the sweet paprika. Add rosemary or other herbs and peppercorns. Amp it up to 11 by adding horseradish. Oh, and in case you were wondering, those are mustard plants growing wild in a Napa Valley vineyard.
What sayeth Shakespeare?
Shakespeare mentions mustard often. This excerpt, from Taming of the Shrew, Act IV Scene III, in which Grumio is testing the obedience, nay, subservience, of the strong willed Katharina.
Grumio: What say you to a piece of beef and mustard?
Katharina: A dish that I do love to feed upon.
Grumio: Ay, but the mustard is too hot a little.
Katharina: Why then, the beef, and let the mustard rest.
Grumio: Nay then, I will not: you shall have the mustard, or else you get no beef of Grumio.
Katharina: Then both, or one, or any thing thou wilt.
Grumio: Why then, the mustard without the beef.
Katharina: Go, get thee gone, thou false deluding slave, [she beats him] that feed’st me with the very name of meat: Sorrow on thee and all the pack of you, that triumph thus upon my misery! Go, get thee gone, I say.
Homemade Ballpark Mustard Recipe
Makes:
Takes:
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup Colman's mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon American paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page
Method
- Cook. Turn on you kitchen vent fan or better still, make this outdoors on your grill. Remember, mustard gas is right up there with pepper spray. Whisk everything except the vinegar together in a non-reactive pot and simmer over medium to low until it thickens, about 30 minutes. Stir often so it doesn't burn.
- Stir in the vinegar and simmer some more until it is the thickness you like. Then pour it into a clean bottle and refrigerate. It will be pretty potent for a few days, and then it will mellow and keep for months.
- Serve. Use as you would your usual store-bought mustard.
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