There are some things people just don't ever think of making themselves. We have gotten so used to just going to the store and getting something we need already made up for us. Give mustard for example. How many people make their own mustard, let alone would even know how to begin. As usual Alton Brown and his fans (me included) would think of it and have made our own homemade mustard. It doesn't even take that long to do, you just need the right ingredients and equipment. You grind whole mustard seeds, combine them with some spices & salt and mix that with sweet pickle juice, water and apple cider vinegar. Then nuke it in the microwave, blend it and, your done. You could even make the mustard while your homemade soft pretzels are baking!
Below I share my notes from preparing Alton Brown's Best Mustard Ever recipe. For the full recipe, visit Food Network's website.
1. In order to grind up the mustard seeds, I use a coffee grinder, that doubles as a spice grinder. I have a Cuisinart model
I just got. I know Alton likes the grinders made by Krups
.
2. When vinegar comes into contact with the ground mustard seed, it will at the point prevent the mixture from getting stronger. So you could start heating the mustard up, and then add the vinegar. However to everyone I have given the mustard to, not a single person thought this mustard needed to be stronger. It's pretty strong stuff as is. Much more than that stuff you probably normally have. But if you decide you want to turn up the heat on your mustard, you need to be careful. Mustard gas wasn't called mustard gas, because it produced a yellow colored cloud.
3. Alton microwaved his mixture for 1 minute, then hit it with a stick blender
. I found that after 1 minute, my mustard was way too loose. The strength of one's microwave factors in here. I microwaved it a couple more times for 1 mintue and always hit it with the stick blender in between until I got a better consistency. It thicken up in the fridge too. Just be patient.
If you are looking for a good strong mustard give this a try. I find that it's strong flavor works well in marinades and with homemade honey mustard. I gave a jar of it to my parents for Christmas.
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