Mustard for Valentine's Day?

Three Reasons to Give Mustard for Valentine's Day

1. Proves you’re thinking outside the box (of chocolates);
2. You don’t have to put them in a vase that the cat will knock over;
3. Shows that you care about practicing safe snacks; you always use a condiment.

Although it was unattributed in my saved folder, I am pretty sure this came from the newsletter of the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, WI.  If your entire focus is mustard you better have a sense of humor and they do!

We love the varieties of mustard we can get over there and who knew you needed that many but we do and make a pilgrimage at least once a year!

Not to show up the museum, but if you cannot make the pilgrimage to this mustard mecca, you can easily make mustard on your own!  BTW these make great gifts to the man in your life too!

Beer Mustard Recipe

• 3/4 cup brown or yellow mustard seeds, or a mix
• 1/3 cup beer (brown ale, porter or stout)
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a bowl with a lid, stir together all ingredients. Set aside on your kitchen counter for a couple of days, or in the fridge for a few days. Forget about it for a while.

2. When you remember it’s there, pour everything into a food processor and purée until smooth. Use immediately and for the next several months. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Classic Dijon Mustard

• 1 and ½ cups white wine (ideally a crisp chablis or sauvignon blanc)
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 oz dry mustard powder (ground yellow mustard seed, about 1 cup + 2 tsp)
• 2 Tbls honey
• 2 tsp salt 

Directions:

1.  Combine wine, vinegar, onion and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow aromatics to steep in the wine for 10 – 15 minutes.

2.  Strain onion and garlic from the infused wine, pressing on solids to release all the juice. Return wine to the saucepan and add salt and honey. Over medium heat, whisk in the mustard powder; continue whisking and heating until the mustard comes to a boil. Stirring constantly, boil mustard until it reduces to your desired thickness, remembering that it will thicken further upon cooling (I cooked mine for about 10 minutes). Taste and adjust seasonings.

Makes approximately 1 and 1/2 cups.

Mustard will keep refrigerated for up to a year so no need to worry that it must be eaten in a hurry.