mustard seeds

Mustard seeds come from a cruciferous plant related to broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. They can be white, yellow, brown or black. The taste is bitter, spicy and pungent and can be very loud. Usually the darker the seed the more loud and spicy. More than half of the global supply of mustard seeds comes from Canada. They are used frequently all over the world to bring flavor to casseroles, marinades, dressings, sauces, dips, pickles and ferments.

Mustard seeds are also recognized for their healing properties, and have been used medicinally for thousands of years.Considering the amount of antioxidants, phytonutrients and essential fatty acids they contain, mustard seeds belong in the superfood category. They are rich in vitamins A, C, E, K, B-complex, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorous iron, selenium, manganese, magnesium and zinc. 

VOLUME

Loud to very loud

HOW TO USE

The seeds can be used raw or or roasted. 

Making your own mustard is easy by blending the seeds with salt, vinegar and optional sweetener. You can use the seeds whole or ground. 

Just like other seeds and nuts, mustard seeds benefit from soaking in water before use to remove enzyme inhibitors. Use cold water if you want the taste more loud and spicy. Hot water will make the mustard more mellow and quiet. 

When cooking with whole seeds, add them at the beginning of the cooking process. When cooking with mustard, add at the end. 

FLAVOR PAIRINGS

Arrugula, asparargus, avocado, basil, beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, capers, cauliflower, celeriac, cheeze, chives, cilantro, coconut sugar, coconut yogurt, cucumber, cumin, fennel, fruit, garlic, grains,. Greens, honey, leeks, lemon, lettuce, lime, maple syrup, marjoram, mayonnaise, mushrooms, nut cream, oil, parsley, pecans, pepper, potatoes, radishes, rice, sauerkraut, scallions, shallots, snow peas, soy sauce, spinach, tarragon, tempeh, thyme, vegan cheese, verjus, vinegar, wine

SELECTING

Mustard seeds and mustard powder can be found at your local health food store or online.

Just as with other dried spices, try to select organically grown since this will give you more assurance that the herbs have not been irradiated.

When buying mustard, Dijon mustard works for most purposes. Dijon mustard originated in the city of Dijon, although these days Dijon mustard can be made anywhere in the world. 

BASIC MUSTARD

Yellow mustard seeds don´t make the bright yellow color that is characteristic of a yellow mustard, therefore a bit of turmeric is added. Considering the health benefits of both mustard seeds and turmeric it is easy to understand why runners consume mustard to give them an extra boost for a race.

2 cups yellow mustard seeds

1 cup dates, soaked in ½ cup water for 20 minutes or more

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

½ tablespoon salt

Soak the seeds overnight. Use hot water if you prefer a more mellow mustard and cold if you like it pungent and spicy. Strain and wash thoroughly a few times until the smell is completely gone and the water is clear. Add all ingredients to a blender including the soak water from the dates and blend until smooth.  

STORING

Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in the refrigerator and use only clean utensils when serving to avoid contaminating the mustard. Mustard seeds contain a natural preservative, so even home made mustard can last a couple of years if stored right. 

Mustard powder and mustard seeds should be kept in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark and dry place. While mustard powder will loose flavor after 6 months, whole mustard seeds will last for years.  

HEALTH BENEFITS

Mustard seeds are especially beneficial for digestion and detoxing. They can help increase salivation which supports digestion and assimilation of nutrition. They also have anti-septic properties which help neutralize toxins in the digestive tract. This can help short term issues like bloating and indigestion as well as long term cleansing of the entire digestive tract and detoxing the blood.  

Mustard seeds ability to cleanse the blood makes them a wonderful medicine for skin disorders, both topically and internally. Use crushed mustard seeds as an exfoliant to remove cellular impurities, add mustard powder to your bath water or mix it with water to create a face mask. It is said that Hippocrates praised mustard paste for relieving muscle pain. And in ancient Rome it was used to soothe toothaches. 

The phytonutrients and enzymes in mustard seeds have been studied for their beneficial anti-cancer effect. The anti-inflammatory properties of mustard seeds also help decrease symptoms of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, migraines and atherosclerosis. Mustard seeds are also known to help clear sinuses and lower cholesterol as well as blood pressure.

HISTORY

Mustard seeds has been one of the most widely used spices in the world for ages. They are mentioned in Sanskrit texts as old as 5,000 years. In ancient Egypt, mustard seeds accompanied the pharaohs in their burial tombs. They are also mentioned in the Bible where the kingdom of Heaven is compared to a mustard grain. And mustard seeds were believed to have the power to banish evil spirits. It is said that the ancient Romans were the first to invent a paste made with ground mustard seeds and mixed with wine. This explains why the word mustard comes from the Latin word mustum, meaning wine.  Some say this was the first condiment ever invented in human culinary history. 

Mustard seeds were brought to France and became a widely cultivated crop by the 9thcentury. By the 13thcentury they started making condiment as we know it today in the Dijon Region of France. It is said that the French king Louis XI was so attached to mustard that he would bring it on his travels. 

In the 19thcentury mustard grew in popularity in Great Britain where grinding mustard became a big industry. 

In the 20thcentury the American yellow mustard as we know it today was introduced as a condiment paired with hotdogs, which lead to and explosion in popularity in the United States.  Today mustard seeds are the second most popular spice in the United States after black pepper. Not only is mustard considered an essential condiment in most households, but it is also used in thousands of products. 

REFERENCES

• Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, Kondale JE, Robson JRK. Foods & Nutriton Encyclopedia. Pegus Press, Clovis, California. 1983.
• Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Dover Publications, New York. 1971.
• Thimmulappa RK, Mai KH, Srisuma S et al. Identification of Nrf2-regulated genes induced by the chemopreventive agent sulforaphane by oligonucleotide microarray. Cancer Res 2002 Sep 15;62(18):5196-5203. 2002.
• Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988. 1988. PMID:15220.