Brief History of Mustard
The history of mustard goes back to 1850 B.C. and covers the world’s cuisines. In ancient times, the Romans, in particular, made complex mustard with ground mustard, pepper, caraway, lovage, grilled coriander seeds, dill, celery, thyme, oregano, onion, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and oil. They used this sauce as a glaze on spit-roasted wild boar. As the Roman empire expanded westward, they settled in Dijon, France, cultivating mustard seeds in that region. In 1877, Maurice Grey (mustard maker who combined the ground seeds with white wine) partnered with Auguste Poupon (financier).
Traditional New York Deli Mustard
In the 1880s, the first deli or delicatessen, operated by German/Jewish immigrants, appeared in New York. Deli’s started as a convenience store combined with a quick-service butcher shop. Sadly, delicatessens have been fading away, from a high in the 1930s of about 1500 shops down to 15 still open today. Traditional New York Deli-Style Mustard is coarsely ground and yellow or brownish. This recipe makes yellowish conventional New York-style deli mustard that I think is spicy. Add three tbsp of finely grated horseradish to make extra spicy traditional New York deli mustard.
Sausages to Pair With
Try traditional New York Deli Mustard with classic English Bangers, traditional Boudin Blanc, traditional German Bratwurst, or traditional Texas Hot Guts.
This recipe gives you a bonus. It makes Brown mustard and New York deli-style mustard at the same time!
Measure out 100g (3 1/2 oz of black mustard seeds)
Do the same with the yellow mustard seeds, 100g (3 1/2 oz of yellow mustard seeds)
Likewise, measure out the kosher salt and vinegar (not shown).
Add the combined mustard seeds, kosher salt, water, and vinegar(s) to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal it and let it sit on the counter in an excellent dark spot for seven days.
Process the seeds in pulses until the desired consistency. (Or conversely, process only half of the seeds and mix with the unprocessed mustard seeds for French Pommery-style mustard.)
I prefer a rustic smoothness with a few unpoped mustard seeds.
If you prefer brown mustard, this image is a beautiful Brown mustard; if you prefer Brown mustard, [stop here]; if you would like the bright New York deli-style yellow version, proceed through the following steps.
Use a whisk to mix the vinegar and mustard powder. Cook over medium heat till a paste is formed.
Stirring constantly, cook the mustard powder for 1-2 minutes until very thick.
Measure the remaining ingredients (additional vinegar, salt, ground turmeric, and water) and add them to the blender and the cooked mustard paste.
Process the mustard to the desired consistency. Place in a container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator until needed.
The uses for these mustards are vast. Use them as a condiment or as an ingredient in other sauces.
Pastrami on Russian Rye with New York-style deli mustard!
Delicious mustard! You may never purchase mustard again.
Traditional New York Deli Mustard
Equipment
- stand blender, small food processor, or immersion blender
- measuring spoons and cups
- small saucepot for cooking ground mustard
- whisk
- rubber spatula
- storage container with a tight-fitting lid
Ingredients
Grainy Brown, French Style Pommery Mustard (Marinate for seven days)
- 3½ oz black mustard seeds (Black or brown mustard seeds are spicier than yellow mustard seeds.)
- 3½ oz yellow mustard seeds
- 1 cup distilled vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp salt, kosher, or sea
Cooked Mustard Paste
- 8 tbsp mustard powder (like Colman's)
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup vinegar, white distilled, or apple cider
New York Deli Mustard
- 3 cups mustard, grainy Brown, French-style Pommery, or store-bought (see above) (Entire recipe of Grainy Brown Mustard recipe from above)
- ¾ cup mustard paste, cooked (see above)
- ¾ cup vinegar, distilled white, or apple cider
- ¾ cup water
- 1½ tsp salt, kosher, or sea salt
- 1 tsp turmeric, ground
- ¼ cup horseradish, grated (jarred or fresh)
- ⅛ tsp sugar(optional)
Instructions
Grainy Brown, French Style Pommery Mustard
- Measure out and combine all ingredients and place in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Marinate in a cool, dark place for seven days. (In rare occurrences, the mustard seeds may absorb all of the liquid. It depends on your mustard seed source. In which case, add ½ cup equal parts additional vinegar and water.)
- After seven days, place into a blender and process for a few seconds. If you like grainy mustard, stop and use it as is. If you prefer smooth mustard, continue processing until smooth. If the mustard becomes too thick, thin it out with extra water or vinegar.
Below is the recipe to take the Brown/Pommery style mustard to New York Deli-style mustard.
Cooked Mustard Paste
- Add all ingredients to a saucepot over medium-high heat and whisk until dissolved. Bring the mustard to a low boil and reduce the heat to super low heat, whisking constantly. Cook the mustard for 2 minutes, remove it from the heat, and reserve.
Preparing the New York-style Deli Mustard
- Using a small food processor, blender, or immersion blender, combine the New York-style Deli Mustard ingredients and process until smooth but leave a little grainy.
- Check for saltiness and store in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate until needed.
Storing
- Store in the refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid. The mustard will keep for several months.
Hey David! I really want to make this recipe, it sounds incredible – but I don’t have 7 days to rest the mustard. Will reducing this time spoil the flavour? If not, how little time could I rest it for?
This recipe is for whole-grain mustard. Resting the seeds for seven days to mature is essential to mellow the bitterness of the final product. If you wish to make a smooth mustard, you can grind the mustard seeds down to a powder or use an already processed mustard powder (Coleman’s). This quick maturing will accelerate the process (24hrs). However, it must still sit in the fridge for a day or two to mellow out. For this, I would use white mustard seeds only. Black and brown mustard seeds pack great heat but can be bitter even with the long soaking periods. It’s a balance. It depends on your goal—the best mustard or expedient. I’ve had such success with the original recipe that I prefer it over any commercially produced product. The mustard is so good I’m well down the research hole making artisan sausages and cheese to accompany it.
I follewed the instructions and marinated for 7 days in the fridge. Almost no liquid was absorbed and after running it through a blender, it was about the thickness of a runny soup.
Any idea what could have gone wrong?
I’m sorry, I’ve never had that happen. I’ve made this mustard dozens of times. I follow the same recipe to see if it’s consistent. I don’t marinate my mustard mixture in the refrigerator, but rather my pantry. Although, I wonder if that would have mattered to account for the vinegar/water from absorbing? Did you add the other ingredients as well? Did you add the cooked dry mustard paste to the recipe? Were the mustard seeds old? Were they dry mustard seeds like the ones used in the pictures and recipe?
I followed the instructions fully. I have some more of the same seeds still. I’ll try another batch marinating in the pantry. Not sure that’ll change anything.
I don’t know the age of the seeds as I bought them from online spice shop. But I do think the seeds are the culprit, as no liquid was absorbed. So if it fails again, I need to source different seeds from another shop.
The ones I’ve used successfully in the past are brands like Anthony’s Organic Brown Mustard Seeds, 3 lb, Gluten Free, Non GMO,and McCormick Culinary Whole Yellow Mustard Seed, 22 oz – One 22 Ounce Container of Yellow Mustard Seeds. I hope this helps.
I found this article from a cook at a brewery that had the same problem you’re having with the mustards seeds. It turned out he had a bad batch of mustard seeds. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/wyhk1l/mustard_seeds_not_absorbing_liquid/