How to Make Your Own Mustard

Published on Monday, July 20, 2009, by CHOW Video Team / Edit Post

How to Make Your Own Mustard

Kathy FitzHenry, founder of Juliet Mae Fine Spices & Herbs, mixes dry mustard (a.k.a. ground mustard) with different liquids to create a variety of condiments. Dry mustard plus vinegar makes a great hot dog mustard, while mixing beer with dry mustard results in a hot deli-style mustard. Dry mustard and wine makes a Dijon-style mustard, and dry mustard mixed with water produces a hot yellow mustard like you get in Chinese restaurants.

CHOW Tips are the shared wisdom of our community. If you’ve figured out some piece of food, drink, or cooking wisdom that you’d like to share on video (and you can be in San Francisco), email Meredith Arthur and tell us what you’ve got in mind.

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  • You'll get a much more complex and interesting mustard if you use whole seeds. Combine yellow and brown mustards or use either one. Brown mustard is hotter than yellow.

    Soak the seeds for 3 days in a solution of salted vinegar and water. There are many interesting vinegars to experiment with. Or use some of the other liquids that the video suggests.

    Blend as fine or coarse as you choose with...+READ

    You'll get a much more complex and interesting mustard if you use whole seeds. Combine yellow and brown mustards or use either one. Brown mustard is hotter than yellow.

    Soak the seeds for 3 days in a solution of salted vinegar and water. There are many interesting vinegars to experiment with. Or use some of the other liquids that the video suggests.

    Blend as fine or coarse as you choose with a stick blender adding in some honey or sugar to taste.

    Put in a jar and allow it to mellow out for a week or so. Taste and adjust the salinity adding in additional sweetness with honey, sugar, jam, etc.

    Its really awesome and far more complex and attractive.-COLLAPSE

  • Has anybody actually tasted stuff made according to this method? All four recipes make hot Chinese mustard. Vinegar-flavored, beer-flavored, wine-flavored, or plain, hot Chinese mustard nevertheless.

    Looking at my cookbooks and various other references, the reason is clear: with the exception of the Chinese style, all prepared mustard is **cooked.**

    C'mon guys, you can do better than this.

  • I'd like to see some ratios/recipes for making dijon or other french styles using dry mustard ingredients.

  • Meredith: Please don't get me wrong! I love the videos on Chow and Kathy was great and captivating in this particular one. I just thought it was funny that the entire content of the video was completely summarized underneath, thus providing little incentive to watch, and neither the summary nor the video provided enough information to be useful.

    Thanks to Kathy for clarifying! I am just recently...+READ

    Meredith: Please don't get me wrong! I love the videos on Chow and Kathy was great and captivating in this particular one. I just thought it was funny that the entire content of the video was completely summarized underneath, thus providing little incentive to watch, and neither the summary nor the video provided enough information to be useful.

    Thanks to Kathy for clarifying! I am just recently developing a love of mustards and am looking forward to trying her tips out!-COLLAPSE

  • HI Guys,

    Kathy Fitz of Juliet Mae Fine Spices here.

    First off, thanks for watching the video and leaving a comment.

    Regarding the proportion question:


    1) 1 teaspoon of dry mustard equals about 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard.

    2) Mix about an equal amount of dry fine mustard to cold tap water.
    Let the mixture sit for about ten minutes allowing it to thicken up.

    Do not use hot or boiling...+READ

    HI Guys,

    Kathy Fitz of Juliet Mae Fine Spices here.

    First off, thanks for watching the video and leaving a comment.

    Regarding the proportion question:


    1) 1 teaspoon of dry mustard equals about 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard.

    2) Mix about an equal amount of dry fine mustard to cold tap water.
    Let the mixture sit for about ten minutes allowing it to thicken up.

    Do not use hot or boiling water.

    The reason:
    Cold or tap water unlocks a chemical reaction within the cells of the mustard.
    It allows the glucoside and enzyme to combine. When they do combine
    a chemical reaction is triggered that activates the aroma and taste we associate with mustard. The only way to obtain the flavor is to create the chemical reaction with a liquid.

    Note: if you add more water than mustard, it will be "thinner" and not as flavorful. Or if do not allow the mustard to sit for ten minutes or so, the flavor will not develop to its full potential.

    Other: if you add other elements, like a mild vinegar, beer or wine
    you will get different pugency. Technically, you should add the water first and then the other flavor elements, like beer, vinegar or wine. But, I have found the dry mustard will work when mixed with any of these liquids.

    My Very Best,
    Kathy-COLLAPSE

  • Hi Vorpal,

    Why we do videos is a very popular discussion lately--check out the thread below this one for more info on that: http://www.chow.com/stories/11767

    And in terms of the ratios, you're right--I'll check with Kathy and post the exact ratio here! Sorry we didn't include it in the video and thanks for noticing.

    Meredith of CHOW

  • Why did we need a video when the entire contents are summarized in one paragraph? Why don't you provide any useful information like ratios of dry mustard to liquid?