Fermented Mustard
1 1/2 cups whole mustard seeds, pulsed a few times in a spice grinder
4 tsp sea salt
1 cup raw apple cider vinegar (the bottles that says "with mother")
1/2 cup filtered water (no chlorine is key)
2 tbsp raw sauerkraut juice
1/4 cup verjus*
Mix all ingredients in a glass jar. Leave slightly covered at room temp for 1-3 weeks. Store in refrigerator.
I was watching It's Alive, because fermenting things is one of my most favorite things. Seriously, it makes me feel like a kitchen witch every time I can transform a thing into another thing that doesn't go bad because it rotted in the BEST way.
The episode where Brad ferments mustard really blew me away. I had never thought of fermenting mustard seeds and immediately wanted to know what it tasted like.
The first batch I made was much hotter and had some ground mustard, garlic and onion powder. With this recipe I really wanted to see how paired down I could get it. The grind on the seeds is pretty course; I pulsed them just a few times to break most of them up.
For the first few days the mix smells so strong its almost painful. After about a week it started to mellow out, but it was still hot, think Chinese mustard hot. 3 weeks in is when I decided it was done and moved it to the fridge. The finished product tastes like mustard, but better. It is hot, but just at the start, then chills out.
I have used it in marinades, sauces, and salad dressings (really great with a bit of honey, lemon, olive oil).
*Verjus is a pretty special and hard to find ingredient.You can replace it with some sugar - the goal is to give the bacteria something to kick start the fermentation process.
I happened to have some around because I was recreating a medieval fish recipe. It is made from unfermented green grapes. It has a wonderful bright sour flavor that is sweeter than vinegar. (It was also used in cocktails when limes were difficult to procure. It makes a FANTASTIC margarita!)
1 1/2 cups whole mustard seeds, pulsed a few times in a spice grinder
4 tsp sea salt
1 cup raw apple cider vinegar (the bottles that says "with mother")
1/2 cup filtered water (no chlorine is key)
2 tbsp raw sauerkraut juice
1/4 cup verjus*
Mix all ingredients in a glass jar. Leave slightly covered at room temp for 1-3 weeks. Store in refrigerator.
The episode where Brad ferments mustard really blew me away. I had never thought of fermenting mustard seeds and immediately wanted to know what it tasted like.
The first batch I made was much hotter and had some ground mustard, garlic and onion powder. With this recipe I really wanted to see how paired down I could get it. The grind on the seeds is pretty course; I pulsed them just a few times to break most of them up.
For the first few days the mix smells so strong its almost painful. After about a week it started to mellow out, but it was still hot, think Chinese mustard hot. 3 weeks in is when I decided it was done and moved it to the fridge. The finished product tastes like mustard, but better. It is hot, but just at the start, then chills out.
I have used it in marinades, sauces, and salad dressings (really great with a bit of honey, lemon, olive oil).
*Verjus is a pretty special and hard to find ingredient.You can replace it with some sugar - the goal is to give the bacteria something to kick start the fermentation process.
I happened to have some around because I was recreating a medieval fish recipe. It is made from unfermented green grapes. It has a wonderful bright sour flavor that is sweeter than vinegar. (It was also used in cocktails when limes were difficult to procure. It makes a FANTASTIC margarita!)
