One of my favorite pantry items is mustard. It is so versatile and used in many different ways. I use it when I make salad dressings; marinades; rubs; just to name a few. So... I have always wanted to make my own. And, guess what? Super easy to do!! Some of my girlfriends like to get together to do a progressive dinner. Our theme was "cider" and "fall squash". I made this hard cider mustard using a local cider from Climb Hard Cider in Loveland, CO. http://www.climbhardcider.com/ Check them out! I used their cranberry hard cider and it was delicious to sip while I was making this. The mustard was an accompaniment to the hard cider braised beef I made as well, I'll blog about that at a later date!
Hard Cider Mustard Recipe
Yield: 1 cup mustard
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon ground yellow mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup hard apple cider (I used cranberry hard cider from Climb Hard Cider)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions:
Soak the mustard seeds and powder in a medium glass or ceramic bowl or container. Mix in the cider vinegar and the hard cider. Set aside, slightly covered but not air tight, for 24 hours.
Using a mortal and pestle, grind the mustard seeds along with the salt and sugar. Grind to your desired consistency. Optional: You can finely chop a crisp apple to add to the mustard at this stage.
Cover and refrigerate for a few days. It will be very strong at first, but will mellow as it sits.