It’s easy to learn how to make mustard at home. With just a few pantry staples and about 10 minutes of active preparation time, you can create a fresher and more flavorful condiment than store-bought varieties. Plus, homemade mustard allows you to adjust the taste to your liking, whether you prefer it tangier, sweeter, or spicier.
If you’ve never attempted to make your homemade mustard, now is the perfect opportunity to give it a try. Crafting mustard at home is surprisingly simple, and it can be stored in your refrigerator for up to a year, making it a convenient and delicious addition to your pantry.
Why You’ll Want to Make Homemade Yellow Mustard
Making homemade mustard ensures a fresher, flavorful taste and allows you to control the ingredients, avoiding unnecessary additives.
Flavor: This homemade mustard offers a tangy and slightly spicy flavor, with the ability to adjust sweetness or heat to your preference.
Difficulty: The recipe is straightforward and beginner-friendly, requiring minimal cooking skills.
Time-Saving Tip: Prepare a larger batch and store it in the refrigerator for up to a year, ensuring you always have fresh mustard on hand.
Budget Friendly: You can make a big batch of homemade mustard at a fraction of the cost of that yellow squeeze bottle at the store.
Tips Before You Get Started
Here are some quick and easy tips to ensure your mustard turns out perfectly every time:
Use high-quality mustard powder for the best flavor.
Allow the mustard to cure for at least 24 hours to develop its full flavor.
Store in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator to prolong shelf life.
Ingredients You Will Need
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dry ground yellow mustard powder: You will need dry ground yellow mustard powder to make this classic yellow squeeze bottle-style mustard at home. Also, don’t skimp on cheap dollar-store mustard powder. Buying high-quality mustard powder will enhance the final flavor of your homemade mustard. I like to use Colman’s Mustard powder.
- Water: Provides the liquid for the sauce but you could also substitute beer to make beer mustard.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar brings the perfect mild tangy flavor to the homemade mustard sauce.
- Turmeric: Adding turmeric is what gives your mustard a classic vibrant yellow color. Additionally, it adds a subtle earthy flavor like store-bought yellow mustard.
- Garlic powder and sweet paprika: These spices add flavor and balance to the sauce.
Yes, you can grind whole mustard seeds to make your own mustard powder. Keep in mind that home-ground powder may have a coarser texture than store-bought versions.
Equipment You Will Need
You will need only two pieces of equipment: a nonreactive saucepan and a whisk.
A non-reactive saucepan is made of materials that won’t react with acidic ingredients, like vinegar when cooking. This is important because using reactive materials can cause a metallic taste and discoloration in the food. I use a stainless steel pan; however, glass and enamel-coated cookware are good choices for non-reactive saucepans.
How To Make Mustard
Cooking The Mustard Base
Add all the ingredients to a small, non-reactive saucepan and whisk until it’s smooth and well combined.
Bring the mixture to a slow boil over low heat, whisking to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan.
Simmer and Cool
Let it simmer for 8 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to maintain a smooth consistency.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once the mustard is at room temperature, you are ready to cure it. This is where the flavor magic happens. You can choose between two methods for curing the mustard.
Curing Yellow Mustard
There are two methods for curing homemade yellow mustard. Choose the curing method that works best for your schedule and taste preferences.
- The first method involves curing the mustard at room temperature, allowing it to sit on the counter for 8 to 10 hours before refrigerating or canning. Curing the mustard at room temperature tends to result in a milder and smoother flavor, similar to store-bought squeeze bottle mustard.
- The second method is curing in the refrigerator, which requires transferring the mustard to sterilized glass jars, securing the lids, and placing the jars in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before using. Curing in the refrigerator can yield a slightly sharper and spicier taste.
Both methods allow the flavors to meld and develop, enhancing the overall taste of the mustard.
Homemade mustard can have a strong, pungent flavor before curing. Curing helps mellow the flavors, allowing them to meld and develop, resulting in a smoother, more balanced taste. However, some people enjoy the intense flavor of uncured mustard, so it’s a matter of personal preference.
How to Make Homemade Yellow Mustard Spicy
To create a spicier version of yellow mustard, bypass the cooking step and blend the ingredients without heating. This method can result in a hotter, more intense flavor profile, perfect for those who enjoy a zesty kick in their mustard.
If you are making uncooked mustard, it can be cured by allowing it to sit at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours before refrigerating or canning. This curing process allows the flavors to meld and develop. Be sure to label your jar of hot mustard so family members do not get a suprise when making a sandwich.
Storage
After preparing and curing homemade mustard, it’s important to store it properly. Homemade yellow mustard doesn’t have preservatives like store-bought kinds, so you will need to keep it refrigerated vs. on a shelf in your panty.
The mustard you make can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one year. It’s important to use a tightly sealed container to maintain its freshness and flavor.
Do you have a question about the recipe? Feel free to ask in the comments below. I’m here to help!
How To Make Mustard At Home
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard seed powder, dry ground
- 1/2 cup water, could substitute beer instead
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika , ground
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small, non-reactive saucepan and whisk until it’s smooth and well combined.1/2 cup yellow mustard seed powder, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Bring the mixture to a slow boil over low heat, whisking to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Let it simmer for 8 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to maintain a smooth consistency. You might need to turn the heat down some to prevent it from bubbling out of the pan. Stir often to prevent this. Do not put a lid on, it will draw moisture and make your mustard watery.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Once the mustard is at room temperature, you are ready to cure it. This is where the flavor magic happens. You can choose between two methods for curing the mustard.
Room Temperature Cure
- Curing at room temperature: Allow the mustard to sit at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours before refrigerating. This will result in a milder and smoother flavor similar to store-bought squeeze bottle mustard.
Refrigerator Cure
- Curing in the refrigerator: Transfer the mustard to sterilized glass jars, secure the lids, and place the jars in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before using. This will yield a slightly sharper and spicier taste.
Notes
Thank you for this recipe! I’m an American expat living in Denmark and it’s nearly impossible to find plain yellow mustard over here. It’s a key ingredient in my potato salad, so I’m forever lugging it back with me from my travels. Now I won’t have to :)
Wow, I never thought about not beeing able to get plain mustard there. So glad this recipe sends a little “home” to you over there. :)
I’m excited to try this recipe! About how much does this recipe yield? Just wondering for how many jars I should heat up.
It makes about 9 ounces so use two 4 oz jelly jars or a pint jar. The 4-ounce jars would make fun Christmas presents. I was amazed at how easy it was to make mustard.
Why must you cure for 8-10 hours before canning? Could you not go straight from the stock pot after cooking into canning jars and let the mustard cure in the jars before using?
Tecla, You ask a good question. I let my mustard sit for the day so it can thicken and mellow. I found it is less bitter if I allow this mellowing process before I refrigerate or can. However, that being said, I agree with your thought on canning. If we immediately can it as soon as it is done cooking, will it mellow and thicken after the water bath canning? I’m curious, it would be nice to skip the waiting process to can. It has nothing to do with safe canning practices so I think you could try canning it right away. I usually just put mine in the fridge unless I make gifts for friends. If you can yours right after making it, would you please let me know how it turns out? I will add your findings to the post to help other people.
1st timer
I made my mustard Saturday and checked today (Monday), it’s still bitter. Any options to fix it? Do I need to let it rest longer? Trash it and start over?
I read and reread the recipe and can’t figure out where I went wrong.
Great job jumping in to make your own homemade mustard. It will get easier and I bet you will get brave at tring new combinations. Here are some reasons why home made mustard is bitter and what to do to fix it.
First, understand it’s chemistry we are dealing with. Homemade mustard may taste bitter due to the natural chemical reaction that occurs when mustard seeds are mixed with water. Mustard seeds contain an enzyme called myrosinase, which, when activated by water, triggers the production of a compound called sinigrin. Sinigrin then breaks down into allyl isothiocyanate, which is responsible for the mustard’s characteristic pungency and heat.
To mellow out the bitterness and enhance the flavor of your homemade mustard, you can heat it gently either in the microwave or on the stove. Bringing it to a bare simmer and then allowing it to cool to room temperature can help mellow the flavors. After cooling, transfer the mustard to a jar and refrigerate it. You may need to add a bit of water to thin it out if it thickens during cooling.
Don’t be tempted to keep a home made mustard at room temperature. It lacks sufficient amounts of vinegar and salt to safely preserve the mixture at room temperature. Without proper acidity and salt content, the mustard can develop off-flavors and may not age properly.
Place the mustad in the refrigerator, allow the mustard to mature for a few weeks. This aging process allows the flavors to meld and mellow further, resulting in a smoother and more balanced mustard. While several weeks of aging are recommended, longer aging periods are also acceptable and can enhance the flavor even more.
Please check back in a few weeks and let me know how it goes!
Amazing simple and a must have
Kathy, thanks for sharing your comment on this mustard recipe. I was really surprised by how easy it was to make homemade mustard and wanted to share it with my readers. I’m thinking about creating a few more mustard varieties if you have any suggestions for what you would like to find on Intentional Hospitality. They would make great gift packs with a variety of homemade mustards.
Have you tried canning with this recipe?
Yes, I canned it in very small 1/4 pint jars. I gave them as gifts. Usually I keep it in my fridge however. Note, it does need a quick stir sometime if it has sat in the fridge for a few weeks.
I made this and used white balsamic vinegar by accident. the taste after 2 weeks curing, was fantastic.
Kimberly, What a great idea, even if it was by accident. I am going to try this! I like using this recipe and mix it with honey and mayo for honey mustard dipping sauce. The balsamic will be great.