Home made grain mustard

Mr Pickings loves mustard on his lunchtime sandwiches so once a year I make a big batch to get him through till the next time I make it.  I don't mind a bit now and then, but he is a huge fan so I need to make lots.  Neither of us likes that bright yellow gloopy Dijon stuff;  I make a real man's mustard!  I base it on an old Women's Weekly recipe - (I have a cutting from a magazine - no idea how old it is!) - and add a few extras of my own.  I do have a fabulous book by Barbara Beckett called Creating Gourmet Gifts (out of print I think, but I have seen it for sale on eBay.com) which has a few mustard recipes, and of course many other wonderful ones.

Makes 3-4 small-ish jars

Home made grain mustard:

Ingredients:

95g yellow mustard seeds

95g brown mustard seeds

1/2 cup firmly packed basil leaves (or you can use about 65g./2.3 oz basil paste from a tube like me)

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic

1/3 cup semi or sun dried tomatoes in oil

60ml honey (I used local honey)

60ml vinegar - I usually use a mixture of vinegars as I keep several different ones in my pantry. I used sherry vinegar, raspberry vinegar, verjuice and balsamic this time. 

1 tsp of ginger paste (from a tube) or 1 tbs of freshly grated ginger

60ml EV olive oil or a citrus infused olive oil  (I have used orange or lemon in the past)

1 tsp of sea salt flakes

Method:

Soak the mustard seeds in warm water for 6-8 hours then rinse off and drain well

Blitz the seeds in a processor for a few minutes to start breaking them down, then add the other ingredients and keep blitzing till it is the consistency you like.  I like to leave a fair few whole grains in mine.   Add more salt or honey or vinegar to your taste. 

Pack into sterilised jars and keep in the fridge or a dark place till needed.   Best put away for a month till it matures, but even better the longer you keep it.