I know this isn’t the promised leftover-mincemeat-using-up recipe but having made vinegar and whilst rummaging through herbs and spices, I came across mustard seeds and decided to have a go at making whole grain mustard instead.

Many moons ago, whilst sitting in a traffic jam on the Purley Way in Croydon on my way to Ikea, I spied Wing Yip, the Chinese cash and carry. I hadn’t visited one since my student days when stir frying was all the rage and Brent Cross was my local shopping centre. Anyone who knows Croydon will know that once you get stuck on the Purley Way, there’s a risk you could be there for months…..ok well perhaps that’s a tiny exaggeration but Wing Yip is like a foodie’s version of Ikea so I got sidelined. They sell these huge bags of ridiculously cheap herbs and spices and I ended up with mustard seeds, amongst other things. I’ve used most of them up but there were still a few remaining and lurking in my box of herbs and spices. Unlike lots of spices, because mustard seeds are stored whole, they seem to last forever.

This recipe made one medium sized jar.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds

3 tablespoons black mustard seeds

75ml white wine vinegar

75ml beer or lager

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Put the mustard seeds, beer and vinegar into a small, non-metallic bowl, cover and put to one side for several days. Don’t refrigerate though.
2. Stir through occasionally and if the seeds have absorbed all the liquid add a little more to cover.
3. After about three days, the mustard should have developed nicely but the longer you leave it the more punchy it becomes.
4. Drain the mustard, reserving the liquid.
5. Put half of the drained mustard in a beaker into which you can fit a stick blender add the salt, oil and maple syrup and blend to a smooth cream adding a little of the reserved liquid if you need to loosen the mixture a little.
6. Add the remaining soaked seeds and blend with a few short pulses to give your desired whole grain mustard consistency and then pop it into a sterilized jar.
7. Set aside for about a week and then you can start using it – your very own homemade whole grain mustard! Might I suggest these fabulous scrummy sausages