National Mustard Day: 5 recipes to make your own

Happy National Mustard Day! Sure, you can celebrate with a storebought variety, but did you know how simple homemade mustard can be? Try your hand at making your own with a recipe or two; you won’t believe how easy -- and fun, and flavorful -- homemade mustard can be. I did a story on it a couple years back:

“Think mustard, and your thoughts might veer first toward the bright yellow stuff you get in a squeeze bottle. Or maybe you prefer something a little less mild, as you reach for your favorite brand of Dijon or maybe a spicy whole grain.

“Essentially, mustard is nothing more than a combination of seeds and liquid. Soak seeds in the fluid of your choice (water, vinegar, perhaps a double bock beer) until they’re all softened and happy, flavor the mix as desired, then grind the seeds and, voilà, homemade mustard. (Starting the whole process with powdered mustard instead of whole seeds makes it even easier.)

RECIPES: 5 recipes for homemade mustard

“I love that the condiment lends itself so readily to experimentation. Sweeten or spice the flavors here, manipulate the texture there, and fine-tune to create your own custom spread. Done right, mustard is downright magical, whether fancy or not. And nothing beats the flavor of homemade.”

You’re curious now, aren’t you? Check out the photo gallery above for links to recipes. You’ll find everything from a flavorful beer and caraway mustard to an herbed honey mustard. There’s even a recipe based on an ancient Roman mustard (those Romans liked their condiments, too). And it makes a great weekend project.

Have a weekend project you’d like me to cover? Email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

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