Mustard is one of my favorite condiments, especially a whole grain mustard with a nice little kick. I never thought that it would be something I could make myself but turns out that with a little bit of time it's pretty easy to set up a great gourmet mustard. This does require some canning skills but because of the high acidity it can be canned in a water bath and not necessarily under pressure.
Finding quality mustard seeds is also important but if we venture away from the chain grocery stores several varieties can be found. For this one we need yellow and brown whole mustard seeds. I'd also recommend a good cider vinegar. I prefer one from Bragg.
To start this you are going to boil 1 Cup of water, 1/2 cup Stout beer, 1/4 cup course chopped ginger root, 2 TBS fresh garlic, and 1 tsp cracked whole peppercorns. Boil this mixture gently for 5 minutes. Now is the take to take in the aroma of this mixture as it boils!
Remove from heat and strain the mixture, keeping the liquid and returning to the pan. Toss the rest of the mixture. (I'm still trying to find a good use for this!). Add 1/2 Cup of yellow mustard seeds, and 1/4 cup of the brown. Cover and let this sit for about 2 hours. The mustard seeds will absorb most of the liquid.
Prepare about 5- 4 oz canning jars, lids, and covers. (I'm going to assume you have canned at this point. If not you can Google or go to the USDA website for proper canning procedures).
In a Food Processor, combine the liquid/mustard seed mixture, 1 Cup cider vinegar, 1/4 Cup sugar, and 1 TBSP soy sauce. Blend until most of the seeds are well chopped but not too much. You want to still have a nice grainy texture overall. Take a good whiff at this point or even test taste your Mustard.
You will want to can these in 4 oz jars, filled to 1/8 of an inch from the rim, and water process for about 10 minutes at high pressure. Let sit on a counter overnight and as always test any jars for proper sealing. Use any unsealed jars and refrigerate. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year or more.
These also make great gifts but are perfect for snacking and topping warm pretzels. Add a glass of nice Stout, put your feet up, and enjoy your hard work.