mustard question

[johnellw]

I'm experimenting with some homemade mustards, and I'm wondering how much vinegar I can afford to cut from some of my recipes, to still have it keep well. If I'm using 1/4 cup of seeds, what is the minimum amount of vinegar I "must" use?

I realize that there are alternatives to vinegar, of course, but for the purposes of this question, I'm assuming that vinegar is a must.

Thanks, regards
@johnellw

 

[Whoops]

for a minute I thought you were homebrewing Mullard Mustard capacitors....

 

[JMan]

Being a vinegar and salt solution, mustard is pretty darn stable. If you aren't sure of the quantities, try measuring the pH instead -- you're looking for approximately 4.0 in a typical prepared mustard. If you want to reduce the vinegar a bit and try a batch with a higher pH, do it and see what happens, it may well keep just fine. Just make sure you properly sterilize the container and utensils first.

Out of curiosity, what is the purpose behind wanting to reduce the vinegar in the first place?

 

[Tubetec]

I often mix up my own mustard from Colemans mustard powder ,
I add water, vinegar, salt and a small amount of sugar to balance the flavour.
They say on the tin to always make it fresh for best flavour and that it takes around ten minutes for it to fully develop . Stored in a small jar in the fridge the flavour develops over the course of a day or two , I found it maintains its flavour punch for weeks before it starts to mellow . Comercially made mustard will of course need to withstand shelf life so you will find a higher proportion of vinegar and even other preservative chemicals added .

In terms of proportions I judge the water amount to get to the consistancy I want , the rest of the ingredients are based on a taste test . The mustard powder itself varies alot so proportions of the other ingredients will vary to some degree depending . Longer term storage with the home made stuff both colour and flavour fades but I never had a batch turn mouldy or anything like that .

 

[JohnRoberts]

If you keep it in a refrigerator it might not matter much.

JR