Ingredients
Fruit
- 1 kgmixed firm fruit: whole small pears, figs, apricots, cherries, quince, clementines, melon
Syrup
- 700 gsugar
- 300 mlwater
- juice of 1 lemon
The mustard
- 3 tbspEnglish mustard powder
- or 15 to 20 drops mustard essence, essenza di senape
Equipment
- sterilised jars
Directions
- Prick each piece of fruit several times with a needle. Blanch harder fruit like quince and pear for 3 to 4 minutes, and leave soft fruit raw. Boil the sugar, water and lemon juice into a syrup and pour it hot over the fruit in a bowl.
- Cover the bowl and leave it overnight at room temperature. The next day, drain off the syrup, boil it for 5 minutes to reduce it, and pour it back over the fruit.
- Repeat this on each of the next three days. Boiling the fruit in the syrup instead would collapse it into jam within minutes. Drain the fruit, boil the syrup a final time until it is thick, then take it off the heat and let it cool to lukewarm.
- Add the mustard off the heat and to cooled syrup. Heat destroys the pungency entirely, and mustard boiled into a syrup tastes of nothing.
- Taste it cautiously and add more a little at a time. It should be sweet first and then hit sharply at the back of the nose.
- Pour the mustard syrup over the fruit, pack into sterilised jars, and seal. Leave it at least a month before opening, and it keeps for a year in a cool dark place.
- Serve it with bollito misto, boiled meats, or with aged cheeses and cured meats. It is a Lombard preserve documented since the Renaissance courts, where mustard was used to keep fruit through the winter.
Technique
- The heat should be nasal rather than on the tongue, which is how mustard works.
- It is served in small quantities, a piece or two per person alongside the meat.
- Mostarda mantovana is made with apples alone and mashed rather than whole.
Substitutions
- English mustard powder, which is what this recipe uses.
- Any firm ripe fruit; the mix is a matter of season.
Variations
- Mostarda mantovana, apple only and softer.
- With figs alone, which suits cheese particularly well.
- Made mild, with less mustard, for a fruit preserve.
History
A Lombard preserve documented since the Renaissance courts, using mustard essence to keep fruit through winter.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mostarda di Cremona?
Mostarda di Cremona is a sauce & condiment from Italy: whole candied fruits in fiery mustard syrup, eaten with boiled meats and cheese. A Lombard preserve documented since the Renaissance courts, using mustard essence to keep fruit through winter.
How long does Mostarda di Cremona take to make?
Mostarda di Cremona takes 30 min plus 4 days macerating of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 1.5 kg. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Mostarda di Cremona?
Yes, within limits. English mustard powder, which is what this recipe uses. Any firm ripe fruit; the mix is a matter of season.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mostarda di Cremona?
The heat should be nasal rather than on the tongue, which is how mustard works.
