Bavarian sweet mustard

Ingredients

Mustard

• 80 gyellow mustard seed
• 40 gbrown mustard seed
• 120 mlcider vinegar
• 120 mlwater
• 120 gdark sugar or 100 g caramelised sugar
• 60 mlapple juice
• 1 tspsalt
• ¼ tspground allspice
• ¼ tspground cloves
• ¼ tspground ginger
• 1bay leaf

Directions

1. Toast about a third of the yellow mustard seed in a dry pan for 2 minutes until it smells nutty and a few seeds pop. This dark-toasted portion is what gives the mustard its brown colour and rounded flavour.
2. Grind all the seeds coarsely — coarsely, not to a powder. Bavarian sweet mustard should be visibly grainy with whole and half seeds through it.
3. Warm the vinegar, water, apple juice, sugar, salt, spices and bay leaf together and simmer 5 minutes, then remove the bay leaf.
4. Pour the hot liquid over the ground seed and stir well. It will look far too wet; the seeds absorb a great deal over the next hour.
5. Let it stand at room temperature, covered, for 1 hour, then stir again and check the consistency. Add a little water if it has gone stiff.
6. Pack into a sterilised jar and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating. Fresh mustard is harshly bitter and mellows considerably in that time.
7. It keeps three months refrigerated and continues to soften in flavour. Serve with Weisswurst, Leberkäse or pretzels.

Technique

• Hot liquid tames mustard, cold liquid keeps it fierce. This is why sweet mustard uses a warm mash and hot English mustard uses cold water.
• The two-day rest is essential. Judging it on day one will always disappoint.
• Coarse grind. A smooth sweet mustard is a different, more industrial product.

Substitutions

• Honey in place of some of the sugar, common in home versions.
• Caramelising the sugar first to a dark amber deepens the colour and flavour considerably.

Variations

• A darker version using more brown seed and a longer toast.
• Händlmaier-style, smoother and sweeter, which is the commercial benchmark.

History

Created in Munich in 1854 by Johann Conrad Develey, who sweetened mustard with sugar syrup; it became inseparable from Bavarian white sausage.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bavarian sweet mustard?

Bavarian sweet mustard is a sauce & condiment from Germany: coarse sweet brown mustard, the required partner to Weisswurst. Created in Munich in 1854 by Johann Conrad Develey, who sweetened mustard with sugar syrup; it became inseparable from Bavarian white sausage.

How long does Bavarian sweet mustard take to make?

Bavarian sweet mustard takes 20 min plus 2 days maturing of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 400 g. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bavarian sweet mustard?

Yes, within limits. Honey in place of some of the sugar, common in home versions. Caramelising the sugar first to a dark amber deepens the colour and flavour considerably.