Homemade Mustard

As anyone who follows this blog knows, my son is a huge mustard fan. So I figured it was about time to make our own.

I was painfully simple.

Mustrad * Vinegar * Salt
Mix about 1/4 cup mustard powder with 3 Tbs each yellow and brown mustard seeds with 1/4 cup warm water. Let sit about 20 minutes.
Add about 1/4 cup vinegar (red, white, sherry...) and 2 tsp salt.
Mix and place in a jar and refrigerate over night.

You can blend some or all of it to make smoother.




You can also add a range of flavors to enhance your mustard... honey, fresh or dried herbs, nuts... the options are endless.

Peter Reinhart's almost Caramelized Onion Marmalade

I first came across this recipe in American Pie, Peter Reinhart's book about his quest for great pizza.

I thought I would give it a try to add to a salad and knew that it could be used on sandwiches and pizza later in the week. The onions are not fully caramelized, but the sugar and Balsamic give a nice sweetness.

I cut the recipe in quarter, as I only had one onion on hand.

Balsamic Onion Marmalade
1 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 large yellow or white onions, sliced into thin strips (aka, julienned)
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Place oil in medium skillet set on medium-low and add onions. Cook for about 10 minutes until they soften, turning to prevent browning.



Turn up the heat to medium and cook another 10 to 15 minutes unit soft and translucent. Then add the sugar and turn to coat. Cook another minute or two.



Make a ring with the onions and add the balsamic in the middle, then fold in the onions to coat.



Turn off the heat and remove the onions letting the juices drip back into the pan. In a colander, press the onions to remove the juices, then gentle heat the mixture until it thickens.



It should turn syrupy. Do not over cook at this point or it will become too think.



After a minute or so, turn off the heat and add the onions back in, turning to coat. Season with salt and pepper.



This can be used on pizza or sandwiches or even eaten straight from the container.

Ketchup

I've never been a huge ketchup fan, it's fine with fries every once in a while. I am more into mustard, but Auden recently was asking about why we don't have it at home. The main reason is that the stuff you buy is mostly sugar anyway, and HFCS at that.

That was reason enough to make it. The goal was to make something that wasn't all sugar but had a great sweet tangy flavor. To do this, I caramelized the onions, bringing out their natural sweetness and used balsamic vinegar instead of white or cider. In the end, these produced a great flavor without adding any sugar.

Homemade Ketchup
One onion, sliced
olive oil
about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
one large can tomatoes
salt and pepper

In a medium sauce pan, warm a little oil and add the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally
.

Cook for about 45 minutes, until the onions are nicely caramelized.


Add the balsamic, and cook a few more minutes, until reduced slightly.


Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes.


Add the tomato puree to the onions. Season with salt and pepper.


Cook over medium low heat until reduced and thick, about another hour (or more), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.


Puree again, then pass through a mess sieve.


Place in a squeeze bottle and enjoy.