Fruit mustard is the perfect condiment. Hot, sweet, and full of flavor. It is delicious dolloped on top of a piece of cheese or in a sandwich. It’s a perfect base for salad dressing and sauces. Though fruit mustard seems posh, it is actually very simple to make at home.
This mustard recipe builds on my basic yellow mustard recipe. It is not the same as the Italian mostarda which is a fruit spread that is flavored with mustard.
Fruit mustard is a sweet and spicy condiment that should be used just like any other fancy mustard. It’s packed full of flavor and is delicious with any dish that usually goes with mustard.
Types of Fruit Mustard
Though the recipe is written for dried fruits, it can be made with any combination of dried and fresh fruit.
- Dried fruit gives a stronger, sweeter flavor.
- To use fresh fruit, replace the dried fruit with 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh fruit and reduce the water to 1/4 cup.
Looking for inspiration? Here are four mustard flavors that are all delicious.
- Apricot mustard: Dried (sulfite-free) apricots are perfect for naturally sweet mustard.
- Plum mustard: Dried plums (prunes) result in an earthy, rich and sweet mustard that is perfect for barbecues.
- Blueberry mustard: Fresh blueberries create bright and fresh-tasting mustard, perfect for summer salads.
- Apple mustard: I recommend using dried apples for mustard that is perfect with cheddar cheese. Apples seem to absorb more water than other dried fruits, so you may need to add more water when you start to blend your mustard.
Fruit Mustard
Fruit mustard is the perfect combination of hot and sweet. Delicious with crackers and cheese or on a sandwich. This recipe can be made with either fresh or dried fruit. See the section above for four fruit flavor suggestions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/4 cups 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mustard seed
- 1/4 cup chopped dried fruit
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar with mother (see notes)
- 1/2 cup of water (chlorine-free)
- 1 tsp salt (non-iodized)
Instructions
- Mix the mustard seed, dried fruit, vinegar, and water in a glass jar. Leave everything to soak on the counter for 24 hours.
- After soaking, stir in the salt. Then grind the mustard seeds and dried fruit into a smooth paste using an immersion blender or a food processor. You may need to add more water depending on the type of fruit used. Some types of dried fruit soak in more liquid than others.
- Store the mustard in the fridge for at least a week before serving to allow the flavors to blend and the mustard seed to mellow. At that point, you can taste the mustard to determine whether it needs to be sweeter. Stir in 1-2 Tbsp of sugar if you want to sweeten the mustard.
Notes
- Raw apple cider vinegar with a mother is traditional for soaking mustard seeds. However, you can also use acidic kombucha tea. The mother not only adds a bit of probiotics to this recipe, but it also acts as a preservative, preventing mold and other contaminants.
- To allow proper fermentation of the fruit and mustard seeds, you need to use sulfite-free dried fruits. Check the label as most dried fruit packaging will tell you if it contains sulfites.
- I don’t recommend replacing mustard seeds with powdered mustard, as most powdered spices have been treated with preservatives to prolong shelf-life.
Keywords: grainy mustard, vegan, gluten free, fancy, sandwiches, blueberry, blackberry, apple, apricot, pear, plum, summer, fall, spring
Thank you for your recipe, can’t way to make some.
How long would this fruit mustard last in the fridge?
Honestly, I always have homemade mustards in the fridge… usually several different types and I’ve never had them go off (so six months). However, the fruit increases the risk of yeasts and molds getting in there (like jam). If you are clean about everything it should still last several months.
I’m wanting to make a blackberry mustard with fresh blackberries. Would this recipe work or would I need to change some things?
I’ve made this recipe with fresh blueberries. Though blackberries sound amazing. If using fresh fruit, follow the recipe using 1/2 cup of fresh fruit and reducing the water to 1/4 cup to compensate for the extra liquid.
Enjoy!
This fruit mustard worked great in salad dressings!
★★★★★
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.