After I told Perry we needed to buy more brown mustard for his cheese snacks, he recalled his German grandma used to make spicy German mustard when he was a little boy. I searched online for recipes so I could surprise him.

I found a great German mustard recipe. After following the easy directions, I poured the mixture and vinegar into my Cuisinart SmartPower Duet blender, where it needed to sit for 24 hours before blending. I put the lid on the blender, but it didn’t stop the pungent odor of vinegar from filling the kitchen. I set my little gray cells to work trying to solve the problem. I thought of my coffee cozy for our French press, put it over the blender, and stopped the vinegar smell!

Perry loved the mustard! He uses it with cheese and crackers, breakfast egg sandwiches, and salad dressings. I’ve added the recipe to my book of favorites!

Diana Rattray's recipe "Spicy German Mustard Recipe"

1/4 cup yellow mustard seed

2 tablespoons black or brown mustard seed, heaping

1/4 cup dry mustard powder

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

1 small onion chopped

2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1. In a small bowl, combine the mustard seed and dry mustard.

2. In a 1- to 2-quart stainless steel or nonreactive saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered on medium heat until the mixture is reduced by half, which will take about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Next, pour the mixture into the mustard and mustard seed mixture. Let the mixture stand, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours. You may have to add more vinegar to keep enough liquid in the mixture in order to adequately cover the seeds. ,

4. Process the seeds and mixture in a blender or food processor until it is blended to the texture you like --this can take at least 3 or 4 minutes. Some people want some whole seeds remaining, others like a smoother paste. (The mixture will continue to thicken. If it gets too thick after a few days, stir in additional vinegar.)

5. Scrape mustard into clean, dry jars. Cover them tightly. They can stay for at least 3 days in the refrigerator prior to use.

Tips: 

1. You may want to break down the whole mustard seeds prior to adding them to the mixture. This is ideal for people who want a smooth mustard texture. To do that, grind the whole mustard seeds in a spice r coffee grinder for a few minutes. They can also be broken down by hand with a mortar and pestle.

2. The salt and vinegar keep the mustard intact longer. Without them, it will more quickly lose its flavor.

3. There are three types of mustard seeds: White, brown and black. White mustard is milder and not as zingy as brown and black seeds. For reference, white mustard seed and turmeric is what's in American yellow mustard; brown mustard seeds are used in most better mustards; black seeds are commonly featured in hot mustards.