Condiments are special spices made from different plants and ingredients to be used for cooking or to be added to delicacies. Mustard is a condiment made from processing the seeds of mustard plants. It adds to the taste and texture of your snack, soups, and delicacies.
Mustard is a must-have in the kitchen because of its vastness in usage. Small households may take a longer time to finish a bowl of homemade or store-bought mustard, and it won’t be a reasonable decision to prepare or get yourself a new bottle every time you need it. You might be challenged on how to preserve your excess mustard to retain its taste, flavor, and texture.
Can you freeze mustard? Yes, you can freeze mustard for about 14-16 months before it starts losing flavor, taste, and texture. Adding vinegar to mustard before you freeze, makes it acidic and reduces the chances of bacteria growing in it. Mustards already have a long shelf life, and freezing them would allow you to enjoy them for even longer.
Mustard is obtained by mixing mustard seeds in their whole or ground state with water, wine, or vinegar and flavorings to make a paste. Mustard can be used in many soups, sauces, and added to sandwiches or hot dogs.
What Type of Mustard Freezes Best?
You should be able to use mustard for cooking or to be added to your dishes without any change to the original taste, flavor, and texture. So, you should understand how well mustards can handle the harsh cold air of the freezer.
To keep your mustard suitable for consumption after freezing, you need to know what kind of mustard freezes best.
Mustard has a good shelf life because of the ingredients it has been made with, like vinegar which increases the acidity and prevents the habitation of bacteria that can cause spoilage and food poisoning. This makes it perfect for your freezer.
How to Freeze Mustard
Freezing your mustard is done to preserve the originality of taste and texture, so you should pay meticulous attention to the freezing process to prevent it from going bad. Freezing mustard is very stress-free and simple.
To freeze your mustard, you would need a spoon, ice tray, or small serving containers, freezer bag, marker, and a regulated freezer temperature to get the best freezing experience.
Step 1: Portion the Mustard
You can either freeze mustard in a big bowl if it is homemade or in small serving containers. There are chances that you would not be using the whole bowl of mustard for your cooking when you take it from the freezer, so, for easier usage upon thawing and to help prevent spoilage, you should use small serving containers.
With small serving containers, you can portion your mustard and use it at a go when you need them.
Step 2: Storage
With your spoon, take your homemade or store-bought mustard from the bowl and spoon it into an ice cube tray or airtight small serving container. When you need to use your mustard, you would not need to thaw the whole batch. You just pick the serving container you need. Place your mustard in the deepest part of the freezer to get the best result.
Frozen cubed mustards might not be kept in an ice cube tray for long as air can affect its quality. Move the frozen cubes of mustard from an ice tray and place them in a freezer bag. Expel air from the bag by pressing it flat before sealing it.
Step 3: Freezing the Mustard
Make sure you place the ice cube tray filled with mustard in the deepest compartment of the freezer to prevent water from getting into it. Moisture content in mustard can reduce the quality, making it unsuitable for consumption. Allow the mustard to freeze below -15°C.
Double the bags for frozen cubes of mustard for extra protection, and with that marker of yours, label the bags. Write down the contents and the date of the freeze on the bags before you place them in for freezing.
How to Defrost Mustard
Before you use mustard for cooking or as a condiment for your food after freezing, you need to thaw it. Thawing mustard does not require special knowledge or stressful processes.
Take your bag of mustard or serving container from the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature until you are ready to use it. However, you should use your mustard not too long after thawing because the presence of air can reduce its quality.
The best way to make your mustard palatable for eating after freezing is to thaw in warm or hot water. It is a faster method and doesn’t reduce the quality of your mustard.
Thawing mustard in a microwave is not an option because it will make your mustard watery. This can lead to the mustard losing some of its freshness and flavor.
Does Mustard Have Health Benefits?
The minerals and vinegar present in mustard help in reducing heartburn. The alkalinity of vinegar neutralizes stomach acid and stops it from coming up during acid reflux.
Additionally, mustards contain magnesium, zinc iron, manganese, protein, and dietary fiber that is beneficial to the human body.
How to Recognize Spoiled Mustard
It takes a long period before mustard becomes spoiled but the quality deteriorates over time. You might need to dispose of mustards for quality reasons and not because it has spoiled. The occurrence of mustard getting bad is a rare one but if your mustard starts developing mold and gives off an offensive odor, you should throw it away.
Mustard should be enjoyed optimally and under no circumstances should you eat a spoiled one. They can be very harmful to one’s health and can result in mild or severe illnesses.