Mustard only comes in garish-yellow plastic squeeze bottles and pricey shelf-stable jars, yes? No more! Here's a homemade mustard for special occasions, made with just a few pantry ingredients and a quick stir on the stove. This mustard is a personal favorite, from the year I lived in Finland as an exchange student.
In Finland, sauna is pronounced SOW-na, not SAW-na and its ritual is revered in the lives of Finnish families. If you picture an American girl just-turned 18 and a just-arrived exchange student, you’ll understand why my first Finnish sauna was unnerving.
The setting was idyllic, a treeless stonecrop island in the Finnish archipelago on a golden September afternoon. As my Finnish ‘sister’ and I gathered driftwood along the shore to stoke the sauna fire, she explained the routine: men and women together, seated naked in a tiny hut heated to 180F, beating our backs with fresh birch branches, sweating until the heat was unbearable, diving straight into the cold sea. Yikes, Rotary International hadn’t prepared me for this!
My Finnish hosts were kind. On this day, my ‘sister’ and I went to sauna together, followed by her father and boyfriend. Twas exhilarating!
Equally memorable was the ‘makkara’ – sausage – we cooked afterward on sticks over the sauna stove, then dabbed in a sweet-hot ‘sinnapi’ – mustard. Ever since, I purchase a dozen tubes of Finnish mustard whenever possible; when Pille from nearby Estonia and Nami-Nami visited, I even requested a special delivery. Now that Finnish Mustard can be made at home? Bring on the makkara, bring on the sauna.
For a sweet-hot, soft and smoothable mustard, make this an hour or two before serving. Once refrigerated, the mustard thickens and its heat moderates. It will soften again if left out but not as much as at first.
HOMEMADE FINNISH MUSTARD RECIPE
Time to table: 1 hour
Makes 1-1/2 cups
- 5 tablespoons hot dry mustard powder (such as Colman’s English Mustard)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
In a bowl, smash together the mustard, sugar and salt with the back of a spoon, working out all the lumps and combining thoroughly. Transfer to a medium saucepan and set heat to medium low. A tablespoon at a time, add the cream, incorporating each spoonful before adding another. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring nearly constantly. When it boils, cook at a low boil for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and darkens a bit. Let cool and transfer to a serving container or glass jar for the refrigerator. Will keep for several weeks.
How to use Finnish Mustard: Slather on ham for sandwiches. Stir into hot cooked vegetables, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage. Just try to stop yourself from eating it off a spoon, straight from the jar!
Today is the 54th wedding anniversary of my Finnish parents.
Onnea, onnea, Vesa ja Liisa! Happy anniversary, I love you both!
Much to even my own surprise, Homemade Finnish Mustard is one of the Kitchen Parade recipes I make most often! I keep a jar on hand all the time - and it's not difficult because it lasts for two and even three months when well-refrigerated. It's a must when cooking a ham. It's fabulous for making salad dressing. It moves sandwiches from good to great. I'll stir a tablespoon into a pound of steamed vegetables: perfect.
More Favorite Recipes from Finland
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That sounds great! What kind of susage do you serve it with these days?
My Dad always has Coleman's on hand, but mixes it with water to make mustard. You may have just saved me from any more of that watery junk!
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