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15 February 2018 - The Mustard Mix

This History of Mustard

"The delights of mustard as a food accompaniment apparently had been known only a few years before the appearance of the advertisement described in today's historical note."

TODAY IN HISTORY



On February 15 1768, one Benjamin Jackson advertised in a Philadelphia newspaper that he was "the only mustard manufacturer on the continent. I brought to art with me into the country." Mr. Jackson came to America from London, England. He sold his product labeled in glass bottles.

Benjamin Jackson, from the book Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage, was a chocolate and mustard maker. He introduced mustard into his chocolate shop where he also sold other spices and flours.

Now the mustard he sold was not like the mustard we have today. He sold bottles labeled "Flour of Mustard" which means that you had to follow the directions on the bottle to mix the powder with hot water to create your condiment.

Mustard was sold in its powder form so that it would keep long stored on the shelf.

Mustard making goes back even further.

Mr. Jackson probably learned how to make mustard from the original mustard maker in Durham, England. We know her only by the name Mrs. Clements.

Mrs. Clements story is told by our old friend Mrs. Beeton.

If you don't know Mrs. Beeton, read my previous post about her here!

"Before the year 1729, mustard was not known at English tables"

Beeton continues on to say that Clements milled mustard seeds and kept the process a secret for many years as she sold large quantities of the mustard flour.
When it was introduced to the royal table, it received the approval of King George I. It then became known as Durham Mustard.



BUT

Mustard goes back even further!

Before we began milling mustard seeds into a powder, ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations were using mustard seeds in their diet to give flavor to meat and to aide digestion.

Who knew mustard had such a history.

In the 1970's, it wasn't uncommon to have a can of powdered mustard.




Colman's mustard was a popular mustard flour in the 70's and you can still buy mustard powder today to mix your own condiments.

MUSTARD FACTS

English mustard is made from brown or Oriental yellow mustard seeds using a dry mill process.

French or Dijon style mustard is made from only brown mustard seeds using a wet mill process.

Hot Dog mustard is made using a wet milling process that the paste is then mixed with flours, spices, and vinegars depending on the recipe.

There is an entire world of mustard out there! So next time you are at the store, just stop to admire the mustard section and see how far we have come from Mrs. Clements mustard flour.
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