I WISH I COULD AGAIN FIND THE YELLOW MUSTARD used in the 1960s on the hot dogs at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium. If this happened, then I wouldn’t have to make my own.
My fondness for the ball park mustard is really a combination of many things. There was a certain tang in its flavor profile that I find missing in today’s store-bought mustards.
I remember the vendors with heavy stainless-steel tubs stacked full of hot dogs and soft buns. Steam was always floating in the air around the vendors’ heads as they attended to their craft. With a single, well-rehearsed motion, they would dip a flat wooden spoon into the paper cup and secure a dollop of mustard to spread along the steaming dog. They would finish their performance by tightly wrapping the delicacy in wax paper. Seated strangers would then gently pass these creations down the rows to one’s waiting hands. That first bite was pure ecstasy and the final morsel left you wanting more.
Recalling this ritual brings a smile to my face. It also begs the question as to how to again find that flavor profile now energized with our 21st Century knowledge of the health benefits found in ground mustard seeds and Turmeric.
I’ve tried every brand of yellow mustard in my grocer’s shelves over many years, and frankly, I give.
Try this recipe, there’s hope.
Homemade Yellow Mustard
Ingredients
1 cup water
¾ cup yellow dry mustard (Coleman’s)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 crushed cloves of garlic
¼ tsp paprika
½ cup vinegar
Place all ingredients, except the vinegar, in a non-reactive sauce pan and simmer slowly for at least 30 minutes as it reduces to a paste.
Add the vinegar and whisk over very low heat. In less than ten minutes it should exhibit the consistency of prepared mustard. The mustard will mellow out with refrigeration and can be used for a few months. It won’t last.