Preparing mustard is one of the easiest cooking tasks to be performed at home. Below you will find recipes for various mustards prepared in the Scandinavian style. Most of them are very sweet. In Finland, delicious homemade mustards flavoured in a multitude of ways are popular Christmas presents.

Packed in sterilized jars and stored in refrigerator, homemade mustards will keep for at least one week, sometimes even longer. However, you should promptly discard mustard stored for longer than a week if you start noticing any unpleasant odour or taste developing in it.

See a recipe for basic sweet Finnish mustard.

WHISKY MUSTARD

100 ml mustard powder (Colman's)
75 ml sugar
pinch of salt
about 25 ml water
1 tbsp apple wine vinegar
100 ml melted butter
whisky

Thoroughly mix the mustard powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the water little at a time and mix until a thickish, smooth paste forms. Add the vinegar and the melted butter, mix and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.

Place the bowl in refrigerator for 48 hours. During this time the mustard will stiffen. Make the mustard pliable by mixing in a dash of whisky. Spoon the mustard into glass or stone jar, close with a lid and store in refrigerator.

Recipe source: adapted from "Tuliseksi muhinut joulusinappi", Pirkka magazine(?).

APPLE MUSTARD

50 ml mustard powder (Colman's)
100 ml sugar
pinch of salt
100 ml cream
2 tsp cornstarch
4 tbsp apple sauce  —  preferably unsweetened
1 - 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

If you are using sweetened apple sauce, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. Thoroughly mix the mustard powder, cornstarch, sugar and salt in a bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to the boil and stir into the mustard powder mixture with the apple sauce. Pour the mixture back in the saucepan and bring it to the boil, stirring continually. Simmer the mixture on a low heat, stirring continually, for about three minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and mix in the vinegar. Stir until smooth and spoon into small, clean jars. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe source: family recipe.

COFFEE MUSTARD

100 ml mustard powder (Colman's)
1 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
4 tbsp dark molasses
4 tbsp boiling water
4 tbsp freshly brewed strong, hot espresso coffee
1 tbsp melted butter or turnip rape, sunflower or corn oil
1 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp cognac

Thoroughly mix the mustard powder, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Combine the hot coffee, the boiling hot water and the molasses and stir into the mustard powder mixture.

In a small saucepan, bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continually. Simmer the mixture on a low heat, stirring continually, for about three minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and mix in the melted butter or oil, the vinegar and cognac. The cognac may be omitted. Stir until smooth and spoon into small, clean jars. Close the jars with lids and store in refrigerator.

Recipe source: family recipe.