Caroline Dafgard Widnersson - Condiments: Make your own hot sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayo, ferments, pickles and spice blends from scratch

MUSTARD,
KETCHUP
AND MAYO

Mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise are three of the most common kitchen staples. You could call them the holy trinity of condiments. Youll find them in even the saddest of fridges, perhaps sitting next to a jar of pickles or an old taco salsa.

They are both easy to make and easy to use. Think of these three staples as the gateway to making your own condiments: you wont need any unusual ingredients or tools, and there are plenty of ways to use them.

Most of us probably have some sort of relation to ketchup. I remember when I was a kid and me and my siblings would always get a hot dog with Slotts brand ketchup during our Saturday outings. I loved that ketchupit was what made the hot dog. It was sweeter and more tomatoey than the ketchup we had at home. Nowadays I prefer mustard on my sausage. Ideally a sweet and spicy mustard on two Stockholm-style sausages, and a fried egg. Pair it with a small beer, and youve got the perfect Saturday lunch.

And mayonnaise, the queen of emulsions. It amazes me each time that the right whisking technique can turn egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, and oil into silky smooth mayonnaise. But be too impatient with the oil and youll end up with a greasy, yellow mess thats all but appetising.

MUSTARD, KETCHUP AND MAYO

1. Roasted cherry tomato ketchup
2. Traditional chilli sauce
3. Traditional ketchup
4. Tomato paste
5. Curry ketchup
6. Traditional mayonnaise
7. Japanese mayonnaise
8. Dijonnaise
9. Egg-free avocado mayonnaise
10. Soy-sauce mayonnaise
11. Dijon mustard
12. Wholegrain mustard
13. American mustard
14. Sweet and spicy mustard

MUSTARD

Mustard is one of the worlds oldest condiments. In its most basic form, its made by mixing ground mustard seeds with some type of liquid. Roughly speaking there are three types of mustard seeds: yellow, brown, and black. The yellow seeds have a milder flavour and are actually not that closely related to the brown and black types, which are more peppery. Historically, black mustard seeds have been used in most types of mustard, Dijon in particular. But black seeds are difficult to harvest, and as a result brown mustard seeds are increasingly used in their place. American mustard, however, is made from yellow mustard seeds.

Crushed mustard seeds release enzymes which produce that hot flavour when they come into contact with water. The reaction lasts no longer than ten minutes, after which the enzymes begin to break down, sometimes creating a bitterness. Adding wine or vinegar slows down and stabilises the reaction and allows us to harness the lovely peppery mustard flavour. If youre not a fan of hot mustard I recommend heating it up. This causes the enzymes to break down, immediately mellowing the mustard. Its also the reason why you should only add mustard at the end when cooking stews and sauces.