Bavarian sweet-inspired mustard

Overview

Sweet Bavarian mustard is a coarse, brown-sweet condiment, eaten with Weisswurst and other Bavarian sausages. Its texture comes from the seeds, which are left coarse, and its sweetness comes from a large share of sugar in the mix. It differs from hot smooth mustard in both respects, and sweetness is not in itself a sign of how long the mustard keeps.

This page covers an original formula written in that direction. It is not a copy of a commercial product.

The commercial style

Händlmaier's sweet mustard is the reference point for the style. The producer's page lists its ingredients as water, brown sugar (sugar, glucose syrup and sugar beet molasses), mustard seeds, spirit vinegar and spices. The nutrition table on the same page gives 38.2 g of sugar per 100 ml. The page also calls the mustard Europe's number one among sweet mustards, a claim from the producer rather than an independent measure.

The producer does not disclose its seed mix, spice formulation or processing, so this formula is not a numerical clone of it. The formula uses sugar, molasses, cider or distilled vinegar and water, and it is cooked briefly.

Method and what it does

The seeds are coarsely ground rather than milled to a flour, so the mustard keeps visible seed pieces. The sugar, molasses and vinegar are combined with the seeds in a saucepan and heated gently until the sugar dissolves. The mixture is then simmered and stirred for about ten minutes,.

Cooling is the last step. If the mass has fallen below 250 g, boiled water restores it. The mustard is then refrigerated. The source formula gives no time for the mustard to rest before tasting, so judge it after chilling, as the formulation suggests, with a sausage or a pretzel.

Adjusting the sweetness

The formulation says that a sweeter result comes from more brown sugar in a new trial. The extra sugar must be recorded, and the final mass must stay at 250 g by reducing the water. Each change is a new trial, not a validated variant.

Keeping it

Refrigerate the mustard promptly in small clean containers. The formulation uses a 48-hour working window counted from the first mixing, as a planning convention. It is not a measured shelf life, and the mustard is not authorised for room-temperature storage or home canning.

Freezing suitable portions while fresh is an option the formulation gives for keeping the mustard longer. Its effect on the texture is not tested here.