Pickled Mustard Seeds Recipe

Cooking down whole yellow mustard seeds in seasoned vinegar simultaneously plumps them up and tames their intense burn, for a condiment or garnish that's sweet, briny, and mildly hot.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Jun. 05, 2019
20190524-wursthall-deviled-eggs-pickled-mustard-beauty
Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt

Why This Recipe Works

  • Blanching the mustard seeds a few times removes any potential bitterness.
  • Mustard seeds plump up when brined, giving them a caviar-like texture that pops in your mouth for little bursts of flavor.

Pickled mustard seeds make a great garnish anywhere mustard would be appropriate—on eggs, dolloped on vegetable soups, in sandwiches, on roasted meats, and in sauces and marinades. We're especially partial to using them on these extra-mustardy deviled eggs.

Recipe Details

Pickled Mustard Seeds Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 60 mins
Serves 32 servings
Makes 2 cups mustard seeds

Cooking down whole yellow mustard seeds in seasoned vinegar simultaneously plumps them up and tames their intense burn, for a condiment or garnish that's sweet, briny, and mildly hot.

Ingredients

For the Brine:

  • 175ml (about 3/4 cup) white wine vinegar

  • 125ml (about 1/2 cup) cider vinegar

  • 150ml (about 2/3 cup) water

  • 50ml (about 1/4 cup) rye whiskey (see note)

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 150g (about 3/4 cup) brown sugar

  • 10g (about 1 tablespoon) kosher salt

For the Seeds:

  • 200g (about 1 cup) yellow mustard seeds

Directions

  1. For the Brine: Combine white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, water, whiskey, bay leaves, brown sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.

  2. For the Seeds: Meanwhile, place seeds in a clean saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the water. Repeat until the discarded water does not taste bitter. This can take between 1 and 8 repetitions.

  3. Transfer blanched and drained mustard seeds to the pot with the brine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer and cook until the seeds have plumped up and the liquid has reduced by about one-third, 15 to 20 minutes. Without draining brine, transfer seeds to a sealable container, let cool at room temperature, then seal and refrigerate until ready to use. The seeds will mature in flavor over the course of a few days.

Special equipment

Fine-mesh strainer

Notes

You can omit the whiskey. The seeds can be used immediately, but will improve in flavor over time.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Pickled mustard seeds can be stored for months in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
52 Calories
2g Fat
6g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 52
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 51mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 55mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)