Page 10 - BBR magazine 140 - 30yrs issue

Its medical use ran parallel to its culinary ones. Mustard plasters where a piece linen, brown paper or gauze laid on the skin to irritate it, supposedly increasing circulation and aiding relief of rheumatism. Aches were also cured by its use in hot baths (mustard tends to draw blood to the surface of the skin) and internally as a laxative (eating the seeds) and as an emetic (it makes you throw up). Culpepper thought it was particularly good for ‘warming the spirits’ but also for colds, sore feet and rheumatic pains. John Evelyn writing in his Acetaria published in 1699 said it ‘is of incomparable effect to quicken and revive the spirits, strengthening the memory, expelling heaviness’ as well as being anti-scorbutic. He recommended Yorkshire or best Tewksbury mustard which is described by Coles, writing in 1657:
‘In Glo[u]stershire about Teuxbury [Tewksbury] they grind Mustard seed and make it up into balls which are brought to London and other remote places as being the best that the world affords.’
From the culinary side of things it livened up condiments and sauces. Although Celts had ‘mwstertt’ (strong odour) the Latin name derived from ‘must’ or ‘mustum’, for newly fermented wine juice, and ‘ardens’ or burning. The seeds were soaked in water, crushed to get at the pith heated to dry it and then ground with white vinegar or verjuice to make a paste that was sieved. The French called this fruity hot sauce moút ardent (piquant must). The Greeks and Romans used mustard flour mixed with tuna brine or added pine kernels and almonds, and Pope John XXII was so keen on it that he made his nephew ‘Grand Moutardier du Pape’. Perhaps he was spurred on by biblical references to ‘Mustard’ Trees (probably Khardal trees which have seeds with similar properties). French mustard starts to appear in records from the 1300’s but a Guild of Mustard and Vinegar Makers was established in the late 1500’s at Orléans and later at
provoketh appetite.’
Above: Multi-coloured Colmans Mustard showcard ‘Too many cooks’.
Left: 2009 March lots 104 & 105 2 different Doulton Colmans pots / 2012 July lot 195 Hannah Barlow mustard pot*
Dijon. Gerald writing in 1623 said:
‘The seede of Mustard pounded with vinegar is an excellent sauce, good to be eaten with any grosse meates, either fish or flesh, because it doth help
digestion, warmeth the stomache and
The sale of dry mustard in England on a commercial scale is generally believed to have started in the 1720’s. 19th and 20th century sources suggest a Mrs Clements of Durham began grinding mustard seed in a mill and developed a way of separating flour from the husk. The resulting bright yellow flour became very popular, marketed successfully by Mrs. Clements for many years under the name ‘Durham Mustard’ it was apparently approved by George I. The term Durham mustard would later be associated with low grade stuff (the cheap stuff in Colman’s price lists). Thomas Jefferson developed a taste whilst living in France and took seed home to grow.
Pots & their Makers
From our point of view the makers we see on pots and bottles begin to make themselves apparent from the 1700s onwards. Rigollot of Paris made a mustard leaf tea. The balls were made up with honey or vinegar with a little cinnamon to keep till needed and then wetted with more vinegar. Mustard was often adulterated, coloured with turmeric and flavoured with pepper and ‘Durham’ advertised grades in particular were considered doubtful. The most famous mustard maker in Britain was and is Colman’s of Norwich. Jeramiah Colman (died 1851) had a flour and mustard mill and nephew James (died 1854) became a partner in 1823. Some people said the company prospered from what people left on their plates but it was really Jeremiah James Colman (1830-1898) who was the driving force behind the famous brand and his secret, demonstrated by the wonderful
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BBR’s Editor is... Cutting the Mustard
It looks rather like Rapeseed (Brassica napus) that yellow stuff everyone has such polarised opinions about. Mustard or Moutarde is made from the seeds of three members of the cabbage family: Brassica nigra, juncea and alba (black, brown and white mustard). From the Cruciferae side of the family which also includes cresses, radishes, turnips and horseradish, black mustard seeds, the basis of most mustard before World War II, are much more pungent than brown or white. Brown mustard, sometimes misleadingly called Indian Mustard and White mustard, the oldest form also known as Yellow in America, are not particularly strong. It probably came here with the Romans but isn’t as hot as it once was.