Author Notes
A few summers ago I happened upon a recipe for one of the best jams I've ever eaten - Christine Ferber's two apricot jam, made with fresh and dried apricots. I learned an important lesson from that recipe: the intense flavor of dried fruit, and the additional texture it gives to a dish or condiment, make it worthy of much more attention that it's gotten in my kitchen. I use dried and fresh apples in this super-easy mustard, which goes nicely on any sandwich with ham or cheese, or both, and would do any cheese board proud. ;o) —AntoniaJames
Ingredients
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2 peeled, cored and coarsely chopped medium or large apples
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1/2 cup Riesling or Gewurztraminer or similar white wine
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31 grams / 1/2 cup finely chopped dried apples
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1 teaspoon / 5 ml dark brown sugar
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pinch of salt
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1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
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1 heaping tablespoon whole grain mustard
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Vinegar or lemon juice, to taste
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Black pepper to taste
Directions
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Cover the apples with the wine in a small heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes. (You can also do this in a Pyrex-like pitcher in the microwave.)
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Put the fresh and dried apples and their soaking liquid into a food processor; buzz for about two minutes. You should have small pieces of dried apple suspended in what looks like applesauce. Tip it into a bowl.
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Add the brown sugar, the two mustards, a small pinch of salt, and 1-2 tablespoons of warm water. Stir well. Cover and let sit for at least 8 hours. Taste and add more mustard or salt to taste. If it's not sharp enough for you, add a few splashes of vinegar or lemon juice. If it seems too dry, add a touch more water.
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Keep refrigerated in a tightly covered container.
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I hope you try this and like it. Your devoted friend, AntoniaJames. ;o)
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NB This will seem much too mustardy - the apples will seem overpowered by the mustard -- when you first make it. During the resting time, however, the mustard mellows and the apple flavor comes through.
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This recipe, as initially posted, was for a "mostarda" condiment using the Northern Italian method of macerating fruit and boiling the resulting syrup for three or four days in row, as described in the "no-recipe" article I wrote a few years ago, which you can find here: https://food52.com/blog/8577-how-to-make-mostarda-without-a-recipe
If you'd like the original recipe for apple mustard, which contains honey, lemon peel, anise seed and yellow mustard seeds, please send me a note. I'll be happy to send it to you in PDF. ;o)
See problem, solve problem. Ask questions; question answers. Disrupt, with kindness, courtesy and respect. ;o)
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