Dijon Mustard

Dijon mustard is liquid gold in the culinary world. Created in France, it’s now a staple in a variety of dishes and sauces in the United States. A dollop of Dijon enhances any good cheese sauce, emulsifies and flavors vinaigrettes, and is perfect for slathering on a crusty French loaf with a slab of aged cheddar or juicy tomato slices. And the most surprising thing is that it’s easy to make Dijon mustard at home with this simple Dijon mustard recipe.

What is Dijon mustard?

Dijon mustard, named for its hometown of Dijon in the Burgundy region of France, is a classic French condiment most often made from brown mustard seeds. It’s tangy with a slightly spicy or “hot” flavor. The pungent mustard is beloved for its balance of tang, heat and sweetness that comes from a touch of sugar and a base of white wine.

The unique pungency of Dijon is due to the use of brown or black mustard seeds, which are more bitter than yellow mustard seeds. Dijon also uses a combination of white wine and vinegar, which is unique to Dijon in the vast world of mustards.

Traditional yellow Dijon mustard, which you see at the deli or buy at the store, is actually whole-grain Dijon mustard that’s been strained to remove the mustard seed skins, isolating just the gorgeous gold spread. Below are options for both types of Dijon mustard recipes.

Ingredients for Dijon Mustard

• White vinegar: The first step when learning how to make Dijon mustard is to soak the mustard seeds. To do this, you’ll need a 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar (plus 1/4 cup of water). Then, during the pureeing process later on, you’ll need an additional 3 tablespoons of vinegar.
• Mustard seeds: Use yellow or brown mustard seeds or a mixture of both. Brown mustard seeds are hotter than yellow mustard seeds, so adjust the spice level with more or less brown mustard seeds. Mustard seeds can be found in the spice aisle of your local grocery store.
• Dry white wine: Pinot grigio, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and muscadet are the best dry white wine options to use when making homemade Dijon mustard.
• Sugar: Sugar balances the acidity, spice and saltiness. You’ll add it at the very end—just enough to adjust the mustard to your taste preference.

Directions

Step 1: Soak the mustard seeds

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Combine 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water and the mustard seeds in a large glass bowl. Cover the bowl with storage wrap and let the seeds soak at room temperature for at least four hours or up to 48 hours.

Editor’s Tip: The longer you soak the seeds, the easier they will be to blend.

Step 2: Strain the seeds

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Strain the mustard seeds through a fine mesh strainer. The skins of mustard seeds are bitter, so you’ll want to discard the soaking liquid.

Step 3: Blend the ingredients

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Add the mustard seeds to a blender with the remaining 3 tablespoons of vinegar and the dry white wine. Blend until smooth, then scrape down the sides.

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Add the salt and continue blending until the mustard is very smooth. Season with additional salt and sugar to taste.

Step 4: Strain out the skins

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To make smooth yellow Dijon mustard, you’ll need to strain out the mustard seed skins. To do this, pass the mustard through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press firmly on the solids with a spoon or spatula to extract as much of the yellow mustard as possible. Discard the solids.

Step 5: Chill and enjoy!

Transfer your homemade Dijon mustard to an airtight container and refrigerate it.

Editor’s Tip: Allow the mustard to chill for a few days before serving it—the flavor will deepen as it ages.

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Dijon Mustard Variations

• Adjust acidity and spice: Once the mustard has rested for at least a few days, taste it and adjust the salt level, acidity and spice by adding more salt, vinegar or sugar.
• Flavor with spices: If you’re looking to enhance your Dijon mustard with more flavor, add 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric or dry mustard powder (for a bit of color) to the mixture during the blending step.
• Change the vinegar: For a French-inspired Dijon, use white wine vinegar in place of the distilled white vinegar in the blending step (but don’t use that nice vinegar for the soaking step). You could also use apple cider vinegar if preferred.

How to Store Dijon Mustard

Store any leftover Dijon mustard in an airtight container in the fridge for between four to six months. We recommend avoiding a metal container as the mustard can absorb a metallic-y taste after a while. Glass or plastic airtight containers are best.

Can you freeze Dijon mustard?

It’s best not to freeze Dijon mustard. Freezing alters its consistency too much, and once it thaws, it will have an off-putting texture.

Dijon Mustard Tips

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How should I use my homemade Dijon mustard?

There are seemingly endless ways to use this zippy condiment. Dijon mustard is suited for sandwiches, especially Cuban-style pork sandwiches. It’s a very potent ingredient, though, so use it sparingly to avoid breathing fire through your nostrils.

Other must-try recipes with mustard are this Dijon-crusted fish for an easy weeknight dinner, dill pickle potato salad for an outdoor barbecue or this gorgeous roasted honey mustard chicken for a special dinner. We can’t get enough of this lemon Dijon pork sheet-pan dinner, which is best for weeknights, and our recipe for Dijon-roasted asparagus dresses up a simple side.

Is it better to use a blender or a food processor for mustard?

We recommend using a blender for this Dijon mustard recipe. The small base makes for a more efficient blend than a food processor. If you have a high-powered food processor or even a mini food processor, you can use that, but a high-powered blender is best. A mortar and pestle will work, too, for a more traditional approach.