My giant jar of Stout Beer Mustard finally ran out.  Always one to try something new, I pondered what kind of mustard to make next.  There are so many possibilities!  But with the holidays around the corner and a jeweled bag of Wisconsin cranberries in the fridge, a festive mustard was in order.  Could cranberries and mustard go together?  The trick was to find the right balance between bitter, sour, sweet and salty. 

As you might imagine, this mustard was destine to hit my Thanksgiving table and dress the leftovers there after.  So I wanted this mustard to be more accessible to kids and guests, and not hit them over the head.  My solution was to make a rustic cranberry jam with only half the sugar and combine that with yellow mustard seeds soaked in apple cider vinegar with a little beer.  A pinch of salt was my only seasoning.  Instead of blending the mustard seeds I left them whole, which made for a great texture and much milder flavored mustard, somewhere between a chutney and a mustard.  This spread paired perfectly with tangy goat cheese on crackers, as well as made for an excellent turkey sandwich.

Cranberry Mustard Recipe

By Tammy Kimbler

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds

2/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup amber beer

1 cup whole cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

Instructions:

In a glass jar, soak yellow mustard seeds in cider vinegar overnight.  They should swell to almost a full cup.  Add more cider vinegar if they seem dry.

The next day, bring the cranberries, sugar and beer to a simmer on the stove.  When cranberries begin to pop, cook another 5 minutes.  Add the mustard seed mixture and a pinch of salt.  Taste the mixture.  If it seems to sour or bitter, add a couple teaspoons of sugar.  When the balance suites your taste, remove from heat and return the mixture to a glass jar.  Cool in the fridge.  The flavors will meld when cool.  Makes 3, 1/4 pint jars.  Store in the refrigerator.  And try not to spread it on everything in site.