Mostarda: the recipe for homemade fruit jams

The mustard it’s a kept tasty and colorful based on fresh fruit, sugar, water and mustard, perfect to accompany meat dishes, cold meats and cheeses. An ancient preparation, of peasant origin, born with the aim of preserving the fruit longer and which only later became the spicy and tasty condiment that we all know today.

Doing it at home will take time, but the end result will fully repay the “efforts” made. Fresh seasonal fruits, whole or cut into pieces, are prepared macerate for 24 hours with sugar then lightly caramelized in a saucepan with the liquids released. Then it is collected in a ball, sprayed with the liquid Of macerationreduced over the heat and left to stand, covered with a cloth, for 12 hours.

After a while, it will have to be filtered syrup, cook it again over low heat for a few minutes, pour it over the fruit, then repeat the operation a second time. At this point, just add a few drops of mustard essence and transfer everything to sterilized glass jars, making sure to do so safely following Ministry of Health guidelines.

The result will be a mustard with a typical spicy aftertaste, to accompany, for the most classic pairings, boiled meats and stews, brought to the table with a cold cuts platter and cheesesseasoned and blue, or used to enrich the filling of Mantua’s famous pumpkin tortelli.

From this typical recipe from northern Italy, known above all in the variant Cremona e valancethere are different versions depending on the area of ​​origin: some add must, others honey instead of sugar, others opt for grain mustard…

As tradition dictates, we used the Quincebut, if you can’t find any, you can easily replace them with rennet, with a slightly juicy and pleasantly acidic pulp.

When using themustard essential oilbe careful not to touch it with your hands and not to directly inhale the fumes caused by the evaporation of the product on contact with heat: this could irritate the mucous membranes and have a numbing effect.

After spraying the syrup on the fruit, remember to always use a cloth to cover it and never a lid: this will prevent the formation of steam from compromising the final result.

Learn how to make mostarda by following the step-by-step procedure and tips. If you liked this recipe, also try the fig mostarda.

How to make mustard

Wash the fruit and dry it gently; then detach the grapes and collect them on a plate 1.

Cut the plums in half and remove the core 2.

Peel the pears 3 and apples, and cut them into wedges. At this point, weigh the peeled fruit and the whole tangerine and transfer them to a large bowl.

Add sugar 4 and mix with a spoon: the quantity of sweetener to be used must be equal to 50% of the weight of the fruit.

Cover with a sheet of cling film 5 and leave to macerate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After the resting time, pour the fruit with the maceration liquid into a non-stick pan; add 1/2 cup of water 6bring gently to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

Gently remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl, then reduce the liquid over the heat for another 2-3 minutes. When you are done, pour the resulting syrup over the fruit, cover with a cloth 7 and leave to stand for about 12 hours, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

After the rest time, strain the syrup into a saucepan 8 and cook gently for another 2-3 minutes.

Pour it over the fruit 9, cover with a cloth and leave to stand for another 12 hours, stirring occasionally. At the end of the time, filter the syrup and repeat the operation one last time.

Then add 5 drops of mustard essential oil to the hot syrup tenand mix thoroughly.

Transfer mustard to sterilized glass jars 11close them tightly and keep them in a cool, dry place away from light until ready to serve.

storage room

Fruit mostarda should be stored in a cool, dry place away from light for 6-8 months. Once opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 2 weeks.