What is mustard ? Mustard is a plant which produces groups of yellow flowers with four petals. Each plant can have over 200 flowers and can produce thousands of seeds. The mustard plant is a relative of canola, which is also grown in the province. The mustard plant is actually a member of the Brassica family. That's the same family as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel sprouts Mustard is an important spice crop.
The dark brown and black soils of the prairies are excellent for growing mustard. Mustard is well adapted to cool climates and will germinate at low soil temperatures (4.4°C). Mustard tolerates drought conditions. Three different types of mustard are grown in Saskatchewan: yellow mustard, brown mustard and oriental mustard. Saskatchewan produces nearly 90 per cent of Canada's mustard. The province is the world's leading exporter of mustard.	a field of mustard     click here for larger picture
How does mustard grow ? Plants reach heights of a metre or more (30 to 45 inches). Buds form at the ends of the branches and bloom in 45 days. Insects such as bees fertilize the flowers. Fertilized flowers close and grow into pods. Seeds develop in the pods. Crops are harvested by either swathing or straight combining.
What happens to mustard seeds ? Seeds are hauled to a processing plant and cleaned. The seeds are crushed. The hull and bran are sifted out (depending on the type of mustard being made) . Seeds are dry milled for flour, wet milled for mustard pastes or ground for spice mix. A cold liquid (beer, vinegar, water, wine) is added, along with salt, spices and other flavourings (if making a flavoured mustard) Some varieties of mustard are aged in large containers.
Uses for mustard All parts of the mustard plant can be eaten. The young tender leaves, known as mustard greens, are good in salads. Older leaves with stems may be eaten fresh as a vegetable. Mustard greens are cooked with ham or pork, and are also used in soups and stews. The flowers can also be added to salads and cooked in soups. Yellow mustard seed is the main ingredient in hotdog mustard. It is used in spice mixes, meat processing, salad dressings and mayonnaise. Brown mustard seed is ground into flour and used to produce hot mustard. (Dijon mustards) Oriental mustard seed is used to produce spicy cooking oils.

INTERESTING FACTS

• Healing powers of mustard : people believed that a mustard plaster (paste made from dry mustard, flour and water) relieved muscle aches and pains, helped cure toothaches or coughs, cleared sinuses and increased blood circulation.

• At the "Great Saskatchewan Mustard Festival" chefs created dishes containing mustard for people to sample.

• In 2007 a dry mustard milling plant opened in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan.

• There are mustard seed processing plants in Saskatchewan (Moose Jaw and Melville) and in Alberta (Warner and Lethbridge)

Farming | Saskatchewan

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photos courtesy of SMDC Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission

SOURCES:
What is Mustard? - http://www.saskmustard.ca/grower/mustard/index.html
Mustard - http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex12947

J. Giannetta, Regina, Sask.
jgiannet@hotmail.com
September 2011

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