Mustard: using the leaves, seeds and paste at home

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Mustard (Brassica and Sinapis species) is a fast-growing annual grown for its peppery leaves and its pungent seeds. This page covers the plant itself, what herbalists and cooks traditionally do with each part, how to prepare leaves, seeds, poultices and baths at home, and the cautions that matter before you put mustard on your skin.

What it is credited with

• Herbalism has long classed mustard as a warming, stimulating plant, used to rouse a sluggish system.
• Traditional kitchen wisdom credits a spoonful of mustard alongside rich or fatty food with helping heavy meals sit more comfortably.
• Naturopathy values the leaves as a tonic green, eaten in spring when the body is thought to want fresh, bitter, vitamin-rich food.
• Mustard poultices, or mustard plasters, were a fixture of European and North American home care: they were traditionally laid on the chest during a rattling winter cold, and on stiff, aching backs and shoulders.
• Country tradition also used mustard foot baths and full baths to warm someone through after a chill.
• The leaves supply beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A — a vitamin involved in bone growth, tooth formation and the condition of skin.
• Like other brassicas, mustard contains antioxidant compounds that act on free radicals in the body.

How to use it

Young leaves, raw

• Pick leaves the size of your palm or smaller, early in the day.
• Rinse, dry, and toss a generous handful through a mixed salad — they bring the same bite as rocket.
• They pair well with a sharp vinaigrette, boiled egg, walnuts or crumbled cheese.
• Use them the day they are picked; they wilt fast.

Mature leaves, cooked

• Strip the tougher midrib from larger leaves.
• Steam for three to four minutes, or stir-fry over a high heat with garlic and a splash of oil.
• Cooking softens the pepperiness considerably — a good option if the raw leaf is too fierce.
• Finish with lemon or a dash of soy sauce.

Seed and table mustard

• Whole seeds: warm them briefly in a dry pan until they pop, then add to pickles, lentils or roast vegetables.
• Home-made paste: grind a tablespoon of seeds, stir in cold water to a paste, wait ten minutes for the heat to develop, then add a little vinegar and salt to hold it.
• Vinegar added too early keeps the mustard mild; added later, it locks in the heat.
• A teaspoon of mustard whisked into a vinaigrette keeps oil and vinegar from separating.

Poultice (mustard plaster)

• Mix ground mustard seed with two to three times its volume of plain flour, then add lukewarm water to a spreadable paste.
• Spread it on a cloth and fold the cloth over — the paste never touches bare skin.
• Traditionally laid on the chest or on an aching shoulder for a few minutes only, and removed as soon as the skin turns pink or feels hot.
• Wash the area with cool water afterwards and apply a plain oil.

Bath and foot bath

• Foot bath: a heaped tablespoon of mustard powder in a basin of hot water, feet in for five to ten minutes.
• Full bath: traditionally half a small jar of mustard stirred into the water, for a short soak only.
• Rinse off with clean water at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: eat the young leaves raw the day you pick them, and keep any mustard poultice on a cloth, never on bare skin.

Which part of the mustard plant do I actually use?

Both leaves and seeds. Young leaves go raw into salads, mature leaves are steamed or stir-fried as a leaf vegetable, and the seeds are toasted whole or ground into paste. The seeds are also what goes into a traditional poultice or a mustard bath.

When should I harvest mustard?

Pick leaves from mid-spring right through autumn, taking them small for salads and larger for cooking. Seeds ripen in late summer, once the pods dry and turn pale. Cut the stems before the pods split or you will lose the crop to the ground.

Why does my home-made mustard taste mild instead of hot?

The heat forms when crushed seed meets cold water, and it needs about ten minutes to develop. If you add vinegar straight away, you stop the reaction and the mustard stays mild. Wait, then add the vinegar to fix the heat where you want it.

Is a mustard poultice safe to try?

Only with care. Mustard is a genuine skin irritant, so the paste must be mixed with flour, wrapped in a cloth, kept on for a few minutes at most, and removed the moment the skin pinks up. It is not suitable for children, for fragile skin, or during pregnancy.

Can I grow mustard in a pot on a balcony?

Yes, Chinese mustard in particular does well in a garden box. Give it sun, a deep container, and water very regularly — a dry spell will send it straight to seed and the leaves will turn tough and bitter.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.