Mostarda Veneta - WHB#260

the round up

this is so exciting!

the WHB is turning 5 years.

I'm a contributor now and then since a little more then 2 years.

my first post was

WHB# 151 Lemon confit with rosemary

my first time, like this week Haalo was hosting, 

and now 

 Haalo has agreed to expanding 

the Herbal Weekend Blogging,

so from WHB # 261 there will

be an Italian Version.

me on my italian blog 

Briggis recept och ideer

is the proud, excited and nervous

organisator!!

I wish to thank Kalyn for this more and more interesting idea

and Haalo for her love, care and availability

every week of herbal blogging.

my entry for this week is an old recipe from the Veneto region,

the Italian region

that is hosting me since almost 30years.

Mostarda Veneta

boild fruit in a spicy syrup.

you need:

250gr of peeled and cubed quince

250gr of peeled and cubed pears

250gr of peeled and cubed Golden Delicious apples

80gr of candid lemon and oranges peels

1 l of white wine dry

ca 250-300gr of sugar

drops of mustard essence

cook separately the fruit covered with wine.

the pears and the apples will take about 15min

the quince 30-35min (important to cut the quince

in small cubes, will cook quicker)

when the fruit is all mashed put together and let cook 

until the wine is evaporated.

add the candid fruit and the sugar.

the sugar is of personal taste, I don't

like very sweet jams so I don't put

much, try you way out, by tasting and adding.

at this point you can choose,

leave it as a different tasting jam 

(the wine gives it a warm touch)

or add some drops of mustard essence

and make a real Mostarda Veneta.

brigidaa_te:

there are two things a little difficult to find

the quince, a sort of old fashion apple

that once grow in every garden, and

no is so hard to find to buy.

I had to go all the way to Padua to buy my tree.

the other thing important for  this 

"mustard, is the essence of mustard seeds

it is an alcoholic distillation, it is very

dangerous. 

you have to use plastic gloves, adding the essence outside, turning your face

the other way.

the "smell" makes your eyes cry, burns you nose and 

the touch makes your hands burns for hours after.

it is extremely important to add the essence

when your jam is cold.

there is no problem to store after, the essence

will preserve your mustard for years after.

it is perfect with cheese or boiled meat

the first time it was mentioned (in Italy) was in 1397, when the Duke of Milan,

Gian Galeazzo Visconti asked for a mustard for his Christmas banquette.

it comes from the Latin "mustum ardens" and means "burning must"

the very very burning spicey flavour of the mostarda comes from an essence made of mustard seeds.

in Italy we use the

sinapsi alba

berhaps you will know the sinapsi nigra o sinapsi arvensis (charlock).

here we can find the essence of mustard, which probably will be difficult to find abroad,

to make something similar by your one:
add 5gr of ground mustard seeds (yellow if possible, less strong) in 2dl of water, vhite wine or vinegar of white wine( they are placed in order of strenght, were the vinegar is the strongest)
add this to you marmelade and mix well.
here you can read more about italian mostarda

the wind is blowing this Sunday evening on the Garda Lake, it has been raining hard all day

my pots are full of water :D