One of the hottest spices is considered to be mustard. Preparing it is not difficult at all, brew dried and abraded seeds in water and add a low concentration of vinegar (wine or apple) and various spices, such as cinnamon, pepper, bay leaf, tarragon, celery, onion and garlic to the swollen mass.
Mustard, which is used to make seasonings, is of three types:
- White. In the traditional cuisine of England, it is called English.
- Black. Its seeds are used to make the famous Dijon mustard. There are over 20 ways to prepare this seasoning.
- Sarepta mustard, in Europe it is better known as Russian (it will be discussed in our article).
Description
Sarepta mustard is an annual herbaceous plant, reaching a height of 40-100 cm, with a taproot, relatively weak root. On an upright branching stem, stem leaves are located, decreasing upwards, while the plate is not strongly divided, and the petiole is shortened. At the bottom, the leaves are alternate, petiolate, as a rule, lyre-pinnate-separate, green, but onat the very top - whole, sessile, but not amplex and bluish in color.
The inflorescence of sarepstka mustard is a brush-like raceme that quickly elongates during the flowering period. The four-dimensional perianth is formed by spaced sepals, a golden-yellow corolla and petals, rather quickly tapering into a nail. Sarep mustard has 6 stamens, two of which are external and shorter, with small honey glands at the base; in front of two long ones there is one large piece of iron. The pistil consists of a two-celled ovary and a capitate stigma.
Mustard fruits in the form of a linear, thin, knobby pod, 7 to 12 mm long. The seeds are about 1 mm in diameter and can be either black-gray or brown or pale yellow. Sarepta mustard blooms in May, and the fruit ripens in June.
Where does it meet?
Sarepta mustard grows sparsely in Central Asia, Northern China, Mongolia and Southern Siberia. The plant can be found both in the steppe zone and in wastelands, near roads. Distinguishing between native and wild mustard is quite difficult. The plant came to Russia by accident with flax and millet seeds brought to the Lower Volga region, but the locals managed to evaluate the oil properties of the plant, and they began to grow it. Today, in terms of sown area among oilseeds, it is Sarepta mustard that occupies the third place (use, varieties and chemical composition are described in detail in this article). Not far from the villageSarepta even opened the first mustard and oil mill in 1810.
Sarepta mustard: microscopy
In the seed, consisting of a peel and an embryo, there is practically no reserve nutritional tissue, or endosperm. On a cross section, you can see several horseshoe-shaped cotyledons and a rounded root.
Sarepta mustard (microscopy confirms this) consists of four layers. Large colorless cells that contain mucus form the outer layer, or epidermis. This is followed by very large thin-walled cells that swell when retting and practically collapse in dry seed.
The cells of the third, sclerenchymal layer have a very characteristic structure. On the transverse section, their wavy character is noticeable, this is due to the unequal height, either gradually increasing or decreasing. This is also the reason for the pitting of the surface of the seed.
Tangential elongated cells, which contain brown pigment, form the fourth layer - the peel, followed by the endosperm. But the tissue of the embryo is represented by thin-walled cells containing fatty oils and aleurone grains.
Chemical composition
Seeds of Sarepta mustard consist of essential and allyl mustard oil, potassium bisulfate and sinigrin glycoside, which is broken down into glucose by the enzyme myrosin. Mustard essential oil can be obtained from fermented seeds by steam distillation. The resulting product contains no more than 40% allyl mustard oil and up to50% crotonyl mustard, as well as cyanallyl, traces of carbon disulfide and dimethyl sulfide. In addition, the presence in the essential mustard oil of a slightly drying fatty oil, consisting of erucic, oleic, linoleic, light cenoic, linolenic, myristic and behenic acids, mucus and proteins, was noted. The leaves of the plant contain carotene, ascorbic acid, calcium and iron s alts.
Sarepta mustard: cultivation
The plant grows well in loose, fertile and well-drained soil, in addition, access to sunlight is necessary. Sarepta mustard is propagated (description, microscopy, chemical composition are given above) by seeds, it is desirable to sow them in open ground in spring. As a rule, areas with a warm climate are chosen for growing plants.
Sowing mustard seeds is carried out as early as possible. The flowering of the plant occurs in June-July, like other representatives of the cabbage family. By sowing earlier, the rosette of leaves will appear before the long solstice, and the seedlings will be protected from cruciferous fleas.
It is not necessary to allocate separate beds for growing mustard, it also grows well in the aisles. Seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1 cm. As soon as the first leaves appear, the seedlings need to be thinned out so that there is a distance of 5 to 8 cm between them. After that, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer and watering will be required. In about 20 days, Sarepta mustard will reach a height of 10-15 cm and will be ready foraddicting.
Close cultural relatives of the plant are cabbage, watercress, radish, turnip, swede, radish, rapeseed, winter and spring rapeseed. This must be taken into account when planning the planting of seeds. Areas where oilseed flax, millet, sunflower or beet have previously grown are not suitable for growing mustard.
How to collect and procure raw materials?
Sareptskaya mustard, or rather its seeds, is ready for harvest when the pods located in the lower and middle parts of the plant have ripened, and the lower leaves have begun to die off.
The grass must first be dried and carefully threshed and cleaned the seeds. Then they are scattered in a thin layer on a pallet and dried in a well-ventilated area. To make the raw material dry better, it can be turned over or stirred.
Dried mustard seeds are transferred to cloth bags. It is recommended to store raw materials in a suspended state in a ventilated and dry room to avoid mustiness.
Mustard seeds have a 2-year shelf life, so try to use them within that time frame. If the raw material is still left, it will have to be thrown away. Expired seeds are not recommended.
Mustard as fertilizer
Sarepta mustard can be used as a fresh plant mass that is embedded in the soil to enrich it with organic matter. This siderate:
- is able to clear the area of weeds, especially for cultivated soils.
- Thanks to its chic phytosanitary properties, it protects against slugs, wireworms and codling moth, prevents the appearance of late blight and scab on potatoes.
- Increases biomass at a rapid pace, as a result of which the soil is replenished with useful substances.
- Improves soil structure. Mustard roots, reaching a length of 1.5-3 meters, loosen and drain the soil well, which provides excellent moisture resistance and air capacity.
- Traps nitrogen in the soil and converts other nutrients into organic matter, preventing them from escaping to a deeper layer.
- Under the influence of snow, the green manure plant turns into mulch, which, in turn, protects the soil from freezing in the autumn-winter period.
Varieties of mustard
In the register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation, 9 varieties of Sarepta mustard are registered, approved for use:
- Freckle - early ripe, with a semi-spreading rosette, reaching a height of 25-28 cm.
- Mustard sarepta wave. Technical maturity occurs in a month. An early ripe variety with a slightly sprawling, large, upright rosette, reaching 25-32 cm in diameter.
- Arigato.
- Okay. Technical maturity occurs in 58-60 days.
- Mustang is a mid-season variety, plants reach a height of 25-27 cm.
- Sadko.
- Pretty. Collection of greens can be started on the 18-20th day afteremergence.
- Prima.
- Strong.
Kitchen use
Sarepta mustard has found application in cooking. It makes an excellent spicy seasoning that enhances the taste of many dishes. Mustard powder is used in the preparation of mayonnaise, various sauces and dressings. Crushed seeds add flavor to sausages and other foods.
Canned foods topped with mustard powder last longer. Table mustard is usually served as an addition to fish and meat dishes, as well as smoked meats.
Fatty mustard oil, due to its good taste, is used not only in cooking, but also in the production of bakery products and the manufacture of canned food. According to culinary experts in many countries, this is an excellent seasoning for salads, bean dishes, meat and sauces.
Mustard powder is included in the composition of domestically produced sauces: "Kuban", "Amateur" and "Southern". Young mustard greens, when added to salads, not only enrich them with vitamin C, but improve their taste.
Other uses
Sarepta mustard has found application not only in home cooking, but also in medicine. Rubbing oil from the seeds of the plant is used for colds, inflammatory diseases of the bronchi, peripheral nerve, pleurisy, rheumatism, myositis and sciatica.
Mustard pomace is used as a raw material for the production of phytin, whichis prescribed in the treatment of neurasthenia, scrofula, vascular hypotension and diathesis. The drug gives good results with sexual weakness and loss of appetite.
