Summer Fig Mustard
not a chutney, not a jam - recipe + pairings
Every summer, there’s a kind of chaos that happens in my kitchen during fig season. At the mills, we have 6 fig trees and 3 of them give twice during the summer into early autumn… They’re also GIANT. Let’s just say, we’ve made lots of fig jam. This year, I wanted to try something new.
Fig mustard sits at the intersection of everything I’m obsessed with: it’s sweet, salty, tangy, sharp, a bit crunchy, and kind of unnecessary but so fun? I’ve tasted it and bought jars of it before in France, but this year I decided it was time to give it a go and make it myself using my garden’s bounty.
This isn’t a chutney, it’s not a mustard-flavored jam, it’s a mustard that happens to include some fruit. Once you’ve had it on a cheese board or in a jambon beurre sandwich, there is no going back to plain condiments. Full list of pairings below…
In The Condiment Book, I include a recipe for pickled mustard seeds. I was inspired to use this recipe as somewhat of a base and then swap in some ingredients in that would pair well with the fig.
Grainy Fig Mustard
Makes 2 small jars
Pro-tip: on their own, mustard seeds can be really bitter and taste like metal so you need to soak them in vinegar first. This tames their heat!
