I usually stay away from commercially prepared mustard (think French’s) because I am allergic to an ingredient found in it called turmeric. While there are several benefits to turmeric, it unfortunately closes my throat. However that is okay, as having the allergy has made me responsible for making my own mustard at home.

There are several variations to my homemade mustard recipe, and the base of it is always the same: yellow or brown mustard seed (sometimes I mix them) and white vinegar. From there you can add in honey, brown sugar, garlic, and even beer to change the strength and the flavor of the mustard.

Mustard seed is quite strong, so I strongly suggest you let it sit 24 hours after preparing it, unless you’re like me and enjoy a good spicy brown mustard.

The taste and benefits from freshly prepared mustard is unlike anything you can find in the store. However, there’s still one good use for store-bought, yellow mustard.

A few years back I got burned pretty badly at work. My father and I own and operate a country store in my home town. If you are unfamiliar with a country store, it is basically a mini Neighborhood Wal-Mart: a store in the middle of nowhere that attempts to provide essential products and services to community members, as stores are few and far in between.

At our store, this means we sell everything from canned goods and hand-cut deli meats to fresh local produce and the best sustainably sourced pulled pork barbecue you’ve ever tasted. We are also well known for our fried chicken.

If you’ve ever cooked fried chicken in a commercial deep fryer, you know the grease is scolding hot, and absolutely nothing you want to play with. I’m unsure exactly what happened that day, but I lost control of the basket, the chicken is put in before dropping it in the fryer to be cooked. The oil splashed in my face, very close to my eyes and I had nothing there to soothe or tend to the burn.

One of our employees witnessed this accident and suggested I rub yellow mustard in it.

I thought she’d lost it.

Thankfully, the mustard trick actually worked. The mustard seed acted to pull out the soreness and the turmeric found in prepared yellow mustard prevented scarring. Other than some redness, there were no signs I’d been burned moments after applying the mustard. By that evening, it was as if nothing ever happened. I was completely amazed and thrilled.

I wonder how I’ve been using other condiments incorrectly. Have any tips? Please comment below.

Mustard seed can be used to treat:

Muscular pain and arthritis, Hair loss, Cancer (inhibits cell growth), Psoriasis, Ringworm, Contact dermatitis, Diabetes, Respiratory disorders (such as Chronic Bronchitis and Sinus infection), High cholesterol, Symptoms of menopause, Burns, High blood pressure, Asthma, Nausea, and the Common Cold

Mustard can be used to prevent:

Cancer, Cardiac disease, Scarring, Hair loss, and Hair breakage
*Bonus: Mustard seed is a natural odor remover. Have containers that smell like whatever you stored in them last? Simply put a few mustard seeds and warm water in them and shake. Put the mustard seed mixture out and say hello to a good smelling container!