A single mustard plant can produce up to 25,000 seeds. But how do you know when the seeds are ready to harvest? Find out below when and how to harvest your mustard and how best to store and process it.
When and how should I harvest mustard?
Mustard leaves can be harvested all year round, while pea-sized mustard seeds in pods are ready to harvest in September/October. If you shake a pod and hear a rattle, it's harvest time. Cut the stems and separate the seeds from the pods before drying and storing or processing.
Harvesting the mustard leaves
Mustard leaves can be harvested practically all year round, just a few weeks after sowing. It makes sense to only remove the outer leaves so that the mustard plant can continue to grow and continue to provide you with delicious leafy greens. The leaves can be used in salads but also in soups or other warm dishes. They give the food a light mustard flavor.
If the mustard begins to bloom, the leaf harvest must be stopped, because the formation of flowers costs the mustard plant a lot of energy and nutrients, which it removes from the leaves, so that they lose their nutritional value and aroma. After flowering, the leaves begin to die off and seed formation begins. If you want to use the mustard leaves as green manure, you can also harvest them during or shortly after flowering and throughout the entire growth phase.
Harvesting mustard seeds
The pea-sized mustard seeds grow in pods and are usually ready to harvest in September/October. When the pods are ready to harvest, they are dry and light yellow. To make sure the seeds are ripe, shake one of the pods: does it rattle? Then it's harvest time!When harvesting, proceed as follows:
- Cut the stems with the pods.
- Place them in a jute sack or a sack made of another durable material.
- Hit the bag on a stone or against a wall so that the pods burst open.
- Collect the seeds from the bag and place them on a plate or other flat container.
- Repeat the process until all pods have popped open or open pods that are still closed by hand.
- Let the mustard seeds dry for four weeks in a dry place (e.g. on the radiator) on newspaper or similar to ensure that all residual moisture escapes.
- Process the seeds directly or place them in a closed container and store them in a cool, dark place.
Processing mustard seeds
Mustard seeds can't just be ground and made into mustard. They can also be used as a spice for dishes, such as:
- Mustard cucumbers
- Roulades
- Curry
- pickled pumpkin
- cucumber salad
- Meat dishes
Tip
Alternatively, you can also dry the mustard seeds including the pods and only separate them after four weeks.
