Mustard Seeds

Many people do not realize that mustard seeds come from the same plant as mustard greens. This versatile plant can be grown as a vegetable and eaten like other greens or, if allowed to flower and go to seed, mustard seeds can be harvested and used as a spice in cooking or ground into a popular condiment. Learning how to grow mustard seeds is easy and rewarding.

Mustard plants will eventually flower and go to seed. The flowers are generally yellow, but some varieties have white flowers. As the mustard flower grows and matures, it will form pods. Watch for these pods to start to turn brown.

Another sign that you are nearing harvest time is that the leaves of the plant will start to yellow. Be careful not to leave the pods on the mustard seed plant for too long as they will burst open when fully ripe and the mustard seed harvest will be lost.

The next step is to remove the seeds from the pods. You can do this with your hands, or you can place the flower heads in a paper bag and allow them to finish maturing.

The pods will open on their own in 1-2 weeks and a gentle shake of the bag will shake loose most of the mustard seeds.

Mustard seeds can be used fresh, but like other herbs and spices, if you plant on storing them long term, they will need to be dried.