Can mustard be frozen? - Storage Guide

Mustard is one of those classic American foods that’s great for a multitude of reasons. You can use it for many things. Mustard is probably best known for dressing burgers or hot dogs, but it’s certainly not limited to these options.

Or maybe you keep mustard at home because you use it occasionally, but you use it so little that you’re worried you’ll end up throwing away half the jar. So now you need a solution so you don’t waste half a jar of mustard every time you need it.

How long does mustard last and can it be frozen to make it last longer?  Mustard keeps well in the fridge for quite some time, but you can freeze it if you think you need an alternative solution that you can take out whenever you need it. 

We’ve put together a guide to give you the essential details on storing mustard and the steps you can take to freeze your mustard so it lasts longer. It really is a simple solution, but there are a few steps to make your mustard easier to use after it’s been frozen.

Read on to learn about your options for freezing mustard and more information on storage tips and options.

Mustard Storage Guide

Storing your mustard should be easy. If you use mustard frequently, you don’t have to worry about alternative storage methods , just keep it in the fridge because chances are you’ll be using it long before it goes bad.

But this is not the case for all homes. Smaller households may take much longer to use a jar of mustard, or households that simply aren’t interested in using mustard, except for the occasional recipe that calls for it, will not use the jar fast enough.

For this reason, you need options. It’s not good that you have to buy a new jar of mustard every 6 months or a year when you suddenly need a tablespoon of it to complete your recipe.

Mustard has many uses . If you are looking for some unique ideas to use your mustard, here are some options.

• Potato salad
• deviled eggs
• Corn dogs and hot dogs
• Use it to make a marinade mix
• Mustard leaves
• dipping sauces
• make salad dressing
• sandwich topping
• Tuna salad

These are just a few ideas to put your mustard to use, but it can be used for a multitude of options.

how mustard is made

Mustard can be purchased at your local grocery store (or even Amazon) or you can make your own at home.

To give you a general idea of what mustard contains and how it is made, we want to share with you a simple mustard recipe.

This will only give you a background of what is in the mustard in an effort to help you understand how certain variables might affect your attempts to freeze the mustard.

Although this is a general recipe, keep in mind that commercial mustard can be processed differently, and homemade recipes can vary greatly depending on tastes.

1. You will need water, ground or dry mustard, salt, turmeric, garlic, paprika, and distilled white vinegar.
2. Combine the water and all the seasonings, including the dry mustard, in a saucepan and beat until smooth and blended.
3. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring frequently. It will turn into a thick paste. This process can take up to 45 minutes. You may want to open the windows and run a fan, as the smell can be quite overbearing.
4. Whisk the vinegar into the mixture and cook some more, stirring frequently. Cook about 10 minutes or until the mixture reaches the desired mustard consistency.
5. Allow the mustard to cool to room temperature before preparing it for storage.

Making the mustard is not a complicated process, but it does take about an hour in total and you have to watch it closely and stir it often during the process.

Once made, you can simply store it in an airtight container of some sort. If you buy mustard at the store, it will come in a container that closes and seals out the air in some way. Some have a screw-on lid, while others have a pop-up lid.

Mustard storage: fridge or freezer

You should know the basics of storing mustard before you decide what you are going to do to store it. You may decide that the fridge will work just fine, or you may decide that you need to freeze the mustard. Let’s talk about some of the differences and processes.

Storing mustard in the fridge

Mustard can usually be stored at room temperature until opened.  If you buy mustard at the store, you’ll find that the jars often say to refrigerate it after opening. Some mustards can be kept at room temperature.

However, the best way to preserve mustard for the long term is to store it securely and tightly sealed in the fridge.

If you store mustard at room temperature, it will probably only keep well for about a month.  But if you store mustard in the fridge, it will most likely keep for up to a year.

You may need to shake the mustard each time you use it, as sometimes the water from the mustard settles to the top and you’ll get a watery mixture from the jar if you don’t shake it. This is common in many condiments.

Storing mustard in the freezer

Storing mustard in the freezer doesn’t make it last much longer, but it can keep it for another 3-4 months. Storing mustard in the fridge lasts about 1 year, but if you like to use things before the expiration date stamped on the jar, you might want to take action rather than take chances.

If you’re storing your mustard in the freezer, you most likely don’t want to use an entire jar when you use it, so plan to store it in individual servings. We recommend an ice tray. This works quite well.

Here are some steps to freeze mustard. 

1. Start by scooping the mustard into ice trays or some sort of individual servings this size.
2. Put the trays in the freezer and let them freeze. You will need to let them freeze like this for 1-3 days. You can leave them like this and take them out whenever you want or move them to another storage option.
3. If you don’t want to store them in the ice trays indefinitely, transfer the frozen mustard cubes to a freezer bag or an airtight container.
4. Frozen mustard cubes usually keep about 14-16 months.

When you are going to use a mustard cube, you should not try to thaw it in the microwave. This will most likely make it watery, but it will also lose some of its freshness and the flavor will suffer. 

The best way to use the mustard after freezing it is to put the cube in a container and run the container under warm or hot water until thawed. Or you can put it in the fridge and let it defrost overnight.

Additionally, you can leave the frozen mustard cube at room temperature for a few hours and allow it to thaw until ready to use.

If you freeze the mustard in individual servings, it’s much easier to take out a single serving or a couple of frozen cubes when you need some mustard and leave the other parts you don’t need in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.

Related questions

We hope you found this guide to freezing mustard a good resource and that you feel you can successfully freeze your mustard or continue to store it in the fridge with the confidence that it will last just long enough.

We have put together a question and answer section that provides additional information. We hope you’ll take a look and see if there’s anything of value to you.

 Does mustard have health benefits?

Mustard grains are ground to obtain mustard powder or dry mustard, and this, in turn, is used to make mustard. Mustard seeds have many health benefits.

Some of the most prominent health benefits of mustard seeds are magnesium, calcium, dietary fiber, zinc, iron, manganese, phosphorus, protein, and niacin.

Additionally, mustard appears to contain small amounts of antioxidants that may help with asthma, heart attacks, and potentially some cancers.

Can mustard be bad for you?

As with anything, you shouldn’t have mustard on your access. Although mustard has health benefits due to the mustard seed, a high amount of mustard seed can have harmful effects on your body.

You shouldn’t worry about this when using mustard, since mustard seed is very diluted.