Mustard (condiment) glucosinolates in mustard plant varieties, and the different isothiocyanates that are produced, make different flavors and intensities. Prepared mustard condiment may also have ingredients giving salty, sour (vinegar), and sweet flavors. Turmeric is often added to commercially prepared mustards, mainly to give them a yellow color. Prepared mustard is sold in glass jars, plastic bottles, or metal squeeze tubes. Because of its antibacterial properties, mustard does not require refrigeration for safety; it will not grow mold, mildew, or harmful bacteria. Mustard can last indefinitely without becoming inedible or harmful, though it may dry out, lose flavor, or brown from oxidation.
Carol Senf Carol Senf Carol A. Senf is professor and associate chair in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. With four books, two critical editions, one edited essay collection, and various critical essays, she is a recognized expert on the biography and works of Irish author Bram Stoker. Senf was educated at Miami University (B.S. English/Education; M.A. English) and the State University of New York at Buffalo (PhD, 1979). Her PhD thesis, written under the direction of John Dings, was entitled "Daughters of Lilith: An Analysis of the Vampire in Nineteenth-Century English Literature." After one