MIGHTY MUSTARD
When most folks hear the word mustard, chances are they’ll think of yellow mustard that comes in a jar. Did you know that the yellow color of mustard really comes from turmeric? The pungent flavor comes from the ground seeds of black mustard (Brassica nigra), a wild variety of mustard, which is grown commercially in North America and Europe just for making mustard for our sandwiches. But today, I would actually like to talk about mustard greens, or mostaza as it’s known in Spanish, the hardiest of the greens for tropical gardens.
Mustard greens (Brassica juncea) are fast growing, annual plants that belong to the cabbage family. It’s not uncommon to harvest mustard greens in less than one month from planting the seeds. That’s about a third of the time it takes most garden vegetables to mature for picking! Only radishes (rabinos) match this record, and, by the way, they make a great combo with mustard greens for tropical gardens in the hotter regions of the country.
Mustard greens are not only winners as fast growing plants. They are also champions when it comes to nutrition, ranking as one of the richest in vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin A. One half cup of cooked mustard greens provides 11,000 units of vitamin A, as well as, 125 mg of vitamin C, 291 mg of calcium, 84 mg of phosphorus, and 9 mg of iron.
The preparation of mustard greens is the secret to enjoying them at meals. There are several varieties of mustard greens. Tendergreen and purple mustard are very mild and can be eaten raw in salads, especially when they are chopped finely. Curly mustard is really hot, but can be tamed by steaming, or mixing it in omelets or stir fries.
In terms of planting mustard, I like to start the seeds in germination flats filled with prepared potting soil. When the seedlings reach about 5 cm tall, I transplant them to recycled cups.
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