Mustard might seem simple with just a few ingredients, but each one is pretty resistant to spoilage. It’s made from mustard seeds, white wine, white wine vinegar, salt, and water.
Mustard seeds are dried and have low moisture, so microbes don’t stand a chance. Wine has alcohol to preserve it, vinegar has a super low pH, and traditional Dijon recipes use verjus, which is also low in pH and sugar. Salt further helps preserve the mix.
So does that mean that mustard goes bad just as easily as other condiments? Then why should we not refrigerate it? Read on to find out!