Frequently Asked Questions

*All mustard mentioned here is refered to  as Colman's Dry English Mustard unless otherwise specified.

Q: Why are you maintaining this page, Mustard-James?

A: One day, I bought a can of Colman's Mustard and I wanted recipes and advice for it. Many questions came up in my head: "should I refrigerate it?", "what if I put in soup?". So I  searched the internet and newsgroups. Only a few recipes were scattered around--no dedicated mustard place. So I made a commitment... to make a webpage that will make it easy for anyone to get information about Colman's English Mustard! Amazing!

Q: How many different packs are there of Colman's Mustard?

A: There are currently 13 different SKU's (Stock Keeping Units) for Dry Mustard:

• European 100g
• Home Trade 57g
• Home Trade 113g
• Home Trade 500g
• Home Trade 2kg
• Hong Kong 500g
• Hong Kong 2kg
• Keens 57g
• Keens 113g
• Scandinavian 100g
• USA 2-oz
• USA 4-oz
• USA 1-lb

Q: Where does mustard come from?

A: Mustard comes the seed of a mustard plant; which is prepared in different ways. Colman's Mustard is made by grinding the brown and white mustard seeds to a fine powder (brown flour provides the heat and the white provides flavour. Other popular mustards are made by mixing the mustard powder with wine, vinegar, or water and various spices such as tumeric.

Q: Can you tell me the ingredients and nutritional information for Colman's Mustard?

A: I sure can! The ingredients are: ground mustard seed (w/o bran), and mustard flour. Here is the rest of the nutritional info for one teaspoon:

• Calories - 60
• Fat Calories - 5
• Total Fat - 1/2 gram (1% daily value)
• Sodium - 200 mg (8% daily value)
• Total Carb. - 6 grams
• Sugar - 1 gram
• protein - 0
• ***Those of you who are allergic to wheat flour***
  The Double Superfine(DSF) mustard has 18% wheat flour. The Genuine Double Superfine(GDX) has 1% wheat flour.

Q: What's the shelf life of Colman's Mustard in the fridge? In room temperature?

A: The shelf life is about 24 months and it is not necessary to refrigerate it (according to Colman's), but Mustard-James says that it wouldn't hurt to refrigerate it... just make sure to put it in an airtight bag. Mustard will not get spoiled but may lose it's flavor after a while.

Q: What's the best way to remove a mustard stain?

A: First, scrape off as much mustard  that is on the stain and pretreat the area. Then, wash the garment in the hottest water that the garment can withstand. If the stain still exists, make a paste with baking soda and water. Rub the paste on the back of the stain and let the garment stand for two hours. Rinse, then rewash. If that still doesn't work, make a smooth paste with Colman's mustard and water, put the paste in some warm water then soak the entire garment in it overnight... Presto! Your clothes will be uniformly stained mustard.

Q: What is the significance of the "Colman" in Colman's Mustard?

A: Jeremiah Colman first founded J&J Colman, which later became J&J Colman Ltd. Reckitt & Colman, the current distributors was formed in 1938 and was the result of a merger with their rivals Reckitt & Sons.

Q: When I had a cold or sore throat, I remember my Grandmother using Colman's Mustard to help me. Can you tell me how to do this?

A: Yes, mustard can help a cold because of it's ability to clear up sinuses. You may apply this ability by making a mustard plaster: Make a thick paste with some Colman's and a little water. Smear paste on a wash cloth and place over the your neck for about 15 minutes. Remove sooner if your skin turns red or if you feel a burning sensation. Your skin should turn pink, not red or blistered. Wash well afterwards and repeat twice a day. For more "practical" uses, check out the QuickTips Page.

Q: Is there a customer support number for Colman's Mustard?

A: Yes, 1-800-841-1256. You must tell them what product you are calling for and they will do the best to answer any questions you may have. Maybe one day I can work as a mustard representative! That's my dream :-)

Q: Is the Colman company part of Reckitt & Colman, French's mustard Group?

A: Colman's used to be part of Reckitt & Colman who still sell French's mustard but in 1995 Colman's was bought by Unilever.

Q: What do the medals on Colman's packaging represent?

A: The medals featured on the mustard tins were awarded at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878. The Victorians were very fond of organising exhibitions at which all major companies exhibited their products or inventions. In 1878 J&J Colman were awarded the only gold medals for mustard and starch, and so added them to the packaging to emphasise their superiority. The cross of the Legion of Honour was a personal award to Jeremiah Colman, also awarded at Paris in 1878 for his exceptional services to industry.

Q: How can I purchase larger amounts of Colman's Mustard in the U.S.A? I need more!!!

A: Here is a contact that should help....

M.J. Jolda
Reckitt & Colman Inc.
Wayne
New Jersey 07474
USA

Tel: 001 201 633 2603 Fax: 001 201 633 2690

Q: Where can I find specialty Colman's mustards and collectibles?

A: Check out the Mustard Shop of Norwich, they got loads of wonderful mustard stuff. Here's the contact info.

Colman's Mustard Shop
15,The Royal Arcade.
Norwich.
Norfolk. NR2 1NQ

Telephone 0044 1603-627889
Fax 0044 1603-762142

Colman's Mustard Shop now has a website! Order specialty mustards and memorabilia online at http://www.mustardshop.com .

Did you Know.....??

• A one acre field of mustard produces 1 tonne of seed, which produces 880kg of mustard flour which produces 4760kg of wet mustard, which produces 47600 jars of mustard
• Every minute 45 jars of Colman's Mustard are bought all over the world (that includes speciality mustards as well as the English mustard)
• The word 'mustard' comes from the Latin 'must' (much) and 'ardens' (burning)
• It is believed that mustard was first cultivated in India around 3000BC and came to Britain with the Romans
• Mustard was first used for medicinal purposes
• It was not until the 18th century that mustard seeds were used more widely as a condiment -  and, even then, diners had to crush the seeds on their own plates before mixing them with vinegar and water to suit their taste.
• Colman's Mustard, a secret blend of brown and white seeds, was first made back in 1814
• In 1901 Captain Scott set sail on Discovery with a ton and a half of Colman's English Mustard to liven up his salt beef, fish steaks and penguin fillets on his journey to Antartica
• A spoonful of mustard contains only a few calories
• Over 3,800,000kg of mustard is sold each year
• This may sound odd but the addition of 1/2tsp English Mustard to chocolate sauce for progiteroles, will give you a pleasant surprise

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