Yellow mustard is the most common of the mustards grown on the prairies. It's seed is ground to make the classic yellow mustard we all love on our hot dogs and hamburgers.
The Difference is in the Ridges
This picture shows the differences between the leaf shape on the canola plant, brown mustard plant and yellow mustard plant. Canola and mustard are some of several plant species in the genera Brassica in the family Brassicaceae, hence the similarities in leaf ridges and flower.
At this stage, the farmer regularly checks his field for maturity and moisture content to see if the crop is at the ideal conditions to harvest without the pods shattering.
The black toothed reel on the front of the combine combs the dry mustard plants onto the table of the machine where serrated tooth shaped blades snip the stems so the plant can be fed into the machine by a conveyor belt.
There are three main types of mustard seeds and they all have different flavours and uses. Yellow mustard is the most commonly grown variety and its seed is crushed into a powder, grounded into prepared mustard or sprouted to add a peppery kick to your favourite salad or sandwich. Oriental mustard is the spiciest of the mustards and is commonly found in middle eastern and oriental cuisine. Brown mustard has a spicier flavour than the traditional yellow varieties and is best known for its use in grainy mustards and Dijon recipes.
All parts of the mustard plant are edible, including the flowers and leaves. Less bitter than kale or collard greens, the peppery mustard greens are used often in oriental cooking. Take the spicy foliage of the brown mustard plant and wilt it with caramelised onions and garlic for your next side dish!
The pods on a yellow mustard plant will contain 5 - 6 seeds each when fully formed.
A farmer crunches dry mustard pods together in his hands to extract the tiny brown mustard seeds. He does this to check for maturity and moisture to decide whether the plants are ready to harvest.
The pods of the plant are broken open inside the machine and the seeds fall onto an auger system that separates it from the leftover plant pieces. The seeds are then funnled into the holding tank in the back of the machine, called a hopper, and the leftover plant material is chopped up and blown out the back. This bi-product is called chaff.
Mustard sprouts are commonly used to add a peppery flare to salads and sandwiches or sprinkled as a fresh garnish. This image shows the different stages of sprouting a mustard seed goes through before it ends up on our plates.
Once the flowers have been pollinated and start to fall off the pods of the plant will start to fill with seeds.
Once he has determined that the crop is ready to harvest, he gets in his combine and sets off.
To learn how to sprout your own mustard visit https://spreadthemustard.com/about-mustard/mustard-tips-tricks/
Like other grains and seeds, the mustard plant ripens to a tan or light brown colour when the seeds are ready to harvest. In this stage the pods can become brittle and shatter so its up to the farmer to time his harvest just right so that the seeds are mature but he won't loose his crop to the ground.
This farmer has decided to forego swathing and use a special header on his combine to cut the mustard plants where they stand. This takes one step out of the harvest process and can reduce seed loss due to shattering from the swathing process.
The open tank on top of the combine is called the hopper. This is where the seed is deposited once being separated from the rest of the plant inside the combine. When this tank fills up the farmer is notified and signals a grain truck or grain cart to unload him.
Similar to the canola plant, a mustard field in bloom is a sea of bright yellow flowers.
The canola flower is very similar to the mustard flower. In order to tell the plants apart while in bloom, we look to the leaves to confirm the differences.
The spindly dry mustard plants can be harvested in two ways. They can be cut with a machine called a swather and gathered into neat rows or left to stand and cut by special teeth on the combine. The method is up to the farmer and what equipment he has available to him.
