Mostarda di Cremona (candied fruits in mustard syrup)
Whole fruits (pears, quinces, cherries, figs) candied in a syrup spiked with mustard essence, both sweet and pungent. A brightly colored preserve that awakens boiled meats.
Whole fruits (pears, quinces, cherries, figs) candied in a syrup spiked with mustard essence, both sweet and pungent. A brightly colored preserve that awakens boiled meats.
You think it sweet, and then it bites you! That is the genius of Cremona mostarda: those fruits gleaming like precious gems, candied in sugar, but animated by a mustard fire that stings the nose and brings tears to the eye. In Lombardy, we keep it in jars for winter and bring it out triumphantly with bollito on the day of grand feasts. A little sweetness, a flash of pungency: is that not the very flavor of life?
- •Firm fruits (pears, quinces, cherries, figs, apricots) — assortment (body of the preserve)
- •Sugar — generous parts (candying and preservation)
- •Mustard essence (essential oil) — a few drops (signature pungency)
- •Water — for the syrup (syrup)
Mostarda di Cremona (candied fruits in mustard syrup)
Whole fruits (pears, quinces, cherries, figs) candied in a syrup spiked with mustard essence, both sweet and pungent. A brightly colored preserve that awakens boiled meats.
Why this dish? A Lombard specialty from Cremona, a few leagues from Milan: this fruit preserve accompanied the bollito (boiled meat) of grand tables in the region where Boito lived. It illustrates the Lombard art of preserving autumn fruits for winter festivities.
You think it sweet, and then it bites you! That is the genius of Cremona mostarda: those fruits gleaming like precious gems, candied in sugar, but animated by a mustard fire that stings the nose and brings tears to the eye. In Lombardy, we keep it in jars for winter and bring it out triumphantly with bollito on the day of grand feasts. A little sweetness, a flash of pungency: is that not the very flavor of life?
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm fruits (pears, quinces, cherries, figs, apricots) — assortment (body of the preserve)
- Sugar — generous parts (candying and preservation)
- Mustard essence (essential oil) — a few drops (signature pungency)
- Water — for the syrup (syrup)
Ingredients
- Mixed firm fruits (pear, quince, apricot, cherry, fig) — 1 kg (body of the preserve)
- Sugar — 500 g (candying)
- Water — 250 ml (syrup)
- Food-grade mustard essential oil — 10 to 20 drops to taste (signature pungency)
- Lemon juice — 1 tbsp (acidity, balance)
Method
- Cut large fruits into quarters, leave small ones whole; sprinkle with sugar and let macerate overnight.
- The next day, collect the juice, bring to a boil to make a syrup, pour over the fruits. Repeat this process for 3 consecutive days (the syrup concentrates and candies the fruits).
- On the last day, give the fruits a short cook in the syrup, then let cool slightly.
- Very carefully add the mustard essence and lemon juice (the essence is potent: taste as you add drop by drop).
- Place in sterilized jars, cover with syrup, seal tightly.
- Let rest at least a week before serving, with boiled meats or aged cheeses.
How it was made : Heir to medieval preserves (the word comes from *mustum ardens*, "burning must"), mostarda allowed fruits to be preserved with sugar while adding the heat of mustard. Cremona made it its specialty from the Renaissance onward; in the 19th century, it was the obligatory accompaniment to Lombard *bollito misto*.
The contemporary twist : A few cubes of mostarda on a platter of aged cheeses with a drizzle of honey: a sweet-pungent pairing that always surprises, perfect for a modern aperitif.
Sources : Tradition of Cremona (Lombardy); mostarda di frutta, preserve documented since the Renaissance
Arrigo Boito · Charactorium
