Stir the mustard and cold water together in a bowl, mixing until all lumps vanish. Let the mixture stand at least an hour, better 3 or 4 hours.

Simmer the orange zest in about a cupful of water for 5 minutes. Drain the shreds, then chop them very fine; reserve the zest.

If the dried fruit is not tender, cover the pieces with boiling water and let them stand 5 minutes, then drain them well.

Combine the drained orange zest, vinegar and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and boil the mixture, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the syrup has thickened somewhat. Stir in the salt, then add the fruit and the mustard mixture. Stir the mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil and thickens smoothly. Remove from the heat.

When the mustard has cooled, taste it and add lemon juice to taste. Scrape the mustard into a clean, dry jar and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. If it should thicken too much upon standing, thin it with more lemon juice or with water.

The author says that this recipe is inspired by mostarda, an Italian speciality of mixed fruits pickled in a sweet mustard syrup. Other fruits can be added or substituted for the ones listed above, depending on what you have. She suggests using glazed pineapple, dried pears and/or candied citrus peel. The exact combination of the fruits isn't important, so long as the total amount is about 10 tb. And the fruits are balanced for sharpness and sweetness.

Good with cold ham or smoked poultry, especially when it's been mixed half-and-half with any bitter-orange marmalade.

From "Fancy Pantry" by Helen Witty. New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 1986. Pp. 184-185. Isbn 0-89480-037-X. Posted by Cathy Harned.