Wild mustard plants can be found growing across most of the country, in fields, meadows, old pastures and roadsides. In some cases it's celebrated -- Napa has a mustard festival each spring when the golden-yellow blooms of mustard plants cover the valley -- while in others wild mustard is considered an invasive species. The mustard family is larger than most with more than 200 wild and cultivated species in North America alone. Wild mustard plants have edible seed pods as well as leaves, flowers, seeds and roots --- and although some consider the mature plants too pungent and bitter, others enjoy them cooked.
Identification
There are so many varieties of wild mustard that knowing exactly which plant you have can be almost impossible, but the family itself is easy to identify. The plants range from 2 to 4 feet, have numerous small, four-petaled yellow flowers growing in clusters, and round or jagged leaves at the ends of long stems along which smaller leaves grow. They usually, but not always, have long, narrow seed pods growing at 90 or 45 degree angles from both sides of the stem.
The Edible Plant
Cultivated varieties are grown specifically for their leaves, commonly called mustard greens. Other mustards produce the oily seeds that are used either whole or ground as a culinary spice, or made into the condiment mustard. Use the bright blossoms and tender, young leaves and seed pods of wild mustard plants in salads and cook the older leaves, which tend to be tougher and spicier. All wild mustards will be pungent and spicy, so try them first to see if the flavor is to your liking.
Wild Mustard Seed Pods
If you come across a patch of young wild mustard plants with tender, immature seed pods, you've got the makings of a spicy cooked dish at hand. Try using the seed pods in a stir-fry in place of green beans. Make sure those you serve it to know what they're eating -- wild mustard has a peppery bite that doesn't appeal to everyone, and while it may resemble skinny green beans, it doesn't taste like them. You can also saute or boil the seed pods for a side dish, or add them to soups and stews. Longer cooking times will temper the pungency of wild mustard a bit.
Nutrition
Wild mustards belong to the same large family, Brassicaceae, as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips and kale, among others, and have the same powerful cancer-fighting properties as these cultivated cousins due to the presence of compounds called glucosinolates. Wild mustards are also high in vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, folic acid, and essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese and selenium --- a true nutritional powerhouse.
Warning
Although wild mustards don't have any poisonous lookalikes, avoid eating any plant you can't positively identify. While glucosinolates are desirable and protective when eaten at normal amounts, very high amounts --- generally more than a person could eat --- can be toxic.
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