GUEST REVIEW: Eden Foods Organic Yellow Mustard
by Jenni Simmons

I’ve been fighting a systemic yeast (candida) overgrowth since July 2007. I won’t bore you with the details except that my diet is very restricted, to put it mildly. For example, I cannot eat any distilled vinegar since it feeds yeast. You’d be surprised how many products contain vinegar. A few examples: my favorite Newman’s Own salad dressing, simple oil & vinegar dressings at restaurants, and yellow mustard. Lately, I’m used to my diet and pretty thankful for everything I can eat, but I still miss the little things sometimes, even good ole American condiments like yellow mustard.

Last week my husband and I strolled around a local market called Sandy’s. We checked their price for grass-fed beef which was $1-2 cheaper per pound than what we’d found so far. That alone was a great find. But as we took our items to the cashier, we passed a display for Eden Foods organic yellow mustard. I figured it was off-limits to me, but I picked up a bottle out of curiosity anyway. I read over the ingredients, became a little breathless, and thought, “OMG. I can eat this!” Then I shook my head, “No. I must have read incorrectly.” I read the ingredient list again and by the look on my face, you would have thought the mustard was made of gold and the label written with diamond dust. Indeed, even I can eat this yellow mustard, hallelujah:

Organic apple cider vinegar, water, organic yellow mustard seed, Eden sea salt, organic turmeric, organic paprika, organic garlic.

Yes, I know it contains apple cider vinegar, but strangely, that one is not off limits to me. I don’t have the medical data prepared to explain why; I just thank God that apple cider vinegar is included in my diet. It’s a yeast-fighter (anti-fungal) for one, and it is also good for allergies, heartburn, and weight loss. In fact, if you do a Google search, you’re bound to find numerous web pages of home remedies using apple cider vinegar - like this one.

But back to that mustard ingredient list. Did you know that turmeric and garlic are anti-fungal as well? Even my doctor approves of this mustard! And not only are most of the ingredients organic, but the apple cider vinegar is raw, the yellow mustard seed is stone ground, and the sea salt is derived from a pristine source:

The organic apple cider vinegar contains ‘mother’, a visible mass of friendly bacteria present only in the finest and most healthful unpasteurized raw vinegar. Our sea salt is from environmentally protected, pristine saltwater marshes of Portugal, triple sea water washed to remove impurities without depleting precious trace minerals. The spices in Eden Organic Yellow Mustard are certified organic and not irradiated.

And, it seems distilled vinegar should be avoided for more than one reason:

Most commercial yellow mustards are made with inexpensive mustard bran or a combination of yellow seeds and bran. Most contain artificial coloring agents, synthetic additives, harsh salt, refined sugar, and irradiated spices. Most also contain distilled vinegar, an acetic acid concoction derived from the petrochemical and coal tar industry.

I surely don’t want to ingest petrochemical by-products, do you? The other thing I love about Eden Foods yellow mustard is the absence of preservatives. It’s just apple cider vinegar, water, mustard seed, sea salt, organic spices, and that’s it. It makes me wistful - if Eden Foods can do it, I hope many other natural foods companies will jump on board soon, to purify their products.

How does the organic yellow mustard taste, you ask? Oh my goodness, it’s delicious! I nearly cried when I tasted a small spoonful - I’ve been reunited with a great American staple from my childhood. I haven’t missed mayo these several months, but I have missed mustard. Eden Foods’ version has a rich, slightly sweet taste (due to the apple cider vinegar). So far, I’ve eaten this mustard with Applegate Farms organic beef hot dogs (sans the bun), antibiotic-free chicken hot dogs, and rolled-up organic roast beef slices. I’m looking to incorporate Eden’s mustard into recipes very soon. I think I’ll start right here.