#11

Posting Freak
So Freddy , which business school did you graduate from? Big Grin I hear what you're saying and I'm reasonably certain I understand most of whats going on in retail, food or otherwise (although some mysteries remain) but spaghetti, dental floss and potato chips are pretty mainstream items and for each of those items there are multiple, identical brands on the shelf. If you ask me it would be good business in this ultra-competetive marketplace to carry some niche items that will bring in those looking for it - odds are they might even do the rest of their shopping there if the prices aren't out of line, maybe even pay a little bit more on some stuff.

We've had several instances of retailers failing here in Canada because they followed the model of "you'll buy what we give you" - the most recent one is Sears Canada. Closing its doors after many years, they've been around my whole life and when I was growing up they were a great department store. My mom bought all of our clothes there as well as appliances etc. So they stopped being a true department store years ago and then started streamlining their brands to stuff people didn't want to buy and they clearly haven't been able to compete in the digital world so goodbye, thousands of employees losing their jobs. The ironic thing about Sears not reading the tea leaves on the internet shopping thing is that they originated as a catalogue sales business. You could buy an entire house from their catalogue and they would ship it to you. Now they can't even ship you a pair of shoes. Sad. We've had a few other family run national or regional department stores fail in the past due to succession issues - founders die and pass on the business to inept family members who proceed to make epically bad decisions and boom, gone, thousands lose their jobs.

Surprisingly Target failed in Canada after only a few years. I wasn't surprised after the President of Target Canada went on the record prior to opening their first store here saying that Canadians couldn't expect the same selection and low prices as there are in US Targets because it was a different market in Canada, i.e., less competition so they could price higher. They figured they'd come in and sell us poor selection of limited/undesirable brands at high prices. It was hilarious to go up to the Target not far from my home and wander, virtually alone in this massive store filled with merchandise I had no interest in buying and apparently nobody else had any interest either. I don't think they made it 5 years. I don't know how they thought they could deviate from the model that made them successful in the US and which many, many Canadians were very familiar with due to cross border shopping. We may not be rocket scientists but we aren't completely stupid. And we're good enough at math to be able to quickly calculate the US$ exchange rate plus tax etc to know when we're getting the shaft which is most of the time.

Back to mustard, I was just at the grocery store looking for some Dijon mustard and the selection was Frenchs, Heinz, store brand, and Kuhn. Oh and Grey Poupon which I bought.
#12

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
Sorry about what might have sounded as pontificating, Marko.  I just see it as today's reality, even though I might not like it.  Ironically, mustard is one of the few items in my local supermarkets where there might be more than one or two choices and with some of those choices looking quite interesting.  Go figure.
#13

Member
Central Maine
It boggles my mind how folks can think they can screw folks over and come out the winner. Never give a sucker an even break has always struck me as being a terrible business model. But what do I know? I never went to business school. I just know how I like to be treated. Seems business school needs to learn that. Heck, it's just common sense. Ptooey (a big green hocker) on companies that don't understand the Golden Rule.

But back to mustard. Marko, have you considered making your own? The heck with what your market has. The seeds should be readily available, inexpensive, and especially if you like it hot it's easy to make. Tame it down with vinegar to stop the heat from developing and don't add much air to the mix as the paste is made, add a little salt because you should. You won't find the seeds at your grocery store, but online it should be a piece of cake. Chicago Spice House ships to Canada. If you have a blender it's no big deal, it might not be as smooth as you like, but if you have more cooking gear it can be made a bit smoother. I'd be thinking spice grinder (AKA a coffee grinder- looks like a mini blender for dry items). Some day I need to try my flour/spice/coffee grinder to see if that makes a flour-like dry mustard consistency. Be aware that bright yellow mustards contain a large percentage of Turmeric if you're trying for that. Be a label reader, they tell the wise what the ingredients are (for the most part) listed in order of most to least. At least that's the way it is in the US. You can get a lot from a label.
Brian. Lover of SE razors.
#14

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
Brian (ShadowsDad), do you have a mustard recipe, by chance?  Also, I like the whole grain mustards.  Will mustard seeds hold their shape but soften when making mustard?
#15

Member
Central Maine
(This post was last modified: 10-21-2017, 06:18 AM by ShadowsDad.)
No I have no recipe for whole grain mustard. I like my mustard hot and whole grain mustard wouldn't be unless things are added to it. Mustard is inexpensive so experiment. Basically, the more air added to the paste the hotter the mustard. Vinegar tempers the heat by destroying the enzyme used to make the heat (and probably acts as a preservative by changing the pH). Unless a lot of turmeric is added it won't mimic bright yellow mustard. I buy my spices in bulk so experimenting is inexpensive. Whole mustard "keeps" for years. I never add turmeric to my mustard. Bright yellow mustard is inexpensive enough and I buy ours.

I suspect "tender" whole grain mustard would require heat to make it but I just don't know for certain. I tend to make mustard where the grains have been turned into flour and then made into paste. I don't add vinegar, but I do add mine to a base of commercial mustard to dilute the heat. I have used mine full strength and it's much like teargas when ingested. So I dilute it into commercial Dijon mustard. Over time, after mixing, it loses it's potency so pay attention to the expiration date on the jar. One wants the freshest mustard possible.

Tomorrow, I hope I remember, I'll get the brand of ground mustard that I use. It's found online. But again, one can grind one's own. It makes an awesome mustard, as hot as anyone would ever want; actually too hot. There is no getting accustomed to mustard nose heat. It's entirely different than hot pepper heat which can be have a tolerance worked up to the very hottest peppers.

I found it online. This is what I buy for hot mustard (I warned you!), though not necessarily from here.
https://www.amazon.com/Oriental-Hot-Must...ard+powder

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Brian. Lover of SE razors.
#16

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
I have used the S&B (in fact, I need to replace mine) and really like it in Chinese dishes.  I wonder what it would be like with something like corn beef and cabbage or short ribs, instead of horseradish.  Hmm. Confused2
#17

Member
Central Maine
I like it mixed with in with other mustard for that use. OK, salivating at the thought. :-)
Brian. Lover of SE razors.
#18
(10-21-2017, 03:11 PM)Freddy Wrote: I have used the S&B (in fact, I need to replace mine) and really like it in Chinese dishes.  I wonder what it would be like with something like corn beef and cabbage or short ribs, instead of horseradish.  Hmm. Confused2

OK Freddy, sounds like you may be cooking up a few of those dishes to try the mustard on. Brian and I will be there to help you eat and critique them. Just be sure to give us plenty of lead time as Brian has to come all the way from the east coast and though I am much closer it takes me a while to hitch up the mare to the buckboard.

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OG


"Do not regret growing older, its a privilege denied to many."
#19

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
(10-21-2017, 04:29 PM)OldGuy Wrote:
(10-21-2017, 03:11 PM)Freddy Wrote: I have used the S&B (in fact, I need to replace mine) and really like it in Chinese dishes.  I wonder what it would be like with something like corn beef and cabbage or short ribs, instead of horseradish.  Hmm. Confused2

OK Freddy, sounds like you may be cooking up a few of those dishes to try the mustard on. Brian and I will be there to help you eat and critique them. Just be sure to give us plenty of lead time as Brian has to come all the way from the east coast and though I am much closer it takes me a while to hitch up the mare to the buckboard.

Trust me, you really don't want to see, much less taste, my attempt at cooking. Tongue
#20

Member
Central Maine
If we show up early we can help. You supply the wine or scotch. I take "cook with wine" quite literally esp' if I'm the cook. I like dry red. :-)

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Brian. Lover of SE razors.


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