Wild Mustard Uses

Wild mustard grows quickly and many farmers and gardeners consider it a troublesome weed. While wild mustard's prevalence may be frustrating to some, the plant does have many beneficial uses. You can use wild mustard as a food source or an alternative medicine. Some organic farmers use it to control unwanted weeds.

Edibles

• Like with cultivated mustard, you can use wild mustard as a food source or condiment. Eat wild mustard leaves, which are smoother than the commercial varieties, raw in mustard green salads. The greens resemble spinach. Cooks can sautee or steam and serve as a vegetable side-dish. You also can use the seeds in the same way that you would use domestic mustard seeds, as a spice to add to food or pickling brine.

Medicinal Uses

• In addition to being tasty, eating wild mustard can invigorate your metabolism and stimulate the digestive process. For medicinal purposes, however, typically use mustard topically. Grind or mash the seeds and mix them with water to form a paste. When applied to stiff joints or swollen parts of the body, the paste acts as an anti-inflammatory. The paste also encourages blood circulation and draws out toxins circulating in the body. You can brew wild mustard seeds as a tea or vaporized to treat headache symptoms and blocked sinus passages.

Wild Mustard Oil

• Although you need a great number of seeds to produce wild mustard oil, once you extract ityou can use the oil a variety of ways. Like other vegetable oils, wild mustard oil you can use it for lighting or cooking. Because the oil is non-drying, it also acts as an effective lubricant. Since dogs and other animals don't appreciate the fragrance and taste of the oil, you can also paint wild mustard oil on backyard objects to prevent dogs from chewing on them.

Agricultural Uses

• Despite being a pest to some farmers, others use wild mustard as an organic farming tool. They use mustard as a cover crop in apple orchids. The mustard acts as a natural weed-repellent by crowding them out, but allow the apple trees to grow freely. Some farmers also use wild mustard as a "green manure." They plant the mustard before food crops go to seed, then turn it back into the ground to create a nutrient-rich soil.