Green Frill mustard has thin, deeply serrated leaves with a frilly, delicate appearance. The foliage and thin trailing stems are a bright golden green color. The texture is crunchy yet tender with a robust mustard flavor and mild sweet and spicy pepper-like finish. The young leaves are mild and best used raw, but more mature leaves stand up well to a light sauté or braise.

Seasons/Availability

Green Frill mustard is available early spring through late fall.

Current Facts

Green Frill mustard, sometimes called Golden Frill, is a variation of the spicy mustard green known as Brassica juncea. It is a cool season annual that can offer multiple harvests over the course of a growing season. A descendant of Brassica napus, a relative of the common rutabaga, its root bulb even develops into a crunchy, juicy radish-like vegetable.

Nutritional Value

Green Frill mustard contains compounds which have cancer preventing benefits, including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and natural detoxifying properties.

Applications

Green Frill mustard is a common salad green, pot herb, braising and pickling green in a diversity of cuisines from Asia to Europe to South America. Its ornately perforated leaves hold vinaigrettes beautifully and its succulent texture mixes well with other salad greens. Green Frill mustard pairs well with beef, pork, grilled fish, garlic, creamy soft and fresh cheeses, nutty oils, light vinegars, citruses such as grapefruit and lemon, mushrooms, fennel, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, cumin, basil, persimmons, pomegranates and stone fruits such as peaches and cherries.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

As an important part of Chinese and Indian cuisines, Mustard greens are usually harvested when fully mature offering a bold robust flavor. While preparations found in western cuisines usually prefer the mildly sweet flavor of young, baby mustard greens.

Geography/History

Mustard greens are native to the Himalayan region of India, and have grown in the wild as well as in cultivated gardens for over 5,000 years. The Green Frill variety is a relatively new hybrid that was most likely developed in Japan in the late 90’s. A cross of moss curled kale and green wave mustard, it is sweet, spicy and crisp. All mustard greens are sensitive to freezing and cannot survive at temperatures below 25°F, thus they are used either as a spring or late fall crop. Green Frill mustard is an early maturing variety making them choice for multiple plantings per harvest season.

Don’t forget to add greens to your garden! These easy-to-grow veggies will tolerate a wide variety of conditions. Like other leafy vegetables,salad greens prefer cool conditions but should be kept in direct sun. Often, they are hardy enough to over-winter in many locations, from late summer and early fall sowings. These plants are ideal for growing in the gardening system since plenty of water helps promote rapid, uninterrupted growth, and slows bolting.

COMMON PESTS: Aphids, Cabbage Loopers, Slugs, Snails, Flea Beetles, Leaf Miners, Thrips

SUSCEPTIBLE TO: Damping Off, Downy Mildew, Rust, Leaf Spot, Rot