FAQ
Q. Are all your products handmade?
A. Yes – we pride ourselves in all of our products being handmade in small batches to traditional recipes, using only the very best, natural ingredients.
Q. How long do your products keep?
A. We use sugar and vinegar in the traditional method of preserving which means that our products keep for a good amount of time – around 2 years (yes, once opened!)! Some products, such as the Jellies, keep for longer than this (3 years)… although they never last that long in our houses!
Q. Do I need to keep your products in the fridge?
A. Some of our products are best kept in the fridge once opened, although many of them are better stored in the cupboard. Make sure you check the label to see what we recommend.
Q. Where does your name ‘Tracklements’ come from?
A. We believe the word Tracklements originated in Lincolnshire and that it was used to describe the accompaniments to the main part of the meal. Guy’s great-grandmother certainly used it in that way and that is how William decided on the name when he started the company in 1970.
Q. Are your products suitable for vegetarians?
A. 50 of our products are suitable for vegetarians. In some products, we need to use citrus pectin in addition to the pectin from the fruit or vegetables, however, we never use gelatin. Each product will state where it is suitable for our vegetarian friends but the ones which aren't suitable are: British Beer Mustard and Sticky Barbecue Sauce.
Q. Do your products contain Gluten?
A. All of our products are gluten free except for British Beer Mustard and Quintessential Brown, Perfect Ploughman's Pickle and Sticky Barbecue Sauces.
Some of our products do contain malt vinegar which can be a source of gluten. However, once the vinegar has been fermented there is only a residual trace left (our vinegar supplier also confirms this). So, by the time we have added this to our recipe the amount of gluten left is well below the 20ppm required to make the product ‘gluten free’. We also regularly test the few products we produce containing malt vinegar after production to ensure that this is still the case so rest assured these products are gluten free.
Q. Do any of your products contain nuts?
A. No. We don’t make any products that contain nuts and we are a nut free factory.
Q. Is it true that you made the UK's first wholegrain mustard?
A. Yes – The idea for the Tracklement Company came about whilst William was reading John Evelyn’s diaries and found a recipe for wholegrain mustard, At the time, there were no English wholegrain mustards available and so he decided to make his own. Read the full story…
Q. How do you make Wholegrain Mustard?
A. Mustard seed only releases heat and flavour when the grains are bruised or crushed. We mix yellow and brown mustard seed (these give you heat in different parts of your mouth) with whole spices and herbs then put them through our mustard grinder. This grinder keeps essential mustard oils in the stones which all helps with the production of our wonderful mustard. The ground mustard seed and spices are then mixed with vinegar and stirred. Mustard keeps "working" so the most important ingredient in making the perfect mustard is time. We stir our mustard in barrels every day for five days until the mustard seed has absorbed the vinegar and the flavour has really developed. You can see exactly how we make wholegrain mustard here. We make a range of six wholegrain mustards including the UK's first wholegrain mustard - Original Wiltshire Mustard.
Q. How does smooth English mustard compare?
A. Our Strong English Mustard is a smooth mustard is made from mustard flour. This is the flour you get if you grind down the mustard seeds finely then sieve out all the husk. It results in a deliciously hot mustard. We also make a fabulous Spitfire Chilli Mustard which is a combination of this fabulous mustard heat from the mustard flour and also fiery heat from chillies. Chillies and mustard give off different types of heat and the two combined make for a great HOT mustard for mustard-lovers. Look to your local stockists for Spitfire Chilli Mustard or our Strong English Mustard.
Q. Do your products contain additives?
A. No – our products are made using the best fresh, natural ingredients to ensure they are as good as the best homemade. The only exception is our Strong Horseradish Cream which contains a preservative to keep the fresh cream fresh!
Q. What is the difference between pickles, chutneys and relishes?
A. The difference between a chutney and a pickle is essentially a technical one to do with the cooking process:
Pickles nearly always feature vegetables rather than fruit and the vegetables must be fresh. When you make a pickle, the vegetables are soaked in brine or dry salted overnight. This simple process draws out liquid, removing the chance for spoilage. This process keeps the vegetables nice and crunchy in the finished product.
Chutneys by contrast are meant to be a melding and softening of the fruit and vegetables. The difference with a chutney is that it’s cooked gently and slowly for a long time, concentrating the flavours, driving off the liquid and concentrating the vinegar.
Our research leads us to believe that a relish is an Americanisation of a pickle/chutney - we have in our mind that the pilgrim fathers must have arrived with pickles and ended up many generations later, sending us back relishes.
The preparation of a relish is altogether a much quicker process, it inevitably involves less cooking and nearly always results in a fresher, ‘brighter’ flavour. We want to retain as much of the original taste of whatever fruit or vegetable has been used. We simply imagine a relish being used by the dollop/spoonful and nearly always with something hot.
Q. What would you recommend to go with my cheeseboard?
A. We have many products that are delicious with cheese – visit our We Recommend page to find just what you are looking for.
Q. What happens if I need to return a product?
A. If any product reaches you in less than perfect condition, please call us on 01666 827 044 to arrange a replacement or a credit.
