Cut off the steins, for tliey possess no flavour and aS'ord little juice, but much dirt ; if the caps are 

 soiled, peel them ; do not cut but break them small ; powder every portion with salt, and set the mass 

 in an earthen colander, placed in a bowl. The precise quantity of salt is not of importance, excess is better 

 than defect, it being only needful iu cookery to remember that salt is not to be used, when ketchup is. 



After twenty-four hours, jiress the pulp gently down iu the colander, all the liquor that thus runs off 

 is to be preserved and no more ; for if you choose to squeeze the rest of the moisture out, although it may be 

 used for any immediate purpose, it is not worth sa\dug. It is a usual complaint, that there is so much fecu- 

 lence to get rid of in ketchup : this is owing to the mass of salted pulp being left too long before it is 

 strained ; so that the very flesh of the Agaric is melted down into the liquid, instead of its consisting merely 

 of juices extracted from the solid parts. By this maceration there is a gain in bulk, but it is a deceptive 

 gain as to value ; the feculence is flavoui'less, causing fermentation ; and pouring off and rebottling is in- 

 jurious : it is much better to avoid the ketchup ever containing tliis sediment. 



The liquor extracted as above, wUl be a pure fragrant delicious ketchup ; but every-body would boil 

 this tin the aroma had disappeared, under an erroneous notion of " making it fit to keep." Tliis end the 

 boibng by no means conduces to, and almost all Agarics loose their " bouquet " by the continued action of 

 heat. But how then shall we keep the ketchup ? A great deal better ! " probatum est," and now to divulge 

 the secret. Before the ketchup season comes, procure a quart of spirits of Wine in a glass-stoppered bottle ; 

 put into tliis any spices you prefer, in sufficient quantity to flavour the spirit strongly. After the ketchup 

 has been strained off, let it settle twelve hours ; then put it in half pint bottles, fill them up to the shoulder, 

 add the spiced spirit to fill the neck, and cork the bottles tightly and steadily ; they must not afterwards be 

 shaken, because the spirit should be left floating at the top to exclude the air, .and prevent the formation of 

 that other incipient fungus, which cooks call " mother." Wlien to be used, shake the bottle thorouglily 

 and put as much of the contents as you Kke into the waiting soup or gravy ; it should not be boiled up iu it. 

 The small quantity of spiiit is unappreciable in the bulk of ketchup, not affecting the flavour at all. All 

 who try this plan fairly wUl acknowledge they never tasted ketchup before. 



The various Agarics fit for this excellent condiment, we place in the order in wloich they stand in our 

 estimation. 



A. procerus. 



A. arvensis, var. exquisitus, Ring Horse Mushroom, and var. Bank Mushroom. 



A. campestris, and other varieties. 



A. Georgii, the Prunulus. 



A. Oreades, the Chamjaignon ; this latter forms an excellent ingredient for table sauce, but is too power- 

 ful for ordinary ketchup ; like garlic it is not an article to take liberties with, the flavour is so very potent. 



