36 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



cut off short, so that the fungus resembles a little 

 white ball, perhaps not more than an inch in diameter. 

 They should be rubbed quite clean, and laid in salt 

 and water for forty-eight hours. Sufficient vinegar 

 should be boiled with black pepper and mace, with a 

 clove or two, and then stood aside till quite cold. 

 The mushrooms should be packed closely in wide- 

 mouthed bottles, a little pepper sprinkled over them, 

 and then covered with the vinegar, and corked close. 

 In this manner they should keep for years. 



There is an old-fashioned method which is simple 

 and excellent for the large horse mushroom. It 

 consists in peeling off the cuticle of the cap, and then 

 cutting the stem close to the gills. Lay them with 

 the gills upwards in a shallow dish, sprinkle with salt 

 and pepper, and place a lump of butter in the centre 

 of each. Cover close and place in an oven. Or, in 

 default of this, cook in an enamelled frying pan, 

 keeping them still covered until done. When ready 

 serve on toast. 



Stuffed mushrooms are recommended by a French 

 author to be thus prepared. Take mushrooms of a 

 medium size, and prepare for them at the same time 

 the following stuffing. A piece of butter, grated 

 bacon, some bread crumbs, sweet herbs, garlic, accord- 

 ing to taste, salt, coarse pepper, and the least morsel 

 of spice ; when these are all well mixed, turn over the 

 mushrooms with the gills upwards, clear away the 

 stems and fill the hollow with this stuffing ; then wrap 



