MUSHROOMS FOR THE TABLE 



or two. It is well to err on the side of fresh- 

 ness and safety with all foods; but it should 

 be pointed out that when mushrooms are 

 properly gathered, and marketed in rela- 

 tively small containers, fairly well aerated, 

 they keep two or three days even in warm 

 weather. In a cold dry place or open in a 

 properly kept refrigerator they keep much 

 longer. Under no circumstances should 

 mushrooms be kept long in a tight box in 

 warm weather, a precaution which clearly 

 applies also to almost any fresh fruit or 

 meat. 



Mushrooms grown in small quantity for 

 home consumption may be gathered in a 

 condition so neat and clean that cutting off 

 the stem end is the only precaution required. 

 Sprinkling the beds, however, will often re- 

 sult in spattering a little soil on the caps, 

 and it is usually desirable to brush the mush- 

 rooms as they are gathered. Mushrooms 

 purchased on the market will require wash- 

 ing, but never soaking — the latter resulting 

 in a loss of flavor. 



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