A TALK ABOUT MUSHROOMS. 121 



room ketchup, salt and cayenne to taste. Mode : Wipe the musliroonis free 

 from grit with a piece of flannel and salt ; put them in a stewpan with the 

 butter, ketchup, and seasoning; stir over the fire until the mushrooms are 

 quite done. Have the steak nicely broiled, and pour over it the mushroom 

 sauce. The above is equally good with stewed steak. 



To Preserve Mushrooms. — Ingredients : To each quart of muslirooms 

 allow three ounces of butter, the juice of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste ; 

 also some clarified butter. Mode: Peel the mushrooms ; put them into cold 

 water and a little lemon juice; take them out of the water and dry them very 

 carefully in a cloth. Put the butter into a stewpan capable of holding the 

 mushrooms; when it is melted add the mushrooms, lemon juice, and a 

 seasoning of salt and pepper ; put them over a slow fire, and let them 

 remain until their liquor is boiled away and they have become quite dry, 

 but be careful in not allowing them to stick to the bottom of the stewpan. 

 When done put them into pots and pour over the top the clarified butter. 

 If for immediate use, they will keep good a few days without the covering 

 of butter. When needed later, put them into a stewpan to warm, then 

 strain off the butter, and they will be ready for use. 



Mdshroom Powder. — (A valuable addition to sauces and gravies, when 

 fresh mushrooms are not obtainable.) Ingredients: One-half peck of 

 large muslirooms, two onions, twelve cloves, one-fourth ounce of pounded 

 mace, two teaspoonfuls of white pepper. Mode : Peel the mushrooms, wipe 

 them perfectly free from grit and dirt, remove the black fur, and reject all 

 those that are at all worm-eaten. Put them into a stewpan with the other 

 named ingredients, but without water, and shake them over a clear fire till all 

 the liquor is dried up, being careful not to let them burn. Then arrange them 

 on tins and dry them in a slow oven. When ready, pound them to a fine 

 powder, which should be put into small dry bottles, tightly corked, and sealed, 

 and kept in a dry place. In using this powder, add it to the gravy just before 

 serving, when it will require one boil up. It should be made in September 

 or at the beginning of October. If the bottles used are not perfectly dry, 

 the powder will speedily deteriorate. 



Mushroom Powder. — This is for use as a condiment. The finest, full- 

 grown mushrooms should be selected and prepared for drying, and dried as 

 directed under the heading, " Dried Mushrooms," although it is better to dry 

 them in an oven or drying machine, so that they may be dried quickly, and 

 become brittle. Grate, or otherwise reduce them to a fine powder, and 

 preserve it in tightly corked bottles. 



To Dry Mushrooms. — Wipe them clean, take away the brown part and 

 peel off" the skin; lay them on sheets of paper to dry in a cool oven, when 

 they will shrivel considerably. Keep them in paper bags, which should hang 

 in a dry place. When wanted for use put them into cold gravy and bring 

 them gradually to a simmer, and it will be found that they will regain nearly 

 their usual size. 



Dried Mushrooms. — In the flush of the pasture-mushroom season, gather 

 a large number of mushrooms of all sizes, and see that they are tlioroughly 

 clean. Remove and discard the stems and peel the caps. Stir them round 



