COOKING MUSHKOOMS. 161 



sprinkle salt over them, then another layer of mush- 

 rooms and SO on alternately. Let them remain for a 

 few hours, and break them up with the hand ; put them 

 in a cool place for three days, occasionally stirring and 

 mashing them well to extract from them as much juice 

 as possible. Measure the quantity without straining, 

 and to each quart allow the aboye proportion of spices, 

 etc. Put all into a stone jar, cover it up very closely, 

 put it in a saucepan of boiling water, set it over the 

 fire and let it boil for three hours. Have ready a 

 clean stewpan ; turn into it the contents of the jar, and 

 let the whole simmer very gently for half an hour ; pour 

 it into a pitcher, where it should stand in a cool place 

 until the next day ; then pour it off into another pitcher 

 and strain it into very dry clean bottles, and do not 

 squeeze the mushrooms. To each pint of ketchup add 

 a few drops of brandy. Be careful not to shake the 

 contents, but leave all the sediment behind in the 

 pitcher ; cork well, and either seal or rosin the cork, so 

 as to exclude the air perfectly. When a very clear, 

 bright ketchu}] is wanted the liquor must be strained 

 through a very fine hair sieve or flannel bag after it has 

 been very gently poured off ; if the operation is not suc- 

 cessful it must be repeated until you have quite a clear 

 liquor. It sliould be examined occasionally, and if it is 

 spoiling should be reboiled with a few peppercorns. 

 Seasonable from the beginning of September to the mid- 

 dle of October, when this ketchup should be made. 



Mushroom Ketchup. — This flavoring ingredient, if 

 genuine and well prepared, is one of the most useful 

 store sauces to the experienced cook, and no trouble 

 should be spared in its preparation. Double ketchup is 

 made by reducing the liquor to half the quantity ; for 

 example, one quart must be boiled down to one pint. 

 This goes further than ordinary ketchup, as so little is 

 required to flavor a good quantity of gravy. The sedi- 

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