162 MUSHEOOMS, HOW TO GEOW THEM. 



ment may also be bottled for immediate use, and will be 

 found to answer for flaroring thick soups or gravies. 



Mushroom Ketchup. — In makiug ketchup use the 

 very best mushrooms, full grown but young and fresh, 

 as it is highly impoiiant to secure fine fiavor, and this 

 we can not get from inferior mushrooms. Take a meas- 

 ure of fine fresh mushrooms and see that they are clean 

 and free from grit ; stem and peel them ; cut them into 

 very thin slices and place a layer of these on the bottom 

 of a deep dish or tureen ; sprinkle this layer with fine 

 salt, then put in another layer and sprinkle with salt as 

 before, and so on until the dish is full. Tlie white suc- 

 culent pait of the stems may also be used in the ketch- 

 up, but never any discolored, tough or stringy part. 

 On the top of all strew a layer of fresh walnut rind cut 

 into small pieces. Place the dish in a cool cellar for 

 four or five days, to allow the contents to macerate. 

 When the whole mass has become nearly liquid pass it 

 through a colander. Then boil down the strained liquor 

 to half of its bulk and add its own weight of calf's-foot 

 jelly ; season with allspice or white pepper and boil down 

 to the consistence of jelly. Pour into stoneware jars 

 and keep in a cool place. 



Pickled Mushrooms Use sufficient vinegar to 



cover the mushrooms ; to each quart of mushrooms two 

 blades of pounded mace, one ounce of ground pepper, 

 salt to taste. Choose young button mushrooms for pick- 

 ling, and rub ofE the skin with a piece of flannel and salt, 

 and cut off the stalks ; if very large take out the red gills 

 and reject the black ones, as they are too old. Put them 

 in a stewpan, sprinkle salt over them, with pounded 

 mace and pepper in the above proportion ; shake them 

 well over a clear fire until the liquor flows, and keep 

 them there until it is all dried up again ; then add as 

 much vinegar as will cover them ; let it simmer for one 

 minute, and store it away in stone jars for use. When 



