Mushroom Catsup

Ingredients

• two gallons of large ripe mushroom-flaps
• three quarters of a pound of salt
• half an ounce of black peppercorns
• a drachm of mace
• a quarter of a teaspoonful of good cayenne
• A teaspoonful of salad oil

Method

1. 1

   Break up mushrooms into a deep earthen pan, strew salt among them, and let them sit for two days, stirring gently.

2. 2

   Heat in a stewpan, simmer for 15-20 minutes, strain the liquor, and boil until reduced by half.

3. 3

   Add spices, pour into bottles, cork well, and seal.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated from matched ingredients across 20 servings.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Modern cookery, in all its branches (1884) by Eliza Acton, page 152. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

MUSHROOM CATSUP. Receipt : — Break up small into a deep earthen pan, two gallons of large ripe mushroom-flaps, and strew amongst them three quarters, of a pound of salt, reserving the larger portion of it for the top. Let them remain two days, and stir them gently with a wooden spoon often during the time; then turn them into a large stewpan or enamelled saucepan, heat them slowly, and simmer them for fifteen or twenty minutes. Strain the liquor closely from them without pres - 148 MODERN COOKERY. [chap. VII. sure ; strain and measure it ; put it into a very clean stewpan, and boil it quickly until it is reduced nearly half. For every quart allow half an ounce of black peppercorns and a drachm of mace ; or, instead of the pepper, a quarter of a teaspoonful (ten grains) of good cayenne ; pour the catsup into a clean jug or jar, lay a folded cloth over it, and keep it in a cool place until the following day ; pour it gently from the sediment, put into small bottles, cork them well, and rosin them down. A teaspoonful of salad oil may be poured into each bottle before it is corked, the better to exclude the air from the catsup. Mushrooms, 2 gallons ; salt, f lb. ; to macerate three or four days. To each quart of liquor, | oz. black pepper, or quarter of a teaspoonful of cayenne ; and 1 drachm of mace : to be reduced nearly half. Obs. 1. — Catsup made thus will not be too salt, nor will the flavour of the mushrooms be overpowered by that of the spices ; of which a larger quantity, and a greater variety, can be used at will. We can, however, answer for the excellence of the present receipt from long experience of it. When the catsup is boiled down quite early in the day, it may be bottled the same night : it is necessary only, that it should be perfectly cold before this is done. Obs. 2. — When the mushrooms are crushed, or mashed, as some authors direct, the liquor will necessarily be very thick ; it is better to proceed as above, and then to boil the liquor which may after- wards be extracted from the mushrooms by pressure, with the sedi- ment of the catsup, and sufficient cloves, pepper, allspice, and ginger, to flavour it highly : this second catsup will be found very useful to mix with common thickened sauces, hashes, and stews. MUSHROOM CATSUP. ( Another Receipt .) Break a peck of large mushrooms into a deep earthenpan ; strew three quarters of a pound of salt

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.