As this Month produces great numbers of Mushrooms in the Fields, it is now
chiefly that we ought to provide ourselves with them for making of Ketchup,
and Mushroom Gravey: And it is also a proper Season for pickling them.
Indeed, where we have Mushroom-Beds, we may do these Works at any time of
the Year. It is to be remark'd, that the best Mushrooms have their Gills of
a Flesh Colour, even while the Mushrooms are in button; and as they tend to
spread in their Head, or to open their Cap, the Gills turn redder, till at
length, when their Heads are fully spread open, they will become quite
black. These large-flap Mushrooms are still good for stewing or broiling,
so long as they have no Worms in them, and the Gills are then in the best
state for making Ketchup, or Mushroom-Gravey; altho' the red Gills will do,
but the smaller Buttons are what most People covet for Pickling.
In the gathering of Mushrooms, we are sure to meet with some of all sizes;
the very small for pickling, the large Buttons for stewing or making
Mushroom-Loaves, and Mushroom-Gravey, and the large Flaps for broiling or
making of Ragous, or stewing, and Ketchup: therefore to follow the common
way, we should make two or three Parcels of them.
The cleaning of Mushrooms, or preparing them for any of the above Uses,
will afford us nothing but what is useful; the Parings should be saved by
themselves, to be wash'd, towards the making of what is called Mushroom
Gravey; the Gills must be saved by themselves for making either Ketchup, or
Mushroom-Gravey; and the Parts towards the Roots, and the Roots themselves,
must be kept to dry in the Sun, or a warm Room, to raise Mushrooms from,
especially if they are of a large good sort that has red Gills, for those
which have white Gills, prove oftentimes unwholesome, and are apt to turn
yellow when they are cut and put in Water: however, some People eat of this
sort, and I have eaten of such a sort myself; but as there are some with
white Gills that are deadly, it is dangerous for unskilful Persons to
meddle with any of that fort: and therefore I thought it convenient when I
was in _France_, to learn the Method of raising them in Beds, that we might
be sure of our sort, and have them all the Year about: The Method of doing
which, is in my _Appendix_ to my _New Improvements of Planting and
Gardening_, printed for Mr. _Mears_, at _Temple-Bar_.
The following Receipts for making of Mushroom-Ketchup, and Mushroom-Gravey,
I had from a Gentleman named _Garneau_, whom I met at _Brussels_, and by
Experience find them to be very good.
To make Mushroom Ketchup.
Take the Gills of large Mushrooms, such as are spread quite open, put them
into a Skellet of Bell-Metal, or a Vessel of Earthen-Ware glazed, and set
them over a gentle Fire till they begin to change into Water; and then
frequently stirring them till there is as much Liquor come out of them as
can be expected, pressing them often with a Spoon against the side of the
Vessel; then strain off the Liquor, and put to every Quart of it about
eighty Cloves, if they are fresh and good, or half as many more, if they
are dry, or have been kept a long time, and about a Drachm of Mace: add to
this about a Pint of strong red _Port_ Wine that has not been adulterated,
and boil them all together till you judge that every Quart has lost about a
fourth Part or half a Pint; then pass it thro' a Sieve, and let it stand to
cool, and when it is quite cold, bottle it up in dry Bottles of Pints or
Half-Pints, and cork them close, for it is the surest way to keep these
kind of Liquors in such small quantities as may be used quickly, when they
come to be exposed to the Air, for fear of growing mouldy: _but I have had
a Bottle of this sort of Ketchup, that has been open'd and set by for above
a, Year, that has not received the least Damage_; and some Acquaintance of
mine have made of the same sort, and have kept it in Quart-Botles to use as
occasion required, and have kept it good much longer than I have done. A
little of it is very rich in any Sauce, and especially when Gravey is
wanting: Therefore it may be of service to Travellers, who too frequently
meet with good Fish, and other Meats, in Britain, as well as in several
other parts of Europe, that are spoiled in the dressing; but it must be
consider'd, that there is no Salt in this, so that whenever it is used,
Salt, Anchovies, or other such like relishing things, may be used with it,
if they are agreeable to the Palate, and so likewise with the Mushroom
Gravey in the following Receipt.
Of Mushroom Gravey.
When you clean your Mushrooms, save the Parings, and wash them well from
the Dirt, and then put to them the Gills that have been scraped from the
large Buttons, and with a very little Water put them in a Saucepan, and
stir them frequently till you have got all the juice from them; then strain
the Liquor from them, and set it by to cool, or else till you have stew'd
the Mushrooms that they were taken from, and then add the Liquor of the
stew'd Mushrooms to the aforesaid Liquor, and boil them both together, with
about 80 Cloves, about a Drachm of Mace, and two Drachms of whole Pepper to
each Quart of Liquor, which will be lit to take off the Fire when it has
lost about a third part by boiling; then pass it thro' a dry Sieve, into a
dry earthen Pan, and let it stand till it be quite cold before you bottle
it, observing then that the Bottles be very dry, for if they happen to be
wet, it will soon turn mouldy. When the Bottles are fill'd, cork them well
with sound new Corks, and tye a piece of Bladder, that has been softened in
warm Water, over every Cork as tight as possible, and set the Bottles in a
dry Place; with this management it will keep a long time.
What I learn'd else from the above mention'd Gentleman, concerning the
preparing of Mushrooms for eating, was, that they should be always used
when they are fresh gather'd, and then only such as are without Worms,
which may be easily perceived by cutting their Stems cross-wise; and also
that as soon as the Peel is pared off, and the Gills, let the large
Mushrooms be cut into pieces, of the bigness of Nutmegs, and thrown into
Water, as well the Stems as the Caps, for they are both good; then wash
them well, and stew them a Sauce-pan, without putting any Liquor to them,
or Spice, or Salt, till they have discharged a great deal of their own
Liquor, and, begin to grow tender; you will then find them shrink into a
very narrow compass, and must have the greatest part of the Liquor poured
from them, with which you may make the Mushroom-Gravey abovemention'd. The
Mushrooms being thus prepared, put to them a Seasoning of Pepper, Salt,
Mace, and such other Ingredients as will not rob the Mushrooms too much of
their own natural Flavour, and stir them frequently till they are enough;
then put a little White-wine and Butter to them, and they will make an
excellent good Dish: or else they may be made brown with some burned
Butter, or be made into a Ragout. As for the broiling of the Caps of the
large Mushrooms, the same Person's Receipt directs to rub the Caps with
Butter on both sides, and strew Pepper and Salt on them, and broil them
till they are quite hot through, turning them two or three times on the
Fire, they will make their own Sauce when they come to be cut. Another way
which he directs, is to make a pretty thick Batter of Flower, Water, or
Milk and Eggs beaten together with some Salt and Pepper, to dip them in,
and then fry them like Tripe; and for their Sauce, he recommends Butter, a
little White-wine, and some of the Mushroom-Gravey, to be well mix'd
together.
Some of my Acquaintance, who have try'd these Directions, approve of them;
and, for my own part, I think them as agreeable as any that I have eaten:
but as the Taste is not alike in every one, I shall add an Observation or
two more of Monsieur _Garneau's_, concerning the Mushroom, which I think
not unworthy our notice. The Mushroom, says that Gentleman, is not only a
good Groundwork for all high Sauces, but itself a good Meat to be dress'd
after any manner, either to compose a white or brown Fricassee, or fry'd or
broil'd, or baked in Pyes with common Seasoning, and stands in the room of
Flesh better than any thing that has yet been found out.
This Month is likewise a good time, if it is not over-wet, to gather
Mushroooms for drying; but they should chiefly be such as are newly open'd
in their Caps, before the Gills turn black. For this end, take off the
Gills very clean, and wipe the Caps with wet Flannel, and as soon as they
are a little dry, run a String through them, and hang them at some distance
from the Fire, turning them now and then till they are dry enough to be
reduced to Powder. When they are thus dry'd, keep them in dry Bottles with
wide Necks, close stopp'd, till you have occasion to use them in Sauces.
Keep this in a dry place. Some dry them in Ovens after the Bread is drawn,
but an Oven in its full heat will be too strong for them.
To pickle Mushrooms White.
Take a Quart of small Buttons of Mushrooms, cut off their Roots, and wash
them well with a Flannel dipt in Water, and then fling them into clean
Water, to remain there about two hours. In the next place, get ready some
fresh Water in a well-tinn'd Vessel, or glaz'd Vessel, to which put your
Mushrooms, and let them boil a little to soften; which being done, take out
your Mushrooms, and presently put them into cold Water, and let them remain
there till they are quite cold; after this, free them from the Water, and
dry them well in a linnen Cloth, then put them either into a wide-neck'd
Bottle, or glaz'd Earthen-Vessel, disposing here and there among them three
or four Bay-leaves to a Quart, two Nutmegs cut in quarters, about a quarter
of an Ounce of Mace, and boil as much White-Wine and Vinegar, in equal
quantities, as will serve to cover the Mushrooms. This Pickle must be put
to them cold, and the Bottle, or Earthen-Vessel, close stopt and ty'd down
with a wet Bladder. The reason why the Spice should not be boiled with the
Pickle, is, because the Mushrooms would change black by means of the boil'd
Spices; and if this plain Pickle was to be pour'd upon the Mushrooms hot,
it would immediately draw a Colour from the Spices, which would darken the
Colour of the Mushrooms: therefore to fill up the glasses in the manner
here related, is the best way to have your Mushrooms look clean and white.
This Month is the proper time to pickle Onions, which make an agreeable
Pickle if they are prepared after the following manner.