Choose full-grown mushroom-flaps, and take care they are perfectly fresh-gathered when the weather is tolerably dry; for, if they are picked during very heavy rain, the ketchup from which they are made is liable to get musty, and will not keep long.
Ingredients
1 peck of mushrooms
1/2 lb. of salt
1/4 oz. of cayenne
1/2 oz. of allspice
1/2 oz. of ginger
2 blades of pounded mace
brandy
Directions
Put a layer of mushroom-flaps in a deep pan
Sprinkle salt over them, and then another layer of mushrooms, and so on alternately
Let them remain for a few hours, when break them up with the hand
Put them in a nice cool place for 3 days, occasionally stirring and mashing them well, to extract from them as much juice as possible
Now measure the quantity of liquor without straining, and to each quart allow the above proportion of spices, &c.
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 3 hours
Have ready a nice clean stewpan; turn into it the contents of the jar, and let the whole simmer very gently for 1/2 hour
Pour it into a jug, where it should stand in a cool place till the next day
Then pour it off into another jug, 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 jug
Cork well, and either seal or rosin the cork, so as perfectly to exclude the air
When a very clear bright ketchup 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 successful, it must be repeated until you have quite a clear liquor
It should be examined occasionally, and if it is spoiling, should be reboiled with a few peppercorns
Note: This flavouring 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, 1 quart must be boiled down to 1 pint. This goes farther than ordinary ketchup, as so little is required to flavour a good quantity of gravy. The sediment may also be bottled for immediate use, and will be found to answer for flavouring thick soups or gravies. Source: The Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton (1859)
Mint Sauce
