Mushroom Catsup Food

MUSHROOM KETCHUP

Steps:

• Wipe fresh mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, or brush them clean. Avoid washing them if possible; if it is necessary, swish them rapidly through a bowl of water and lift and drain them promptly. Trim off any discolored stem ends or damaged portions.
• Slice the mushrooms thinly (a food processor fitted with the thin-slicing disc makes short work of this task) and mix them thoroughly with the pickling salt in a ceramic bowl. Cover mushrooms with a cloth and let them stand 24 hours, stirring occasionally. They will become very dark (the finished ketchup will be approximately the color of black bean soup).
• At least an hour before the end of the salting period, combine the dried boletus mushrooms with the 3 cups hot tap water; let them stand, covered, until completely soft.
• Lift the dried soaked mushrooms from their liquid with a slotted spoon (this is to eliminate any grit that may be in the liquid) and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Let soaking liquid settle for a minute or two, then carefully pour it over the mushrooms, stopping before any grit is poured out. Puree the soaked mushrooms, then pour the puree into a saucepan.
• Without rinsing the processor or blender container, puree the salted mushrooms; add this puree to the saucepan.
• Place about 1/2 cup of the vinegar in the blender and add the shallots and garlic ; process them to a puree. Add this puree to the mixture in the saucepan, together with the rest of the vinegar, the allspice , cloves, mace , bay leaves, ginger and pepper.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, lower heat, and simmer the ketchup, uncovered, stirring it often, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the tiny fragments of mushroom are very soft, almost jelly-like, and the ketchup is thick.
• To test for correct consistency, pour a spoonful onto a saucer and let it stand 10 minutes, with the pot off the heat; if very little or no liquid seeps from the solids, the ketchup has thickened enough. If it does not pass this test, resume the cooking for as long as necessary.
• Press ketchup through a sieve to remove the bay leaves and whole spices , then puree it again, in batches if necessary, in a blender or food processor, running the machine until the texture is velvety smooth.
• Return ketchup to the rinsed-out pan and bring it to a full boil again over medium-high heat, stirring it constantly. Stir in the sherry.
• Ladle the boiling-hot ketchup into hot, clean half-pint or pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Seal jars with new 2-piece canning lids according to manufacturer's directions and process for 15 minutes (for either size jar) in a boiling-water bath. Cool, label and store the jars. Let ketchup mellow for a few weeks before serving it. This keeps for at least a year in a cool pantry. Recipe Source: by Helen Witty (Workman) Reprinted with permission.

WILD MUSHROOM KETCHUP

Steps:

• Crush or chop the allspice and cloves. Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor, being very careful to coarsely pulse them in small batches, as over-processing will give a cloudy sauce.
• Combine the ground mushrooms with the salt and remaining ingredients except the water in a stock pot.
• Assess the amount of liquid, adding some of the water to moisten until the mixture is wet and slushy (dryer mushroom like polypores may take up to 1 qt of water, where boletes and cultivated mushrooms might take half that) Transfer the pot to a burner and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and leave overnight to cool and infuse. Transfer it to a smaller container that will fit in your refrigerator overnight.
• The next day, warm the mushrooms and the liquid. Pour the mixture into a strainer lined with cheesecloth and allow to drain (you may need to work in batches. After the liquid has drained, squeeze the cheesecloth with a few handfuls of mushroom at a time to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Reduce the liquid until roughly 4 cups remain (oruntil you like the flavor, it should taste a bit like light soy) then pour intoa labeled container, chill and refrigerate until needed.
• The ketchup will keep for a long time.

MUSHROOM KETCHUP

Steps:

• Clean mushrooms (don't wash them!) and then quarter them.
• Put the mushrooms and all the other ingredients into a pan and bring to boil, stirring frequently.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 30 - 40 minutes.
• Allow to cool slightly and then liquidise in a blender.
• Return to a clean pan and bring to the boil before pouring into warm bottles,.
• Cover immediately.

MUSHROOM CATSUP

Steps:

• Chop the mushrooms and place in a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle with the salt and set aside for 24 hours.
• ,stirring occasionally.
• Drain the mushrooms and rinse in cold water.
• Place the mushrooms in a saucepan with the onion and garlic.
• Add the pickling spice and vinegar.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
• until mushrooms are soft.
• With the back of a wooden spoon push the mixture through a nylon strainer placed over a mixing bowl.
• Return the mixture to a clean saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Pour into the prepared bottles, leaving 1" headspace, seal at once and sterilize by putting bottles in large pot of water on rack and bring to boil.
• Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove bottles and tighten screw caps.