Recipe Archives->Preserving->Mushroom Ketchup 05

Mushroom Ketchup  
Makes about 2 cups  

2 ounces dried oriental mushrooms
1 cup very hot water
1-1/4 pounds cultivated mushrooms
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup each cider vinegar and tawny port
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch ground cloves
1 inch anchovy paste from a tube (optional)
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl or a 1-quart canning jar,
cover with the water, weight with a saucer or an empty jar to keep
the mushrooms submerged, and let stand 30 minutes, until they are
soft.  Lift out the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, pour the soaking
water through a paper coffee filter set in a strainer over a jar
or deep bowl, and reserve.  With scissors, cut the soaked mushrooms
into pieces, discarding the stems, which are tough.  Then, wash
the cultivated mushrooms under cold running water and set them on
a double layer of paper towels to drain.  Transfer both kinds of
mushrooms (half or quarter the cultivated variety if they are large)
to the workbowl of a food processor, in batches if necessary, and
pulse/chop fine; do not liquefy.  Transfer the mixture to a 1-quart
refrigerator container, stir in the salt, cover tightly and
refrigerate for 2 or 3 days, stirring occasionally.  Then, drain
the mushrooms in a fine-meshed strainer set over a deep bowl,
pushing with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
Place a handful of the chopped mushrooms at a time in a large white
cotton handkerchief and twist it over the strainer to obtain still
more liquid; set the solids aside to make duxelles.  When you have
wrung out as much liquid as possible, pour it through a paper coffee
filter (do not reuse the first one) set in a strainer over a 1-1/2
quart saucepan; add the reserved filtered liquid from the oriental
mushrooms, and all remaining ingredients, and boil, uncovered,
about 30 minutes.  Pour into hot, sterlized bottles, cover, and
cool.  Lable and refrigerate for immedate use; freeze for long-term
storage.  Shake before using to mix in the sediment that settles
during storage.

Printable version: mushroom-ketchup05.txt.