Why should the mushrooms not be washed?

Water soaks into the mushrooms and dilutes the juice. Mushrooms should be gathered on a dry day and rubbed clean with salt instead.

How long does the ketchup take?

Count on around 3 days: the mushrooms lie layered with salt in a cool place for 3 days (stirred daily), then 1 hour in a water bath, straining, and finally gentle simmering with spices in a water bath for 3 hours.

What are the ingredients?

2 kg button mushrooms, 50 g salt, 5 g whole pepper and a knife-point of cayenne.

How should the ketchup be bottled and stored?

Strain the juice 2–3 times through thin cloth (do not press), fill it into small bottles only when it is completely cold, cork well and store away.

Mushroom Ketchup

Erken's mushroom ketchup: 2 kg unwashed mushrooms are rubbed clean with salt, ground, layered with 50 g salt in a jar for 3 days with daily stirring, cooked 1 hour in a water bath, strained without pressing, the juice mixed with whole pepper and cayenne and simmered gently 3 hours in a water bath, strained 2–3 times and bottled cold.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 353 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Mushroom ketchup was an English-inspired seasoning essence used to give body and color to sauces and stews. Erken recommends mushrooms gathered on a dry day, and long steeping in salt before gentle cooking in a water bath.

How to make it

1
Clean the mushrooms
Do not wash the mushrooms; rub them clean with salt.
2
Layer in salt
Chop the mushrooms or grind them once, and layer them with the salt in a jar.
3
Steep for three days
Cover and set in a cool place for 3 days. Stir several times each day.
4
First cooking in a water bath
Pour the mixture into a pot, set this into a larger pot with boiling water and keep it boiling for 1 hour.
5
Strain off the juice
Strain through a clean cloth without pressing. Pour the juice back into the jar and add the pepper and cayenne.
6
Simmer gently for three hours
Set the jar in a pot with boiling water and let the ketchup simmer gently for 3 hours.
7
Strain and bottle
Strain 2–3 times through a thin piece of cloth. Pour into small bottles once the ketchup is completely cold, cork and store away.

Changes from the original

Measurements modernized (grams, knife-point of cayenne kept as "knife-point"). The method is set out in numbered steps; "boils in a water bath" is specified. The original's unclear "stir them at least 3 hours daily" is interpreted as stirring several times a day.

Time machine – what changed?

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From1914 1949 Modernised

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Frequently asked questions

Why should the mushrooms not be washed?: Water soaks into the mushrooms and dilutes the juice. Mushrooms should be gathered on a dry day and rubbed clean with salt instead.
How long does the ketchup take?: Count on around 3 days: the mushrooms lie layered with salt in a cool place for 3 days (stirred daily), then 1 hour in a water bath, straining, and finally gentle simmering with spices in a water bath for 3 hours.
What are the ingredients?: 2 kg button mushrooms, 50 g salt, 5 g whole pepper and a knife-point of cayenne.
How should the ketchup be bottled and stored?: Strain the juice 2–3 times through thin cloth (do not press), fill it into small bottles only when it is completely cold, cork well and store away.

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