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Mushroom Catchup

A mushroom-based condiment made by fermenting mushrooms with salt, then reducing the liquid.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 2 ingredients
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Mushroom Catchup

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Break mushrooms into small pieces by hand.

  2. Mix mushrooms with a generous amount of coarse sea salt in an earthen pan.

Cure

  1. Let the mixture sit for 3-4 days, bruising and stirring daily.

Strain and reduce

  1. Press out the liquid and strain it.

  2. Boil the liquid until it is reduced by one third or more.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Mushrooms
Supply the bulk of the liquid and savoury flavour as they break down during curing.
Coarse sea salt
Draws moisture out of the mushrooms and preserves the mixture during the long cure.

The step that matters

Boil the liquid until reduced by one third or more. Boiling concentrates the flavour and thickens the liquid while evaporating water, which helps the ketchup keep and gives it a richer taste. Stopping too early leaves it thin and more perishable.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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