Mushroom Ketchup for the Destitute

When you say "ketchup" in modern times, it can be assumed that you mean a tomato based condiment with vinegar and spices.  This was not always so.  Ketchup has been a popular condiment since the late 1700's, when tomatoes were still viewed with deep suspicion as being possibly poisonous.  The most common base for a ketchup sauce is most definitely mushrooms, followed by walnuts.  It features heavily as an ingredient in cookbooks all the way up through the 1800's.  

But what is the modern cook to do, when one cannot simply buy mushroom ketchup unless one goes to a specialty shop in the U.K.? Make it!  How hard can it be? 

To make Ketchup.

Take the large Flaps of Mushrooms, pick nothing

but the Straws and Dirt from it, then lay them

in a broad earthern Pan, strow a good deal of

Salt over them, let them lie till next Morning;

then with your Hand brake them, put them

into a Stew-pan, and let them boil a Minute

or two, then strain them thro’ a coarse Cloth;

and wring it hard. To take out all the Juice,

let it stand to settle, then pour it off clear,

and run it thro’ a thick Flannel Bag, (some

filter it thro’ brown Paper, but that is a very

tedious Way) then boil it, to a Quart of the

Liquor put a quarter of an Ounce of whole

Ginger, and half a quarter of an Ounce of

whole Pepper, boil it briskly a quarter

of an Hour, then strain it, and when it

is cold, put it into Pint Bottles; in each

Bottle put four or five Blades of Mace,

and six Cloves, cork it tight, and it will

keep two Years. This gives the best

Flavour of the Mushrooms to any Sauce,

if you put to a Pint of this Ketchup a Pint

of Mum, it will taste like foreign Ketchup.

-The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy, by Hannah Glasse (1747)

Hold on, that's like... a LOT of mushrooms.  Like, A LOT OF MUSHROOMS.  Do you understand how many mushrooms it takes to extract a quart of juice?  And here's me without a money tree.  

There we go.  Yes.  That's what I like to call... good enough.  

Cheater Mushroom Ketchup

1 quart water

2 T. mushroom bouillon

1 T. dry ginger (preferably in chunks rather than powder, but hey, I didn't have any)

1 T. peppercorns

1 t. mace

6 cloves

Simmer together.  Strain and bottle.  Refrigerate.  

Verdict:  Yowsers.  This is HOT.  And salty!  I think it came out right.  It reminds me very very much of Worcestershire sauce, or steak sauce.  It isn't something you want to swipe a french fry through, but it does have a lot of flavor.  I don't think I can appropriately judge it before using it in a recipe, you know?  

...

Further reading:

Jas. Townsend makes mushroom ketchup

Jas. Townsend sells mushroom ketchup

A Book of Cookrye makes mushroom ketchup properly