Boiled carrots can be heated with salt, pepper, and butter ;
or with some chopped parsley; or with white sauce con-
taining the yolk of a raw egg, care being taken not to boil
the egg. Cold boiled carrots are good if fried in butter.
MUSHROOMS.
Many persons who like this excellent fungus are afraid to
eat it because accidents have occurred from its use ; but
care will guard against such danger, both with fresh and
canned mushrooms.
There is no danger to be apprehended in using the canned
mushrooms, if, when the can is opened, the mushrooms look
clean and perfect, of a light buff color, without any dark or
defective spots ; the liquid in the can should be clear, that
is, not thick, and slightly colored by the mushrooms. The
interior of the cans should be bright and clean, not dark or
rusted ; if there is the slightest appearance of discoloration
or verdigris on the inside of the can, or near any joint in
the tin in the can, the mushrooms contained in it might
prove injurious. So far as the mushrooms themselves are
concerned, it is almost an impossibility for a poisonous one
to be present in a can, because they are raised in so-called
mushroom caves or cellars, from seed or rather spawn, which
is prepared from exhausted mushroom beds ; under these
circumstances, it is almost impossible even for a poisonous
mushroom to spring in a bed ; but if it did, its color, size,
and general appearance would indicate its character, and it
would at once be destroyed. The growers of mushrooms
exercise a great care in the cultivation of the vegetable and
412 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
in its preparation for the market. The few instances known
of poisoning from the use of canned mushrooms have been
traced to carelessness in their preparation; the cooking
having been done in unclean utensils, or in copper vessels
from which the tin lining is worn, or the cooked mushrooms
have been allowed to stand over night in a metal vessel.
The fresh mushrooms which are brought to city markets
are generally raised in mushroom beds, by professional
gardeners, who are perfectly conversant with all the charac-
teristics of the vegetable ; and so there is but little danger
possible in using them. The fresh mushrooms sold during
the summer and early fall in the markets are usually gath-
ered in the fields and pastures by persons who know the
varieties of fungi, and who discard all except the agartcus
campestris, or field mushroom.
The fungi grow in form of a pileus or cap, upon a short,
stout stem, covered with a thin epidermis, and generally
divided beneath into radiated gills, which are the seed-
bearing organs. Form and appearance safely indicate the
innocuous or harmful qualities of the mushrooms, but the
test of tasting may be applied if one need be exercised. If
a small part of the cap, eaten with a little salt, does not cause
a burning or stinging sensation in the throat or stomach, and
if the taste is pleasant and agreeable, the variety may be
used. If this test shows the presence of a poisonous matter,
by the burning sensation, the peril can be averted by a free
use of common salt, followed by emetics and castor-oil. It
should be remembered, that a perfectly good fungus, which
is in excellent eating order when gathered, may decay and
become unfit for food in a few hours ; and therefore all spe-
cies should be eaten or preserved when fresh.
Page 223
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Boiled carrots can be heated with salt, pepper, and butter ; or with some chopped parsley; or with white sauce containing the yolk of a raw egg, care being taken not to boil the egg. Cold boiled carrots are good if fried in butter.
MUSHROOMS.
Many persons who like this excellent fungus are afraid to eat it because accidents have occurred from its use ; but care will guard against such danger, both with fresh and canned mushrooms.
There is no danger to be apprehended in using the canned mushrooms, if, when the can is opened, the mushrooms look clean and perfect, of a light buff color, without any dark or defective spots ; the liquid in the can should be clear, that is, not thick, and slightly colored by the mushrooms. The interior of the cans should be bright and clean, not dark or rusted ; if there is the slightest appearance of discoloration or verdigris on the inside of the can, or near any joint in the tin in the can, the mushrooms contained in it might prove injurious. So far as the mushrooms themselves are concerned, it is almost an impossibility for a poisonous one to be present in a can, because they are raised in so-called mushroom caves or cellars, from seed or rather spawn, which is prepared from exhausted mushroom beds ; under these circumstances, it is almost impossible even for a poisonous mushroom to spring in a bed ; but if it did, its color, size, and general appearance would indicate its character, and it would at once be destroyed. The growers of mushrooms exercise a great care in the cultivation of the vegetable and
in its preparation for the market. The few instances known of poisoning from the use of canned mushrooms have been traced to carelessness in their preparation; the cooking having been done in unclean utensils, or in copper vessels from which the tin lining is worn, or the cooked mushrooms have been allowed to stand over night in a metal vessel.
The fresh mushrooms which are brought to city markets are generally raised in mushroom beds, by professional gardeners, who are perfectly conversant with all the characteristics of the vegetable ; and so there is but little danger possible in using them. The fresh mushrooms sold during the summer and early fall in the markets are usually gathered in the fields and pastures by persons who know the varieties of fungi, and who discard all except the agaricus campestris, or field mushroom.
The fungi grow in form of a pileus or cap, upon a short, stout stem, covered with a thin epidermis, and generally divided beneath into radiated gills, which are the seedbearing organs. Form and appearance safely indicate the innocuous or harmful qualities of the mushrooms, but the test of tasting may be applied if one need be exercised. If a small part of the cap, eaten with a little salt, does not cause a burning or stinging sensation in the throat or stomach, and if the taste is pleasant and agreeable, the variety may be used. If this test shows the presence of a poisonous matter, by the burning sensation, the peril can be averted by a free use of common salt, followed by emetics and castor-oil. It should be remembered, that a perfectly good fungus, which is in excellent eating order when gathered, may decay and become unfit for food in a few hours ; and therefore all species should be eaten or preserved when fresh.