They will keep this way very well, and have more of the taste of mushrooms, but they will not be altogether so white.

408. To pickle POTATOE CRABS.

Gather your crabs when they are young, and about the bigness of a large cherry, lie them in a strong salt and water as you do other pickles, let them stand for a week or ten days, then scald them in the same water they lie in twice a day whilst green; make the same pickle for them as you do for cucumbers; be sure you scald them twice or thrice in the pickle and they will keep the better.

409. To pickle large BUTTONS.

Take your buttons, clean ’em and cut ’em in three or four pieces, put them into a large sauce-pan to stew in their own liquor, put to them a little Jamaica and whole pepper, a blade or two of mace, and a little salt, cover it up, let it stew over a slow fire whilst you think they are enough, then strain from them their liquor, and put to it a little white wine vinegar or alegar, which you please, give it a boil together, and when it is cold put it to your mushrooms, and keep them for use.

You may pickle flaps the same way.

410. To make CATCHUP.

Take large mushrooms when they are fresh gathered, cut off the dirty ends, break them small in your hands, put them in a stone-bowl with a handful or two of salt, and let them stand all night; if you don’t get mushrooms enough at once, with a little salt they will keep a day or two whilst you get more, so put ’em in a stew-pot, and set them in an oven with household bread; when they are enough strain from ’em the liquor, and let it stand to settle, then boil it with a little mace, Jamaica and whole black pepper, two or three shalots, boil it over a slow fire for an hour, when it is boiled let it stand to settle, and when it is cold bottle it; if you boil it well it will keep a year or two; you must put in spices according to the quantity of your catchup; you must not wash them, nor put to them any water.

411. To make MANGO of CUCUMBERS or SMALL MELONS.

Gather cucumbers when they are green, cut a bit off the end and take out all the meat; lie them in a strong salt and water, let them lie for a week or ten days whilst they be yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in whilst green, then drain from them the water; take a little mustard-seed, a little horse-radish, some scraped and some shred fine, a handful of shalots, a claw or two of garlick if you like the taste, and a little shred mace; take six or eight cucumbers shred fine, mix them amongst the rest of the ingredients, then fill your melons or cucumbers with the meat, and put in the bits at the ends, tie them on with a string, so as will well cover them, and put into it a little Jamaica and whole pepper, a little horse-radish and a handful or two of mustard-seed, then boil it, and pour it upon your mango; let it stand in the corner end two or three days, scald them once a day, and then tie them up for use.