Important: Safety Warning
This page offers rules for telling edible mushrooms from poisonous ones. No such rules are reliable, and these identifications predate modern mycology. Deadly species closely resemble edible ones, and mistakes are regularly fatal. Never eat a wild mushroom on the strength of this text.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Mushrooms, Pickled
Take button mushrooms, as nearly as possible of the same size (small ones are best) and freshly gathered. Cut off the stalks, and rub away the outer skin with a piece of new flannel and some fine salt. Rinse them in salted spring water, drain quickly, and dry in a soft cloth until no moisture hangs about them. Boil together spice and vinegar in proportion to the mushrooms to be pickled, allowing nearly a quart of vinegar to a quart of the buttons, and with one quart of the best white wine vinegar put three small blades of mace, an ounce of crushed ginger, half the quantity of white peppercorns, and a small pinch of cayenne. When the pickle boils put in the mushrooms, and continue the boiling until they are rather soft, which will be in from eight to ten minutes, according to their size. Fill jars, or large-mouthed bottles, and distribute the spice as equally as possible in them. When cold, tie down securely with bladder, and remove to a dry place. Field mushrooms are much to be preferred to those artificially raised.