To Pickle Mushrooms
From the treasured pages of Receipt book of Elizabeth Smith
Written by Elizabeth Smith
To Pickle Mushrooms
"Gather yt smallest Mushrooms in Autumn Cut ym as you think fit, Rub ym into their Water dont rub too many together for fear of Their breaking. Rub ym Clean with a Woollen Cloth, & thro' em as you do ym into Cold Water, when they are thus Wash'd Boil ym in Salt & Water for a qr of an Hour, then pour ym carfully into a Culender to Drain yt Water from them, after which Lay ym between two Cloths to Dry, then put ym into Glass, & put yt Pickle to ym, which must be made as follows, put into yt Pickle a gallon of Vineger a qr of an oz: of new Spice, half a qr of an oz: of Cloves & half a qr of an oz: of Mace, when it is thus drawn off from a Cold still, put it Cold to yt Mushrooms."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe uses phonetic spelling and retains many quirks of 18th century English: 'yt' stands for 'that', 'ym' for 'them', and measurements like 'qr of an oz' mean 'quarter of an ounce'. Period writers assumed the cook had significant experience, so instructions are brief and practical, not step-by-step. Spelling is inconsistent and abbreviations abound, with a heavy reliance on context—a testament to the manuscript’s homemade, passed-down nature.
Title
Receipt book of Elizabeth Smith (1775)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Elizabeth Smith
Era
1775
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step into the refined kitchens of the late 18th century with Elizabeth Smith, whose culinary wisdom offers a charming taste of Georgian elegance and time-honored recipes to delight any palate.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from Elizabeth Smith's household manuscript, written sometime between 1749 and 1800, a period when home pickling was both a necessity and a mark of domestic skill. The method captures the English gentry’s enthusiasm for preserving woodland harvests and for fashionable pickled condiments. At that time, mushroom pickles were a prized pantry staple, served as an accompaniment to roasted meats and savory pies. Vinegar-based pickles allowed foods to be enjoyed well beyond their season.
Cooks in the 18th century would have used a sharp paring knife, woollen cloth for cleaning, a large pottery bowl or wooden tub for soaking, an iron or copper pot for boiling, linen cloths for drying, a large colander (made of tin or wood), and glass preserving jars or bottles with waxed paper or tightly fitted corks. For infusing spices, they would use a cold vinegar method—letting spices sit in vinegar without boiling, likely in stoneware or glass vessels.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings
10
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs small white button mushrooms or wild button mushrooms, trimmed
- 2 quarts cold water (for rinsing)
- 1.5 tablespoons salt (for boiling water)
- 1 gallon (16 cups) white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons allspice (whole, about 7 g)
- 1 teaspoon cloves (whole, about 3.5 g)
- 1 teaspoon mace (blades or ground, about 3.5 g)
- Extra: clean tea towels, sterilized glass jars
Instructions
- Begin by selecting the smallest button mushrooms you can find in autumn—these mimic the wild mushrooms available in the 18th century.
- Trim the stems and cut as desired.
- Gently rub the mushrooms to clean them, but avoid bruising.
- As you clean, transfer them into a bowl of cold water to soak.
- Once clean, boil the mushrooms in a mix of salted water (about 1.5 tablespoons salt per quart of water) for 15 minutes.
- Drain thoroughly using a colander, then lay the mushrooms between two kitchen towels to dry completely.
- Place the dried mushrooms in sterilized glass jars.
- To make the pickle, combine 1 gallon (16 cups) of vinegar, 2 teaspoons whole allspice, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, and 1 teaspoon whole mace.
- (A 'cold still' refers here to the use of unheated, steeped vinegar.) Pour this cold spiced vinegar over the mushrooms in the jars, seal, and store in a cool place.
Estimated Calories
15 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparing the mushrooms, including cleaning and trimming, takes about 30 minutes. Cooking them in salted water takes 15 minutes. The actual cook time is just the boiling step, while prep time is cleaning, trimming, draining, and drying the mushrooms. Each serving has about 15 calories because vinegar and spices do not add much, and mushrooms are low-calorie. This recipe gives about 10 servings.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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