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1
Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, or brush them clean.
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2
Avoid washing them if possible; if it is necessary, swish them rapidly through a bowl of water and lift and drain them promptly.
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3
Trim off any discolored stem ends or damaged portions.
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4
Slice the mushrooms thin (a food processor fitted with the thin-slicing disc makes short work of this task) and mix them thoroughly with the salt in a ceramic bowl.
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5
Cover mushrooms with a cloth and let them stand 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
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6
They will become very dark (the finished ketchup will be approximately the color of black bean soup).
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7
At least an hour before the end of the salting period, combine the dried boletus mushrooms with the hot tap water; let them stand, covered, until completely soft.
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8
Lift the soaked mushrooms from their liquid with a slotted spoon (this is to eliminate any grit that may be in the liquid) and place them in the container of a blender or food processor.
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9
Let soaking liquid settle for a minute or two, then carefully pour it over the mushrooms, stopping before any grit is poured out.
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10
Puree the soaked mushrooms, then pour the puree into a preserving pan.
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11
Without rinsing the blender container, puree the salted mushrooms; add this puree to that in the pan.
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12
Place about 1/2 cup of the vinegar in the blender and add shallots and garlic; process them to a puree.
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13
Add this puree to the mixture in the pan, together with the rest of the vinegar, the allspice, cloves, mace, bay leaves, ginger and pepper.
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14
Bring the mixture to boiling over medium-high heat, lower heat, and simmer the ketchup, uncovered, stirring it often, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the tiny fragments of mushroom are very soft, almost jellylike, and the ketchup is thick.
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15
To test for correct consistency, pour a spoonful onto a saucer and let it stand 10 minutes, with the pot off the heat; if very little or no liquid seeps from the solids, the ketchup has thickened enough.
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16
If it does not pass this test, resume the cooking for as long as necessary.
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17
Press ketchup through a sieve to remove the bay leaves and whole spices, then puree it again, in batches if necessary, in a blender or food processor, running the machine until the texture is velvety smooth.
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18
Return ketchup to the rinsed-out pan and bring it to a full boil again over medium-high heat, stirring it constantly.
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19
Stir in the sherry.
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20
Ladle the boiling-hot ketchup into hot, clean half-pint or pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
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21
Seal jars with new two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer's directions and process for 15 minutes (for either size jar) in a boiling-water bath.
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22
Cool, label and store the jars.
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23
Let ketchup mellow for a few weeks before serving it.
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24
Keeps for at least a year in a cool pantry.
