The earthy, umami taste and dense texture make mushrooms a staple in almost every kitchen. But as easy as they are to use, they’re also quite tricky to store. If overlooked, mushrooms can go slimy, dark, and soggy fairly quickly.
In fact, their high water content makes raw mushrooms one of the most perishable foods in a kitchen.
So, here we are with a detailed guide to help you keep your stock of delicate fungi fresh and flavorful for longer.
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How to Buy Mushrooms for Best Storage Results?
A good storage strategy starts with selecting the best produce, especially when you’re buying something as perishable as raw mushrooms.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind on your next grocery run:
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Buy Loose Mushrooms: It is always a good idea to buy loose mushrooms from your local farmers market. Not only does this ensure what you buy is locally grown, but it’ll also give you the chance to examine the produce and pick the best-looking fungi. You can also avoid overstocking with loose mushrooms and buy the exact quantity that you can use up quickly.
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Choose Whole Mushrooms: Opt for whole mushrooms instead of sliced ones, as they last much longer. Go for sliced mushrooms only if you plan on using them immediately and want to save time.
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Buy from a Farmer’s Market: Nothing beats buying produce directly from the forager or grower. You’ll end up with mushrooms that are fresh, healthy, and locally sourced and likely to last much longer. Plus, you’ll be pleased by the large variety of mushrooms you’ll stumble upon at a farmer’s market.
Here are 25 more locally & grown organic things to buy at a farmers market.
- Buy Firm and Dry Mushrooms: When buying loose mushrooms, pick ones that are firm and with less moisture. Excess eater speeds up decay and browning in the fungi.
How to Refrigerate Mushrooms?
Button, shiitake, portobello, porcini, beech - regardless of the type that makes it to your kitchen, all mushrooms need low moisture environments at 40–45 °F to keep fresh.
In other words, they need constant refrigeration. Here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind while refrigerating mushrooms:
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Avoid Rinsing: Moisture doesn’t bode well for mushrooms and turns them into a breeding ground for bacteria. So avoid washing them before storage. If you absolutely must clean them because of all the dirt, resist the temptation to place them under running water. Instead, use a soft brush or a kitchen towel to scrub the excess muck off.
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No Crisper Drawer: Avoid placing the mushrooms in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. What is a crisper drawer? It’s a compartment in the fridge designed to keep fruits and vegetables fresher for longer by controlling humidity. However, since the crisper is a moisture-rich environment, it’s not ideal for mushrooms. Even though you can tweak the humidity levels of a crisper, it’s best to store the mushrooms in the warmer parts of the fridge.
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No Stacking: Mushrooms bruise easily. Stacking other produce on top of them will leave you with a squishy mess. And let’s be honest, isn’t their plump, meaty texture the best thing about mushrooms?
- Keep Away from Strong-Smelling Foods: Because of their porous texture, mushrooms don’t take long to soak up the smells that surround them. Therefore, it’s a good idea to store them away from anything that has a strong odor or flavor.
How to Store Fresh Mushrooms - The Best Storage Containers
1. Airy Mesh Bags
Water-rich mushrooms need good ventilation to keep mold and bacteria away. They hold up particularly well in perforated, porous containers that allow them to breathe, like our mesh produce bags.
Our bags are crafted from 100% organic cotton mesh. They are breathable, long-lasting, and easy to clean and reuse.
Whether you’re foraging mushrooms or buying them from a supermarket, bring these bags along to store the delicate fungi.
What’s great is these bags can go from the grocery store to a refrigerator without the need to transfer the contents to another storage container.
Related Article: How to Store Apples?
2. Brown Paper Bag
Without a good container, mushrooms can dry out or turn into a soggy mess in the refrigerator. To stop this from happening, you can use paper bags, which are readily available in most homes.
If you’re wondering, why not simply store the mushrooms in plastic bags?
The answer is a resounding no. Not only is plastic not an eco-friendly option, but it also traps moisture and prevents air circulation. Therefore, it is always better and environment friendly to find and go ahead with plastic alternatives for storage.
We already know mushrooms don’t fare well in damp and humid environments. Instead, grab some paper bags. Secure the contents by loosely folding the bag from the top and place it in the refrigerator.
The bags will soak up the excess moisture and keep your batch of mushrooms fresh while also keeping their texture and flavor intact.
3. Paper Towels and a Bowl
If you don’t have mesh or paper bags around, a bunch of paper towels will also do. Simply wrap the unwashed mushrooms in a flour sack kitchen towel and place them in a big glass bowl.
The towels quickly absorb the moisture and prevent the mushrooms from going soggy. They are also airy enough to stop your stock from drying out and shriveling.
Make sure to check on the mushrooms every day and replace the towels if they get saturated. With this storage hack, raw mushrooms should stay fresh and dry for about five days.
4. Original Container
If you’re buying pre-packaged mushrooms, you can store them as they are until it’s time to open them. Just make sure that the packaging allows for ventilation. Choose one of the warmer spots on your fridge, like the middle shelf, and place the pre-packaged mushrooms there.
Be sure to check every couple of days for signs of spoilage. If they’ve come sealed in plastic and styrofoam, transfer them to a storage container made of mesh or paper.
How to Freeze Mushrooms?
It’s best to consume refrigerated mushrooms within a week, but if you haven’t gotten around to using them in a recipe, don’t fret. You can always freeze them.
However, freezing raw mushrooms will make them mushy when thawed. So, prep them a bit first.
Start the prepping process by washing the mushrooms thoroughly and then cooking them. You can sautee them briefly in some butter and then cool them or simply blanch them.
Blanching involves boiling or steaming the produce briefly till it’s partially cooked. In the case of whole mushrooms, 5 minutes of steaming should do the trick, and 3 minutes if you’re storing sliced or button mushrooms. Cool them immediately by plunging them in ice water.
Blanching is pretty effective in putting a halt to the enzyme action. Once that’s taken care of, spread the mushrooms on a tray lined with parchment sheet and flash freeze them.
Once frozen solid, transfer them to a vacuum-sealed freezer bag or airtight container. They should stay good for about 12 months. Remember, you may not get a crisp, meaty texture after freezing, but the flavor will stay intact.
Related Article: How to Organize Fridge - Expert Tips & Storage Ideas
How to Dry Mushrooms for Long-Term Storage?
If you’re short on freezer space and have a large stock of mushrooms to preserve, try drying them. Not only does this hack keep mushrooms fresh for a long, long time, but it also boosts their wonderful umami flavor. You can always rehydrate them by soaking them in water.
Use a food dehydrator or oven to dry the batch, or you could opt for the classic air-drying technique. To air-dry mushrooms, put them in an airy mesh bag or a strainer for a week.
Next, transfer them to an airtight container till you are ready to consume them. There are a host of delicious recipes that you can whip up with dried mushrooms, like soups, stews, or sauces.
How to Identify Mushrooms That Have Gone Bad?
If you’ve done a good job at selecting mushrooms, then your stock would most likely feel firm, dry, and smooth with a delicate earthy fragrance. Bad mushrooms, on the other hand, look and smell distinctly different.
Slime is a sign of a mushroom that’s well past its use-by date and usually sets in when mushrooms have been refrigerated for far too long.
If it’s just slime, you might still be able to consume the mushrooms by tossing them in pasta and soups or sauteing them in butter and adding them to burgers and sandwiches.
However, if the sliminess is also accompanied by a mushy texture, unpleasant smell, discoloration, and mold, then it’s best to avoid them. Shriveled mushrooms are also a no-go.
Final Thoughts
It’s always best to eat mushrooms as soon as you buy them. But there may be times when you find yourself out of ideas on how to use them up quickly before they go bad.
Just stick to our storage tips and methods, and you should be able to keep your stock of mushrooms the way they are meant to be - fresh, firm, plump, and flavorful.