How Long Do Mushrooms Last in the Fridge? How to Tell Bad Mushrooms?

Mushrooms last for a solid 7 to 10 days generally. In comparison to how long they would last on your kitchen counter, mushrooms last much longer in the refrigerator. That’s plenty of time to track down some awesome mushroom recipes!

They can become limp and floppy over time, as anyone who has ever opened a package of leftover mushrooms to discover knows. Here’s how to avoid disappointment (and wasted food) next time.

How Long Do Mushrooms Last in the Fridge?

Mushrooms will last an average of 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Their useful lifetime can be impacted by a number of factors.

• Typically, they last longer the bigger they are. Portobello and cremini are long lasting while white button mushrooms tend to spoil more quickly.
• Sliced mushrooms won’t last as long as whole mushrooms.
• Mushrooms prefer paper bags because plastic ones don’t allow them to breathe.

PSA: Throw away your mushrooms if you notice any signs that they’ve gone bad, such as when they start to smell or feel slimy.

To avoid bruising and quick deterioration, don’t stack other containers on top of the mushrooms. Try making room in your refrigerator for proper, excellent air circulation.

• As with many other foods, they are allowing mushrooms to age longer in the refrigerator.
• This could also have a big effect. If you just leave your mushrooms out on the counter, they will only remain fresh for one to three days. However, they might only last a week or so if they are kept chilled in the refrigerator.
• You could eat those mushrooms for almost two weeks if you stored them in the refrigerator, so there is no competition.

Read about Can You Refrigerate Espresso? 

Types of Mushrooms Last in the Fridge

All types of mushrooms, including the shiitake, Portobello, and cremini varieties, have a finite shelf life that changes based on how they are handled. Depending on how they are prepared, mushrooms can last a variety of times.

Entire Mushrooms

The majority of grocery store whole mushrooms can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks. I ate them within seven to ten days of buying them, if possible.

Sliced Mushrooms

Although certain batches of supermarket pre-sliced mushrooms can go bad in just five days, they should be used up within a week.

Cooked Mushrooms

Compared to sliced raw mushrooms, sauteed mushrooms have a longer shelf life and can be stored in the refrigerator for seven to ten days. It’s also critical to keep in mind that if mushrooms are used in a recipe with other ingredients that spoil quickly, they may spoil earlier.

Marinated Mushrooms

Mushrooms that have been marinated have typically been coated in olive oil, along with additional ingredients like spices and lemon juice, and then sealed in a glass jar to be kept in the refrigerator. For ten to fourteen days, most marinated mushrooms will remain fresh.

Dried Mushrooms

Dried mushrooms have a three-year shelf life when stored properly. Instead of storing them in the fridge, you can keep them at room temperature on the counter or in the pantry.

Frozen Mushrooms

Although fresh mushrooms can be frozen, many of them lose their structure and become mushy when thawed. To help preserve the flavor and texture of your mushrooms after freezing, cook, blanch, saute, poach, or steam them. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze each one until it is perfectly firm for a few hours. Place the frozen, loose mushrooms in an airtight, vacuum-sealed plastic bag to prevent freezer burn.

Can You Freeze Mushrooms? and Should You?

You may have purchased that pack of mushrooms from the grocery store, but you already know you won’t be able to use them all within the next 7 to 10 days. The good news is that you can freeze them.

It does, however, have some disadvantages. Due to their high water content, mushrooms sometimes appear melancholy when they defrost.

Mushrooms can be cooked in a pan before being placed in a freezer or frozen while still in their raw state. They can be stored in the freezer for 9 to 12 months, but defrost them completely before using.

How to Keep Mushrooms Safe?

Mushrooms can be stored in various ways depending on how they are cooked. Before preparing your mushrooms, look for signs of deterioration like dark stains, slime, odor, or creases. You should discard any spoiled mushrooms. Even though mushrooms can be kept in their original packaging without any trouble, using a different container will make them last longer. Here is a quick explanation of how to preserve mushrooms to prevent them from spoiling quickly.

Do Not Wash Or Dry Your Mushrooms

Before storage, washing or soaking your mushrooms can cause them to absorb too much water, hastening their expiration. Use a wet paper towel to wipe off the mushrooms to get rid of any last bits of grime or grit.

Get Your Mushrooms Ready

Your ability to preserve your mushrooms will depend on whether you store them whole or in pieces. You can also choose to blanch or sauté your mushrooms if you want to freeze them.

Select the Container

Choose the best method for storing mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms should be stored in a porous container to promote air circulation and with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture because fungus frequently thrives in wet, sealed conditions. You can store your raw mushrooms by loosely wrapping them in a paper towel and then putting them in a brown paper or plastic bag that isn’t transparent. The same as any other prepared food, cooked mushrooms should be stored in an airtight container.

Tips to Store Mushrooms

If mushrooms are not properly handled or stored, they will quickly go bad. Here are a few tips ensure proper storage of your mushrooms:

Use the Right Storage Vessel

Because fresh mushrooms contain a lot of water, you should be cautious about the kind of container you use to store them. Though popular choices for packing food for refrigeration, airtight containers and plastic bags are not the best options for storing mushrooms. A layer of moisture is trapped on the surface of the mushrooms as a result of this type of packaging, reducing the shelf life of the product.

The ideal storage option for fresh mushrooms is a brown bag. The mushrooms’ moisture will be absorbed by the bag, preventing them from spoiling too quickly. Just make sure to avoid cramming in too many mushrooms and to keep the bag open at the top. If kept in the fridge, your fresh mushrooms should last for up to a week.

As an alternative, you can keep mushrooms in their original store packaging. These are typically made to allow for an adequate air supply while preventing excessive moisture.

Store in the Proper Location

Always keep fresh mushrooms chilled. But it really matters where you put them in the refrigerator. As opposed to the crisper, which is overly moist and will make the mushrooms soggy and eventually rot, we advise keeping mushrooms in the main section of the refrigerator.

Create Enough Room in the Fridge

Avoid stacking other containers on top of the mushrooms to prevent bruising and quick spoilage. To help mushrooms last longer, try making space in your refrigerator for proper cool air circulation.

Dry Bulk Mushrooms

Drying is a great way to keep mushrooms fresher for longer if you have a lot of them on hand but not a lot of freezer space. The flavor and nutritional value of dried mushrooms are comparable to those of fresh ones.

The mushrooms should first be cleaned before being baked at 17 degrees for 3-5 hours, or until there is no longer any sign of water. After allowing them to cool, store them in an airtight container. When not in use, keep in the pantry.

Freeze

When drying is not an option, the next best thing is to freeze the product. Fresh mushrooms should be frozen as soon as you can because the longer they are left out, the more they will deteriorate, and freezing won’t stop this once it has started. In a moment, we’ll demonstrate how to properly freeze mushrooms.

Observe High Standards of Hygiene

Mushrooms can easily become contaminated and unsafe to use because they lack an outer skin that can be peeled off.

Experts concur that the best way to store mushrooms is untouched. Instead, make sure to wash and dry your hands before handling the mushrooms, particularly if they are already damp.

Furthermore, we advise keeping your mushrooms whole. Never cut, peel, or remove the stalk because doing so results in bruising and significantly reduces the shelf life of the fungus.

Spotting a Bad Mushroom

It’s crucial to understand how to identify a bad mushroom whether you chill them or freeze them. These won’t taste as good and they can even make you sick.

Here’s how to recognize trouble.

• They’re slimy.When mushrooms are turning evil, they are slimy, just like the best villains. Don’t freak out if you pop one; they are still safe to eat, but they are definitely past their prime at this point.
• They shrivel up.Every mushroom has a slight wrinkle (don’t we all?), but on the whole, they’re pretty smooth when they’re fresh. When they start to shrivel, the can should be opened.
• They have joined the opposing side.Bad mushrooms change color or begin to show dark spots. You should throw them away if you see any surface discoloration.
• They smell.It’s time to evict the mushrooms and put them in the trash if you detect an odor that is stronger than your typical mushroom smell or if sticking your head in the refrigerator causes you to violently jerk backward and heave.

What Are Mushrooms?

Some fungi produce the mushroom-shaped reproductive structure. It resembles the fruit of a plant, except that the “seeds” it produces are millions of microscopic spores that grow in the gills or pores beneath the cap of the mushroom. The wind or other methods, like feeding animals, can disperse the spores. Spores will germinate into a network of microscopic rooting threads (mycelium) that enter their new food source if they land on a suitable substrate (such as wood or soil). In contrast to the mushroom, which quickly appears and then vanishes, mycelium survives for many years, accumulating nutrients and producing an annual crop of mushrooms.

Mushrooms are very versatile in the kitchen due to their high water content, spongy texture, and mild flavor. Since mushrooms have a high water content, keeping them in the refrigerator for an extended period of time may cause sliminess or even the development of mildew and dark stains. The good news is that there are several ways to extend the shelf life of mushrooms in your refrigerator.

FAQs

Takeaway

Larger mushrooms will keep for a little while longer, while cooked and cut mushrooms will keep for a little while less. You can freeze your mushrooms if that simply isn’t enough time. They’ll keep for almost a year, but keep in mind that they’ll lose some of their nutritional value in the interim and might not look as pretty when they thaw.

Read about

• Does Ghee Need To Be Refrigerated? 
• Does Sriracha Need To Be Refrigerated? 
• Does Hummus Need To Be Refrigerated?