How Long Do Mushrooms Last In The Fridge? (Find Out Now!)
Mushrooms are underappreciated ingredients that deserve to be included in more dishes. The earthy flavor they feature pairs well with so many other ingredients. Mushrooms work great in sauces, soups, and you can sauté them with garlic and butter to create a delicious appetizer.
It’s nice to always have a ready supply of mushrooms in your home, but how long can you safely store them? How long can you keep mushrooms in your refrigerator without risking your health?
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to how long mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator. That’s mainly because shelf life can vary depending on the type of mushroom and the type of refrigerator you have. Generally speaking though, culinary experts recommend storing mushrooms in the fridge for no longer than two weeks.
Add mushrooms to more of your meals and introduce more complexity to your cooking in the process. Learn more about safely storing and handling mushrooms by continuing with this article.
How Long Will Mushrooms Last in the Refrigerator?
A lot of people prefer going to the supermarket one time per week or even twice per month. For some, a weekly trip to the supermarket is all that their schedules may allow. Because of that, they have to stock up on everything they need during that trip to the supermarket.
You may be among those shoppers. Since you’re stocking up on food, you may be wondering if you can buy mushrooms now and use them later. Will it be alright to keep the mushrooms you just bought in the refrigerator for a few days at least?
The good news is that you can store mushrooms in the refrigerator for a while. Culinary experts suggest that mushrooms should remain safe in your fridge for up to two weeks.
Keep in mind though that the two-week mark is a general guideline. It’s possible that your mushrooms could last longer than two weeks or spoil before you even hit that mark. Factors such as the type of mushroom you purchased and the refrigerator you’re using can affect the shelf life.
How Can You Tell if the Mushrooms in Your Refrigerator Have Gone Bad?
The two-week guideline is a general rule to follow when storing mushrooms. As we noted above though, it may not necessarily apply to all scenarios due to the variables involved. To stay safe, you should also keep an eye out for possible signs that your mushrooms have spoiled.
In some ways, watching for signs of spoilage is more reliable than going by the two-week guideline. Before you start putting the mushrooms in any sauces, check them for possible spoilage first. Let’s go over the different signs of mushroom spoilage so you’ll know exactly what to watch for.
The Presence of Slime
If there is one sure sign that your mushrooms should be thrown out instead of eaten, it’s the presence of slime. Slime appears on mushrooms when they have entered the process of being broken down by bacteria. Obviously, the mushrooms are past their prime at that point.
There’s actually a chance that the mushrooms are still safe to eat even if they are slimy. However, you should still avoid consuming them.
Slimy mushrooms will present an unappealing texture and an unpleasant flavor. You’ll be better off taking the loss and just tossing the mushrooms into the garbage.
Changes to the Appearance of the Mushrooms
The appearance of the mushrooms may also change as they inch closer to spoilage. There are two specific things to monitor here.
First, you should check out the color of the mushrooms. If you’ve noticed that they have gotten darker, take that as a warning sign. Dark spots showing up on the mushrooms is another indicator of potential spoilage.
You should also keep an eye on the texture of the mushrooms. Some mushrooms tend to shrivel up and look wrinkly as they start to rot. Get ready to dispose of those shriveled-up mushrooms because they definitely don’t belong in your dishes.
An Awful Smell Coming from the Mushrooms
One more indicator that your mushrooms have gone bad is the emergence of an off-putting smell. Mushrooms typically don’t give off any strong odors unless they’re already being cooked. As soon as you notice a smell coming from the mushrooms, you should throw them out.
How Should You Store Mushrooms in the Refrigerator?
The way you store mushrooms in your refrigerator can affect how long they last. Thankfully, storing mushrooms in the refrigerator the right way is easy enough to pull off. Follow the tips detailed below if you intend to store your mushrooms as well.
Don’t Take The Mushrooms Out of Their Original Containers
Mushrooms sold in supermarkets are usually packed in tightly sealed containers. Those are actually great storage units for mushrooms.
Feel free to leave the mushrooms in their original packaging until you need to use them. The packaging will keep the mushrooms nice and fresh during their stay inside your refrigerator.
Store the Mushrooms in a Paper Bag
Let’s say that the mushrooms you bought weren’t sealed in a container. What should you use then? A simple paper bag works as a fine storage unit for mushrooms.
Place the mushrooms inside the paper bag and then roll up the opening. Don’t roll the bag up too much though as you do want to let some air in. With the mushrooms in the paper bag, you can just pop that container in the fridge.
Avoid Positioning the Mushrooms Close to Items with Strong Odors
While storing the mushrooms in the fridge, be careful not to position them close to pungent items. The smell coming from the other items won’t cause the mushrooms to spoil faster, but it can impart an unwanted odor. You don’t really want unusual smells sticking to the mushrooms so keep them away from other pungent items in the fridge.
Keep the Mushrooms Out of the Crisper
You should also refrain from storing the mushrooms in your refrigerator’s crisper compartment. The mushrooms may take on too much moisture in there. Once the mushrooms get soaked, they may spoil faster.
Can You Keep Mushrooms in the Freezer?
You may have purchased a surplus of mushrooms during your last trip to the supermarket. Just looking at them, you know you won’t be able to use them all within a span of two weeks.
So, what should you do with your excess mushrooms? The answer is to freeze them. Mushrooms can be stored in the freezer for up to a year. Their texture will change after being in deep freeze for so long, but they will remain safe to eat.
Storing mushrooms in the freezer is different from keeping them inside the refrigerator though. That’s because you need to do some prep work if you want to freeze your mushrooms.
Start by washing the mushrooms under some cold running water. Just give them a few runs through the water to remove any grit or dirt. You should also slice the bigger mushrooms so they take to freezing better. After you’re done with the cleaning and trimming, you now need to cook the mushrooms. Steaming works best for retaining the flavor of the mushrooms.
Place the mushrooms in a pot filled with one pint of water and a teaspoon of lemon juice. The lemon juice is there to preserve the color of the mushrooms and not necessarily to add flavor.
Go ahead and start steaming the mushrooms now. Steam the mushrooms for about three to five minutes. Let the mushrooms cool down after steaming them.
To finish up, place the mushrooms in an airtight container or a vacuum seal bag then store them in the freezer. When the time comes to use them, just pull them out of the container and heat them up.
Related Questions
How Long Can Sliced Mushrooms Be Stored in the Refrigerator?
Because they’ve already been processed to some degree, sliced mushrooms don’t last as long in the fridge as whole mushrooms. Sliced mushrooms can only be safely stored in your refrigerator for about one week at most. Remember to check before the one-week mark though because some sliced mushrooms may spoil after just three to four days.Although sliced mushrooms spoil faster than their whole counterparts in the fridge, things are different if they’re stored in the freezer. Similar to whole mushrooms, sliced mushrooms can last for a year inside the freezer.
What Are Other Ways to Preserve Mushrooms?
Outside of keeping the mushrooms in the refrigerator or freezing them, there are other ways to preserve them. Those preservation methods include pickling, canning, and drying.Pickling the mushrooms keeps them usable for about a month. Just be sure that you place the pickled mushrooms in an airtight container before keeping them inside the refrigerator. Before canning mushrooms, you need to cook them thoroughly. Prepping them using a pressure cooker is a good idea. Once canned, those mushrooms can last for five years.Drying out mushrooms is your last option and it’s also the one that keeps the mushrooms edible for the longest time. As long as the mushrooms are placed in an airtight container and kept somewhere dark and dry, they can last indefinitely. The pantry is a good spot for your dried mushrooms.
Gary Evans is passionate about home improvement. He loves finding out how to make improvements in the easiest, most practical, and most affordable ways. Upgrading his home kitchen is one of his ongoing hobbies. Gary is also a long-time content creator and enjoys spending his free time tending to his hydroponic vegetable garden.
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