Mushrooms are marvellous – but are very sensitive and spoil easily.It really depends on how you store them. But here the question is how long do mushrooms last?
Mushrooms can last a few days, fresh, or for years, frozen, or dried, when they are stored correctly. If you’re not storing them correctly, this wonderful nutritious food will spoil very quickly.
Read on further if you like to find out more about this delicious fungi.
Why Do We Need to Add Mushrooms to Our Diet?
Mushrooms have many health benefits and have been used in Asia for centuries. They have amazing medicinal properties – they are anti-oxidants, anti- bacterial, antiviral and a source of Vitamin B and they’re delicious! (Thinly sliced button mushrooms, fried in butter, with a touch of garlic, and the tiniest sprinkle of salt and pepper are mouthwateringly good.)
They are a versatile favorite across the world. Pickled, crumbed, baked, fried, sauces, stews, and soups – mushrooms are enjoyed in many different dishes. Mushrooms are widely available, and, there are many different kinds – Portobello, shiitake, white button mushrooms, and big brown mushrooms – really, an endless list.
What they all have in common, though, is that they are fungi and are very delicate organisms. You can make them last longer, but you need to use the correct tools and methods, to be successful. Mushrooms can be refrigerated, frozen or dried.
1. Refrigeration ( 4-7 Days)
You Will Need Brown Paper Bag, Kitchen Paper Towel.
You can leave your mushrooms in their packaging if you’re going to use them in a day or two. Any longer and the moisture level will be a problem, and they will start to spoil.
Whole mushrooms have a smaller surface area, compared with sliced mushrooms. This means that whole mushrooms will last longer than sliced. Putting mushrooms in the fridge slows down their metabolism.
Mushrooms will last about a week in the fridge. Mushrooms like a cool and damp environment, and grow quickly in humid conditions, but, once they are picked they do not like too much water at all. Mushrooms do not have an outer skin layer, like plants. This means that they absorb moisture very easily, and can start to decompose, quickly, if they are wet.
How Should I Clean Them?
You should never wash mushrooms. Water is the enemy. Use a damp paper towel to gently clean off dirt, and place them in a paper bag. (You can buy a special mushroom cleaning brush from specialty cookware stores.)
Mushrooms are “breathing”, and if you put them in an airtight container, they cannot breathe. There will be too much moisture in the container. They don’t like to be too dry either. You will need to place a damp paper towel in the bag- this will help to stop them from drying out.
Where Should I Put Them in The Refrigerator?
Store them in the bottom part of the fridge, but not inside a vegetable crisper – this is too cold for them.
What Makes Mushrooms Go Brown and Slimy?
Mushrooms are sensitive to temperature and moisture. They are delicate organisms that need to be stored correctly, or they begin to spoil.
Bacteria will grow, and your nice package of mushrooms will turn brown, and be covered in slime. Mushrooms carry on growing or living until they are cooked or frozen.
2. Freezing ( 10-12 Months )
Mushrooms can be frozen, and retain their flavor, but it will affect their texture. They become spongier and change shape. Depending on how you plan to use them, there are various ways that you can freeze them.
Mushrooms can be frozen, and retain their flavor, but it will affect their texture. They become spongier and change shape. Depending on how you plan to use them, there are various ways that you can freeze them.
Not all mushrooms are good though to freeze. Some have too much water. Button, Portobello, and cremains (immaturePortobello’s) are fine to freeze.
Generally, It’s recommended to partially cook your mushrooms first: sauté, steam, or boil – either in salted water or in butter – and then you can add them to dishes like casseroles, sauces, and soups.
The problem with freezing mushrooms is their high water content. If you freeze mushrooms together you will get a big mass of frozen mushrooms- this is quite hard to manage. It’s quite a lot of work, but is possible to slice your mushrooms – not paper thin, or too thick – place them on trays, freeze them, and then put them into airtight containers.
Then you should be able to take out as many as you need. Another suggestion is to freeze partly cooked mushrooms in a freezer bag that seal lay it flat – then you have the option of breaking off a portion at a time or use very small containers.
3. Drying Mushrooms
How to Dry mushrooms:
- Slice your mushrooms and place on a baking tray.
- Make sure they are about ½ cm thick. ( too thin and they will crisp)
- Bake them at a low temperature – 110 oF –for an hour.
- Take them out and use a paper towel to wipe them – to remove any water they would have “sweated” out.
- Turn them over.
- Bake them for an hour.
- Check to see if they are dry. If they aren’t then repeating the process.
Removing all the water from mushrooms dramatically improves their shelf life. Mushrooms can be rehydrated, and used for cooking at a later stage. The drying process concentrates the mushroom flavor.
Conclusion
Farmed mushrooms, or store-bought, are the best option when it comes to eating mushrooms. How long do mushrooms last is often a big concern for all those who love eating mushrooms. Just by following simple steps in this article you can now learn to keep mushrooms fresh for a long time.