Mushrooms are among the most popular edible mushrooms. There are about 50 different species in the wild, many of which are edible, but some are poisonous. The cultivated mushroom is the most commonly cultivated mushroom in the world. Various varieties are now available, such as stone mushroom, brown or white mushroom. But whether from the forest, meadow or supermarket: freshly cut mushrooms do not keep for long and should therefore be processed quickly or preserved.
Mushrooms can only be kept in the refrigerator for a few days
Shelf life of fresh mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms can be stored in the fridge for a maximum of four days, and outside the fridge they usually go bad after just one day. In contrast, you can store cleaned and cut mushrooms in the freezer (not the freezer compartment!) at 18 °C for between six and ten months. Dried mushrooms will last even longer provided they are stored properly. Dried mushrooms belong in a dark, cool place and in an airtight container.
Store fresh mushrooms correctly
If you only want to store fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator or outside of it for a short time, it is best to remove the plastic outer packaging from mushrooms from the supermarket. If the mushrooms stay in, they will mold very quickly and then have to be disposed of. The mushrooms should also be cleaned and cut just before processing, as this will keep them fresh for longer. Even adhering soil and substrate residues should not be removed when storing in the refrigerator. Mushrooms are best kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. If there is no space, keep them in an airy, dark and rather cool place.
Preserve fresh mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms can also be preserved for longer by freezing, drying, boiling or canning. The advantage of preservation in this case is not only the longer shelf life, but also the intensification of the aroma - especially dried mushrooms have a particularly strong mushroom aroma. Dried mushrooms must be soaked in cold water for about two hours before preparation. The pickling water added to the dish can provide additional flavor. Frozen mushrooms should not be thawed, but added directly to hot fat or hot liquid.
Can you reheat mushrooms that have already been cooked?
In principle, you can reheat mushrooms that have already been prepared. However, in order to prevent food poisoning, you should observe the following tips:
- Do not leave mushroom dishes or leftovers at room temperature for a long time.
- Instead, cool them down as quickly as possible and store them in the refrigerator.
- Freshly prepared mushroom dishes can be preserved by shock freezing.
- Once reheated, mushrooms must not be refrozen or refrigerated and reheated.
Above all, caution is required if you have added parsley to a mushroom dish: this quickly makes the dish sour and should therefore only be added when it is finally used.
tips
It is particularly practical to cultivate mushrooms yourself. Then you can freshly cut exactly the amount of mushrooms you need right before preparation.