How to Keep Mushrooms Fresh

Storing Mushrooms Properly

Place mushrooms in your refrigerator. Mushrooms are very perishable and they need to be stored in the right conditions. In order to keep them as fresh as possible, they should be stored at between 40–45 °F (4–7 °C). Your refrigerator is typically the best place to keep them this cool. If you happen to have a root cellar, you may be able to store your mushrooms there as well. Make sure that the temperature in your root cellar is appropriate. You may also need to keep the mushrooms in a plastic container so that there is enough humidity to make sure they don't dry out.

Put mushrooms in a paper bag with a damp paper towel. Many people use paper bags to let mushrooms breathe while they are in the fridge. However, this can cause them to dry out and become shriveled. To avoid this, place a slightly-damp paper towel on top of the mushrooms in the paper bag. This will keep the mushrooms from drying out. Every day or two, check the mushrooms and make sure that the paper towel is still damp. If it's not, get it slightly damp once again.

Place mushrooms in a partially-open plastic bag. To keep the moisture content of your mushrooms right, a plastic bag is a great container. It retains the mushroom's moisture effectively, which can be hard in a refrigerator. However, the key is to keep the bag partially open, so that some of the mushrooms' moisture can be removed by the refrigeration process. A zip-lock bag works well for storing mushrooms because the opening can be kept open by simply only zipping part of it closed. It is important to make sure that this plastic bag stays partially open. If it accidentally gets completely closed, the mushrooms can spoil quickly.

Keep mushrooms in their original packaging. If you buy mushrooms in a pre-packaged container, just keep them in that packaging. The packages that mushrooms are sold in are typically designed to allow them to breathe, while simultaneously protecting them from the dehydration caused by refrigeration.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Pick out the best-looking loose mushrooms. If you want to keep mushrooms fresh, buy the best looking mushrooms you can. In order to do this, you should buy loose mushrooms instead of prepackaged ones so that you can pick out the individual mushrooms you want. Buying loose mushrooms also allows you to only buy the exact amount of mushrooms you need at one time. This can minimize the need to store mushrooms in your refrigerator for long periods of time.

Buy whole mushrooms when buying pre-packaged containers. If you are going to buy a package of mushrooms, choose whole mushrooms over sliced ones. Whole mushrooms will typically stay fresh much longer than pre-sliced mushrooms. While pre-sliced mushrooms can be a great time saver if you are going to use them right away, whole mushrooms will last longer if you need to store them for multiple days.

Purchase mushrooms from the grower or forager. In order to get the freshest mushrooms possible, consider buying them from someone who grows them or who collects them in the wild. Buying farm-fresh mushrooms will help guarantee that you are not buying old mushrooms that are about to spoil. Buying directly from a mushroom grower or forager may also mean that you will have access to more types of mushrooms. For instance, wild varieties of mushrooms are not often available at large grocery chains. Mushroom growers and foragers can typically be found selling their goods at farmers markets or at their farms. Do an internet search to find a grower near you.

Do not wash mushrooms before storing them. Even if you buy mushrooms that are dirty, or you pick mushrooms that have some dirt on them, don't wash them. Introducing added moisture will only decrease their longevity. Even when getting ready to use your mushrooms, you do not need to give them a thorough wash. You can either rinse them lightly or scrub them off with a soft brush or paper towel.

Allow mushrooms to breathe. Whatever type of mushrooms you have, they need to breathe. Storing mushrooms in an air-tight container is a recipe for spoiling and rot. Avoid suffocating your mushrooms and they are likely to last up to a week in your refrigerator.