How to Figure Out Whether Your Mushrooms Have Gone Bad

White mushrooms are the most popular cultivated mushrooms in the world. They can be found on store shelves all year round. But, unfortunately, not all of them come to us fresh and most mushrooms start to go bad just a few days after we purchase them.

5-Minute Crafts is going to tell you how to choose fresh mushrooms and how to understand whether the mushrooms that you bought have already gone bad.

Signs that your mushrooms have gone bad

• Dark and uneven color of the mushrooms
  Fresh white mushrooms have a homogenous milky shade. Mushrooms with a brown shade with dents and stains are better off not being bought because they have already started to go bad.
  If for some reason you bought mushrooms with stains or if the dark spots appeared on their caps soon after the purchase, make sure to cook these mushrooms as soon as possible. It’s better to cut off the dark places before cooking the mushrooms.

• Sliminess on the surface of the mushroom
  The surface of good mushrooms is always dry and velvet to the touch. Moisture and sliminess on the surface of the mushroom indicate that it has spoiled. Throw away these mushrooms immediately because they are no longer edible.

• Softness and wateriness of the mushroom
  Lightly press the mushroom’s cap: it should be smooth and tight. If the cap bends under the pressure of your fingers, it means that the mushroom has started to go bad.

• Wrinkles on the cap’s surface.
  The uneven and dried cap of a mushroom is one of the first signs that it has started to spoil. Refrain from buying these mushrooms or cook them ASAP if you have already bought them.
• The film connecting the cap and the stem is broken.
  The caps and the stems of fresh and strong mushrooms cling to each other pretty tightly. They are connected with a whitish film that starts to tear off when the product has started to go bad. If you want to buy the freshest mushrooms, pay attention to the stem.

How to store mushrooms correctly

• Fresh mushrooms can be stored in the fridge for about a week. This applies to whole mushrooms only. If they are already chopped, it’s better to cook them as soon as possible.
• Store mushrooms in a paper bag on the bottom shelf next to other vegetables. Make sure condensation doesn’t accumulate in containers with mushrooms. If you store mushrooms in plastic, ventilate the containers periodically.
• If you want to preserve mushrooms for a long period, use the freezer. For that, wash and dry the mushroom, put them in a container or a bag, and put it into the freezer. This way you can store whole and chopped mushrooms for up to 12 months.