Fresh mushrooms are a culinary essential. However, fresh mushrooms can be expensive and have a short shelf life. Not only is it wasteful to discard an entire package of slimy mushrooms, but it is also a waste of money. Therefore, in order to determine the optimal method for extending their shelf life, it is necessary to store them properly.
Mushrooms, which contain a lot of water, benefit from being refrigerated to maintain their peak freshness. It’s probably fine to leave them out on the counter for a day or two, but if you want to preserve them for several days or even a week, you should store them in the refrigerator. But, how to store mushrooms in fridge to prolong their shelf life?
The secret to storing mushrooms is to remove them from their container. Then, refrigerate them after wrapping them in paper towels placed in open plastic bags. Even better, you can put them in paper bags.
There are other methods of storing mushrooms in the fridge too. Let’s get to know them!
How to Store Mushrooms in Fridge?
Here are the various methods to store mushrooms in the fridge and prolong their life:
1) Storing in Store-Packing
Storing mushrooms is easy if you buy them already packaged. The moisture the mushrooms exude can be easily dried out by placing the packet in the refrigerator, thanks to the perforations.
Remove any dirt from the mushrooms before using them in a recipe. Plastic wrap with a few holes punched into it can be used to store mushrooms until they are all used up.
2) Storing in Paper Bag
If you purchase loose mushrooms at a grocery shop or farmers’ market, the best approach to preserve their freshness is to store them in a paper bag and then refrigerate them.
As mushrooms mature, they may begin to exude water; the paper bag will absorb this moisture, preserving the surface of the mushrooms slime-free for a longer period of time than if they were, for example, stored in an airtight container.
3) Storing them in a Freezer
If you find yourself with an abundance of mushrooms and you won’t be able to use them up in time, clean them thoroughly before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
When freezing mushrooms, keep in mind that their texture will likely change, so do not fry them into a crunchy pasta topping. Instead, flavor stocks or cut them into vegetarian burgers.
4) Storing in Plastic Bag
A plastic bag is a great way to keep the right amount of moisture in your mushrooms. First, it helps keep the mushrooms’ moisture, which is hard to do in a refrigerator. But the key is to keep the bag partly open so that some of the moisture in the mushrooms can be removed by the cooling process.
How to store sliced mushrooms in fridge?
You can freeze sliced mushrooms if you are unsure how long it will be before you cook them again. The secret is to boil them before freezing them. Rinse them under cold water, pat them dry, then trim or remove their stems.
The mushrooms can be sautéed or steamed. Once the mushrooms have been cooked and cooled, place them on a baking sheet and freeze for about two hours. Then, store them in a hard-sided, freezer-friendly airtight container in the freezer for up to a year.
Mushrooms are prone to freezer burn, so make sure all air is removed from the container before freezing.
How to store fresh mushrooms in the fridge?
Loose and fresh mushrooms bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market are best kept fresh by being placed in a paper bag and then placed in the refrigerator.
The paper bag will soak up any moisture that the mushrooms release as they ripen, keeping the surface of the mushrooms slime-free for far longer than it would be if they were stored, say, in an airtight container.
How to store mushrooms in fridge for long time?
If you are unsure of how long it will be before you cook mushrooms again, you can freeze them. Prior to freezing, they must first be boiled to prolong life. Next, rinse them with cold water, dry them with paper towels, and then trim or remove their stems.
Mushrooms can either be sautéed or steamed. After cooking and cooling the mushrooms, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for about two hours. Store them in a freezer-safe, sealed, hard-sided container for up to one year in the freezer.