How Do You Tell If / When Mushrooms Go Bad?
90
 | Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $19.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $2,999.00 List Price: $17.98 |
 | Amazon Price: $31.17 List Price: $9.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $1.49 |
Mushrooms are an iffy food for a lot of people. After all, they're a fungus and no one really wants to think that they're willingly eating fungi. But over the years, people have gotten increasingly interested in cooking mushrooms and eating mushrooms. They're a low calorie food that is great in many vegetarian and ethnic dishes, adding texture without making you put on the pounds. If you're still hesitant about trying mushrooms, it could be because you're afraid of getting sick from them. After all, they are associated with the psychedelic and poisonous properties of some of their types. And you might think that if your mushrooms go bad, you're going to go on a bad trip.
The truth is that bad mushrooms can make you sick. But there's not too much of a risk if you're eating store-bought or farm-fresh mushrooms. And there's even less of a risk if you're cooking mushrooms before you eat them. Still, you obviously don't want to eat mushrooms that are bad because you don't want to take your chances. So, how do you know when mushrooms go bad?
Here are some obvious and not-so-obvious signs that your mushrooms need to go in the trash:
- They're slimy. The number one rule of thumb that most people follow for definitely throwing out their mushrooms is that they've gotten slimy sitting in the refrigerator. They actually aren't definitively dangerous at this point, but it's good common kitchen practice to toss them.
- Wrinkles. Sometimes your mushrooms don't get slimy but instead dry out and get wrinkles. If they're shriveled up, they're probably bad.
- When mushrooms get darker or get dark spots, they're starting to go bad. The best thing that you can do is to keep an eye on your mushrooms throughout the time they're in the fridge. If you see them getting darker, it's time to use them or lose them.
- You've had them for two weeks. The general consensus among the people that I spoke with is that they think two weeks in the fridge is the shelf life for most mushrooms. Some stick with a week. I kind of eyeball them and use common sense instead of a timeline but if you're around the two week mark, you're probably pushing it.
- There's an odor. Mushrooms shouldn't have a noticeable odor. If you smell your mushrooms, they've gone bad. Of course, if you're sticking your nose right up to them, you'll get a scent, but it should be subtle. If you pick up the bag, open it, and have to turn your head then you've got bad mushrooms.
Being afraid that your mushrooms are going to go bad isn't a good reason not to eat mushrooms. Use some common sense, look out for the obvious signs and enjoy what this fungus can add to your recipes. Store the mushrooms in a way that lets them get some air without drying out - a paper bag inside the refrigerator is one common way. Another is to store them in plastic bags lined with paper towels to capture the moisture, changing the towels regularly if you aren't using the mushrooms right away. Find different ways of cooking mushrooms so that you use them up in your meals before they go bad!
- Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper Recipe
- Mushroom Contadina Recipe: A Vegetarian Alternative
- Protecting mushrooms from moisture is the best way to keep them fresh
- Shroomery - How long will fresh (undried) mushrooms keep in the ...
- Discuss Cooking - Keeping mushrooms fresh?
- The Old Foodie: On Mushrooms.
vote upvote downsharePrintflag
- Useful (24)
- Funny
- Awesome
- Beautiful (2)
- Interesting (2)
CommentsLoading...
I got sick from eating mushrooms once and the doctor told me you really have to watch the mushrooms. Because they are prone to giving you problems if you aren't careful.
But I do love mushrooms.
I saute baby bellas along with sliced potato, oinion and green pepper as an accompaniment to eggs for breakfast once a week. The bellas last up to two weeks, and I slice and use them even when they are all shriveled up. Thus far, the shrivelled ones have the most intense flavor!
I personally usually do a week because I would get weirded out if I ate them after that.
I never leave mushrooms more than two days! Not only because I'm scared they will go off, but because I love them so and eat them all before the two days are over.
I'm eating mushrooms right now that are right on the border according to these posts! They are slimy had a couple of black spots and are about two weeks old. I check back in a couple hours...hopefully.
I sure do hope JJ is alright.
If your mushrooms go blue when you touch them or break them open, then you got the best mushrooms!
I would like to say that instead of flowers JJ asked that you contribute to the website "www.don'teatthemushroomsthatgetslimy.com or forward other contribution to help with his funeral expenses. Rest in peace JJ.
I am 24 weeks pregnant and have just cooked arriabata and added three bought mushrooms. After eating most of them I realised the offensive smell was the mushrooms and stopped.I was given them and have no idea how old they are and i think they are normal shop bought. Do I need to panic?
I went to Applebee's and ate the Weightwatcher points Portobello Mushroom Chicken sandwich. and the sandwich digested but not the mushrooms. A couple hours later I felt like I had a knot in my stomach, this lasted for several hours even after I had eaten again. Until i threw up. Everything that i threw up had digested and puree'd in my stomach exept for the mushrooms that came back up. i felt better until I had to throw up again. I am feeling better now that I think I've got most of them down the toilet.
WHAT HAPPENED?
I learned a great deal about mushrooms here. Really good information and safety practices KV. Voting up!
I could never figure out when mushrooms are bad...thanks for the info. Very useful.
When they are solf. They are too old to eat. Just cook and eat them fresh.
Really good information...thanks for the info. Very useful.
i'm drying wild mushrooms when I came across this site. Found a whole fairy ring of 75 parasol mushrooms. Ate a few last night at a get together everyone survived and wanted more! slimy would be the only way i'd toss them
Well, I'm none the wiser. Most of the mushrooms in the two tubs I bought has gone slighlt brown after storing them for a couple of days, but also has a moisture on them. I chicked out any obviously bad ones and washed the others until the slimey feeling had gone. Gonna cook them for a good long time with butter/spread and at a high temperature so hopefully that will ward off any likely bugs?
Awesome hub! The best part about it is that reading it immediately prevented me from utilizing some mushrooms in a a salad I was making, that had most definitely gone bad. My night ended well with no unwanted trips to the bathroom. Thank you. :)
i like um oh yes i do
I would eat more but I haven't got mushroom! Oh pleaaassee!!
I love my mushrooms, I cooked some buttered mushrooms for dinner tonight, but as I was short on fresh ones I ventured deep into my fridge and going some older ones in a bag. I could not say exactly how old they were but they could have even been a month old. They were in a paper bag most were quite dried up but some were a slight bit slimy but as I was going to cook them well I thought I would be ok. Well the mushrooms are having the last laugh now as I have been glued to the toilet for 12 hours now! Don't eat suspect mushrooms, it's not worth it!
Interesting hub. I'm afraid I have eaten mushrooms that were getting dark spots and a bit on slimy side. I used them in a stir fry and nobody had a tummy ached afterward. I had washed them well and scraped the surfaces. I have to admit they are much more appetizing fresh.
AS to Appleby's, it's a place to watch out for whether you are eating mushrooms or not. I know a few people who have reported feeling sick after eating there, including my husband.
white mushroom will take time 3 day to changes..
Smazette popped out me, a mushroom baby!!!
I froze a box in the freezer,, when I put it n the pan it smelled like dead fish... I went on and made my stir fry.. But thought afterwards, should I throw it away??
I've had some go slightly slimy, but when I washed and dried them, they were like new. However, I only had them for a little over a week. They were fine. Still be careful.
Thank you very much for the information i keep an eye on my mushroom pretty much so i don't get sick
I remember my Mom always used to cook her fresh mushrooms with one whole clove of garlic in the pan, she said that if the mushrooms were bad or poisonous that the garlic clove would turn brown, and if the mushrooms were fine the garlic clove would stay the same color. Old wives tale Im not sure but it worked everytime, we never got sick from mushrooms :-)
For those who doesn't know...oi read various articles abt how mushrooms r good to prevent cancer. I read various articles abt how women who eat mushrooms every other day can prevent from breast cancer. I do...I never get sick....
Just threw out some in a plastic bag I brought three days ago. They smelled like dead fish as the other blogger said. I never made them before. I wanted to try something new. I can't eat something that smell like that.
Very interesting - may have saved me from an upset tummy. Love mushrooms - really missed them on Atkins! That's something I won't be doing again - EVER! :-)
I spent half an hour washing the slime off my mushrooms, cut off all the dark spots but still wasn't convinced - they had almost a licorice smell, so I have just chucked them into the bin, don't want to take chances..!
hot dorkage Level 1 Commenter 3 years ago
A lot of these things happen if you dry your mushrooms. And some wild mushrooms are slimy right from the getgo. I have successfully reconstituted shriveled agaricus bisporus (that's the typical white button you buy in the grocery store.) and of course dried shiitakes are a big item in our cuisine because it's often difficult to get them fresh.