Due to their high protein content, mushrooms (like all other mushrooms) have a very limited shelf life and go bad after a short time if left uncooled. This is particularly problematic with packaged supermarket mushrooms, which spoil within a very short time due to the unfavorable plastic packaging - often right in the store. For this reason, you should buy loose goods if possible.
When are mushrooms bad?
Mushrooms are bad if they are spongy, greasy, smell unpleasantly putrid or have noticeable brown or black spots. Mold on mushrooms is usually black and such mushrooms should be discarded to avoid he alth risks.
How to tell if mushrooms are still good
You can recognize fresh mushrooms by these characteristics:
- closed, maximum half-closed head
- Slats are light to medium brown
- Cap and stem feel dry and firm
- Interfaces are bright
- Mushroom is crunchy and smells pleasantly mushroomy-earthy
If the mushrooms look and smell as described, they are still good and can definitely be used. Even smaller pressure points - recognizable by brownish discoloration on the cap and / or stem - are not a problem.
How do you recognize mold on mushrooms?
Sometimes fine, white threads can be seen on otherwise good-looking mushrooms, which in advanced cases literally cover the mushrooms. This is not mold, but rather the fungal mycelium, which now forms a new fungal network. It comes from the spores that even supermarket mushrooms secrete and can be safely eaten or removed by gently rubbing with a paper kitchen towel. Incidentally, such fruiting bodies covered with mycelium can also be used to grow your own mushrooms.
When to throw away mushrooms
Mold on mushrooms is never white, but usually black. Please do not cut out this area and still use the affected mushrooms! Throw away mushrooms infected with mold, otherwise you are gambling with your he alth. You should also throw away and rather not use mushrooms that have one or more of the following characteristics:
- Mushroom feels spongy to greasy
- unpleasant, putrid smell
- distinct brown or even black spots
If the mushrooms still smell good, but have dark lamellae, cut surfaces are dark and the cap and stem have dark spots, they are no longer fresh. However, they can still be used in such a case as long as you remove the stem completely and cook the mushrooms very well. Only the taste will no longer be as aromatic as with fresh mushrooms.
Tip
If you want to be on the safe side and use the freshest mushrooms possible, you can simply grow them yourself. This also works on the balcony, in the garden and even in the cool basement.
