How to store mushrooms

In the fridge: a paper bag is your best friend

Keep fresh mushrooms unwashed in a paper bag on a main fridge shelf. Mushrooms keep breathing after harvest, and trapped moisture makes them soft and slimy fast. That’s why they last best in packaging that lets air through. The Mushroom Council recommends keeping them in their original packaging or in a porous paper bag.

1. Don’t wash them before storing; clean them right before cooking.
2. Put them in a paper bag, or wrap them loosely in kitchen paper and place them in an open container.
3. If they came in a plastic-wrapped tray, poke a few small holes in the film or tuck a sheet of kitchen paper inside.
4. Keep them on a main fridge shelf rather than a very humid crisper drawer.
5. Don’t stack heavy things on top — bruised mushrooms spoil faster.

Why plastic bags are a problem: sweating

In a sealed plastic bag the moisture mushrooms give off has nowhere to go. The bag fogs up and the mushrooms sit in their own condensation, which means a slimy surface, darker colour and a shorter life.

In a paper bag the surface may dry out a little, which is usually fine and recovers once cooked. How long they last still depends on how fresh they were when you bought them: typically about 3–7 days. Delicate types like oyster and lion’s mane sit toward the shorter end of that range.

Signs of spoilage: when in doubt, throw it out

• A sticky or slimy film on the surface
• A sour, sharp or otherwise unpleasant smell
• Dark, wet-looking spots or widespread darkening
• Very soft, weeping or mouldy areas
• If you see any of these, don’t try to cut around the bad bits — spoiled mushrooms should not be eaten, so discard the whole batch.
• If you feel sick after eating mushrooms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea), call your local emergency number or poison control centre — in Türkiye, 112 or 114, the National Poison Information Center (Ulusal Zehir Danışma Merkezi).

Can you freeze mushrooms? Sauté them first

Yes, but cook them first. Raw mushrooms release water and turn rubbery when thawed, so cooking them before freezing gives much better results. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) also recommends steaming or heating mushrooms in fat before freezing.

1. Choose firm mushrooms without spots and clean them; slice or quarter larger ones.
2. Sauté in a little fat until their liquid has cooked off.
3. Let them cool completely (you can chill them in the fridge).
4. Pack in single-use portions in freezer bags or containers, press out the air and label with the date.
5. Use within a few months. Add them straight from frozen to soups, sauces or a hot pan.

Cooked mushroom dishes and dried mushrooms

Don’t leave a cooked mushroom dish sitting on the counter for long; once it’s cooled a bit, move it to the fridge in a covered container. As a general kitchen rule, eat cooked leftovers within about 3–4 days — the sooner the better. Reheat until piping hot all the way through, and only reheat what you’ll eat.

Dried mushrooms need protecting from moisture and insects: once fully cooled, keep them in an airtight jar in a cool, dry, dark place. NCHFP gives storage times for dried foods ranging from a few months up to a year, with vegetables keeping for a shorter time than fruit. If you spot moisture, mould or insects in the jar, throw that batch away.