How to Store Mushrooms

These elegant vegetables are actually the fruit of underground fungi. Try not to store them for long, or you'll lose the delicate flavor.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mushrooms
• Mushrooms

1. 

   If the mushrooms are prepackaged, leave them in the packaging.

2. 

   If the mushrooms are loose, place them in a paper bag and loosely fold the top of the bag over, or place them in a glass container and cover it with a dish towel or moist paper towel. Be sure to allow air circulation.

3. 

   Store the mushrooms in the refrigerator, but not in the crisper.

4. Use the mushrooms within a few days, or within a week if they are packaged and unopened.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid rinsing or cutting mushrooms before storing them.
• Store dried mushrooms in a cool, dark place.
• Avoid using mushrooms that have become slimy.

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on 6/30/2006 A very common misperception is that mushrooms should never be soaked in water for cleaning. Alton Brown on his Food Network TV program disproved this rule by measuring mushrooms water absorption after soaking for 15 minutes. The amount of absorption was negligible. Just swish mushrooms around in a bowl of water for a few seconds to clean.

on 1/26/2006 We always have to wash the morels, as they grow in sand. We split them in half and really wash them clean. Then we put them on newspapers and keep changing them every few hours at first, then anytime the papers get damp. When they are really dry, we put them in plastic bags and into the freezer.

on 11/22/2005 Mushrooms are very absorbent, which is why you should not clean them with water. They sponge up the water and become soggy and lose their ability to take on flavor. The correct way to clean them is to simply brush them off with a medium to soft bristle veggie brush or with a gentle wipe of a clean dry cloth. There's no need to be concerned about pesticides, either. Mushrooms can only grow in extremely controlled organic environments. They are the few veggies that you can trust are free from chemicals.