Five Easy and Effective Ways to Keep Mushrooms Fresh for a long period

Fresh mushrooms are delicious. Mushrooms give richness to almost any dish. But fresh mushrooms usually don’t have a long shelf life. This is true for every type of mushroom including portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and cremini mushrooms and it even depends on how they are prepared.

Fortunately, you can also extend the shelf life of the mushroom by first selecting the freshest mushrooms and then storing them correctly. The easiest way to tell if mushrooms are bad is by the way they look, by feeling them and then smelling them. Here are some of the ways to keep your mushroom fresh for the longest period:

Don’t let them dry out

Fresh mushrooms are known for their high water content. After harvest, they lose their moisture because of evaporation and respiration. If you store them uncovered, the airflow around them will dry them out, they’ll shrink and begin to wrinkle.

Slow down their decaying process

Mature mushrooms produce enzymes that lead to browning and discolouration. And after harvesting, mushrooms of all ages start to decay as their high respiration rate causes loss of moisture. Store mushrooms at lower temperatures as this help to reduce their metabolism and the decaying process.

Freeze them

You can also store mushrooms using the freezing technique. First, wash and cut the mushrooms thoroughly. Now using oil and seasoning, sauté the mushrooms and then cool them. You may keep them in a plastic zip pouch and keep them in the fridge. This increases their shelf life.

Store them in a container

For storing the mushrooms in a container, you should first take a clean washed and wiped plastic container. Place paper towels in it properly. Then keep the mushrooms in it and close it. This will keep the mushrooms fresh for a longer period.

Don’t keep them near strong-smelling foods

To keep mushrooms fresh for a greater duration, you mustn’t keep them near food items that have a strong smell. Mushrooms absorb the smell of food and that reduces their shelf life.

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