How to Tell When Mushrooms Go Bad

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

Mushrooms are one of the most important ingredients in cooking. You can see them in pizza, pasta, stews, soups and almost anything. Over the years people have gotten into cooking with mushrooms and eating them as well, who doesn’t? Mushrooms are low in calorie and is great in many dishes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. Not only that, mushroom comes in many forms and varieties which makes them even great. However, there are still people who are hesitant to eat mushrooms, after all, they are eating fungi. There’s also this stigma that if you eat the wrong mushroom or even those that have gone bad, you’re going to experience some hallucination and whatnots. Before you decide about not eating mushrooms, it’s best that you know how to identify one especially when they go bad.

Truth is bad mushrooms cannot make you sick but it’s always best to eat ones that are not spoiled. However, if you want to know how to tell if your mushrooms have here are awesome tips that you can follow.

They began to feel slimy

One rule that you should follow about things that you need to throw out is when they become slimy. This applies the same with mushrooms especially when they have been in the refrigerator for a long time. Once they are slimy, no doubt, throw them out.

Wrinkling

A mushroom that had gone dry and wrinkly must is not fresh. If they shriveled and dried to a pulp then they are definitely not worth eating anymore.

Over two weeks

Mushrooms do have their expiration. When it’s been sitting on your fridge for more than two weeks then it’s no longer viable. Some mushrooms can last for a week but if it goes more than two then it’s not really good any longer.

They already have dark spots

Any mushroom that is growing dark spots is not a good sign. This is when they began to go bad so when you see them go dark and dull, you need to throw them out.

They smell

Mushrooms should not have any bad odor while they are fresh. Sure they may have natural smell but you can definitely tell if they are starting to go bad when the odor is no longer pleasant. A rotting smell is an indication that you need to pack those mushrooms and throw them away.

If you only fear eating mushrooms because of the “myth” that it can make you hallucinate then you are wrong. Of course it pays to using all your senses to check out if the mushroom has indeed gone bad. Use proper precautions of course, make sure to put them in a place where they won’t go bad right away. You can store them in a paper bag inside your fridge but just make sure that they get the air they need so they don’t dry out. Place them in plastic bags lined with paper towel can also help.

So you see, there are always ways to tell if the mushroom has gone bad. It doesn’t really take a genius to figure that out but of course, it pays to be on the lookout too. Mushrooms are great and you shouldn’t miss out on the goodness of it just because of misinformation, don’t you agree?