The Single Best Way To Store Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a delightfully earthy addition to a myriad of recipes—pastas, healthy bowls, veggie burgers . . . you name it. Unfortunately, it can take just a couple of days of improper storage to turn mushrooms from plump and perky to wrinkled and slimy. Our best advice for storing mushrooms? Don't! Buy them fresh and make them within a day or two.
But if you won't be using them for a few days, the safest place to store mushrooms is the refrigerator. Mushrooms have a very high water content (80–90 percent!), so they need air to stay firm and fresh—that's why most commercially packaged mushrooms have little holes in the plastic wrapped around the container.
Keep in mind that mushrooms are also quite absorbent, and since they're already so high in water content, you definitely don't want to contribute more moisture. Don't wash them before storing—when you're ready to eat, you can give them a quick rinse, or simply wipe them with a damp paper towel.
Regardless of how you choose to store mushrooms, they're likely only going to stay fresh for one week. Here are three ways to store mushrooms for optimal freshness.
Keep mushrooms in the store-bought package in the fridge
If you've purchased mushrooms in a package, they're good to go! Pop them in the fridge and use them within one week.
If they didn't come in a container, create one
If you've purchased loose mushrooms, place them in a small bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap. Don't use sealable containers because you want to give your mushrooms some air. To that end, poke a few holes in the plastic, then store in the fridge and use within one week.
Another option is to wrap them and keep in a bag
You can also wrap the mushrooms in paper towels and place them in a paper bag or a zip top plastic bag with the top open. Store in the fridge and use within one week.
