Food will eventually go bad, and while we can extend the life of food through refrigeration and freezing, it will get to the point where it needs to be tossed.
This is where expiration dates come in. They are very useful and give people a vague idea of when food should be eaten, refrigerated, or frozen.
Yes, some foods last longer than others but don’t change the fact that expiration dates are very helpful.
One popular burger topping/side people may wonder about going bad is mushrooms.
In this article, you will learn if mushrooms can go bad, how long they can last, and other information that will help you make an informed decision.
Contents
Can Mushrooms Go Bad, and if So, How Long Do They Last?
Mushrooms can indeed go bad, just like every other food.
Unopened canned and jarred mushrooms are going to last a lot longer than fresh mushrooms you get from the product section of the grocery store.
They last longer because they have perspectives that help them last longer on the shelf, so go by whatever the expiration date says.
Once it’s been opened, you have about a month or so to use them before it needs to be tossed.
Fresh mushrooms and those that have already been cooked are those that don’t last long.
Fresh mushrooms can last about 7 to 10 days before you have to do something with them. Cooked mushrooms last around the same amount of time.
The fresh version is always what ends up going bad first, so make sure you use it in time. Food prices are at an all-time high, so the last thing you want to do is waste them!
What Happens if You Eat Bad Mushrooms?
We might try to avoid it, but sometimes we may end up eating bad food, which can happen with mushrooms.
The biggest problem that can occur after you eat mushrooms that have gone bad are stomach issues. This can include diarrhea, vomiting, upset stomach, or cramping.
You’ll end up with food poisoning or something, which isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it’s unpleasant.
Mushroom poisoning from store-bought mushrooms is very, very unlikely. It just isn’t something that often happens or occurs in people.
However, if you eat picked wild mushrooms, then you could get sick.
Never eat mushrooms you have just randomly picked from outside. If you want to eat mushrooms, they need to be bought from a grocery store or a trusted shop.
Getting some stomach issues is not the worst thing in the world, but it can knock you off your feet for a few days.
This can lead to time off work or school, which a lot of people just aren’t able to deal with.
In the next section, we’ll go into how you can tell if a mushroom is bad. Pay attention to the signs because you don’t want to get sick!
How To Tell if Mushrooms Are Bad
There are ways you can tell if a mushroom is bad. This includes:
- One of the best ways to tell if a mushroom is bad is if it’s slimy or sticky. Normally, the mushroom is firm, so if they feel slimy and look to be shriveled, then toss it.
- Another sign you should watch for is color changes on mushrooms.
- Mushrooms don’t often have a smell, so if they smell, toss them. They usually smell/taste by what you cook them with. This is a huge sign that something is wrong.
- Mold or fuzz growing on the mushrooms is a big sign. It’s one of the most obvious signs!
There are wide varieties of mushrooms, so signs of spoilage are not the same across the board.
The general signs we listed above are ones to look out for, but always consider doing some research for the type of mushroom you have purchased.
This will help you figure out if this is just how they look or if the mushrooms in question have gone bad.
When in doubt, always do your research to make sure what you are consuming is not bad and is still on the fresh end of the spectrum.
How to Safely Store Mushrooms
To make sure your mushrooms don’t go bad, you need to store them properly in the first place! You can do this by:
- If you buy fresh mushrooms, consider wrapping them in paper towels and then putting that in a paper bag. This will keep it fresh as well as stop the mushrooms from absorbing any more moisture. You can even put it in a Ziplock bag.
- For jarred or canned mushrooms, you can leave them in the container and just put them in the fridge.
- Once the mushrooms have cooked, put them in a container. This can be in the fridge or freezer.
- If you decide to put the mushrooms in the freezer, make sure they are cooked first because fresh mushrooms aren’t going to end up in good condition once they have been thawed.
By following all these rules, you will ensure that you are properly storing your mushrooms.
There aren’t many of them to follow, and they are all amazingly simple, so we promise it won’t take long for you to get used to them.
Proper storage is the key to ensuring you don’t have mushrooms go bad before you get a chance to cook and/or eat them.
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all your mushroom lovers out there! Fresh mushrooms don’t last as long as canned or jarred mushrooms, but eventually, even those go bad!
This is why we mentioned what to look out for in spoiled mushrooms, as well as proper storage for them.
Eating bad mushrooms is not something you should do, but we know accidents can happen.
By looking for signs of spoilage and properly storing the mushrooms in the first place, you can avoid eating mushrooms that have gone bad.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start cooking up your mushrooms!
You might also be interested in the following:
- Do Spices Go Bad?
- Do Pickles Go Bad?
- Do Carrots Go Bad?
- Do Potatoes Go Bad?
- Do Sweet Potatoes Go Bad?
- Do Onions Go Bad?
- Do Hot Dogs Go Bad?
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.