How long can cooked mushrooms last in the fridge?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “how long can cooked mushrooms last in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of cooked mushrooms. Moreover, we are going to discuss tips to properly store cooked mushrooms and different ways to spot bad mushrooms.
So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.
How long can cooked mushrooms last in the fridge?
Cooked mushrooms can last for about 7-10 days when stored properly in the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in an air-tight container or plastic zipper bag but it is recommended to devour your cooked mushrooms within 2 days to enjoy their optimum taste and quality.
Thus, the cold temperature of the fridge will decrease the rate of bacterial growth and will subsequently prolong the shelf life of your cooked mushrooms.
The proper way to store your cooked mushrooms in the fridge is to put them in the air-tight container or zip lock bag once you have cooled it thoroughly at room temperature. It is best practice to refrigerate the leftovers of your cooked mushrooms within 2 hours after mushrooms are being cooked.
How long do cooked mushrooms stay at room temperature?
Cooked mushrooms last for about 2 hours when kept out at room temperature.
You should discard the cooked mushrooms that have been left in open for more than 2 hours as bacterial growth takes place at a faster pace between the temperature of 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, therefore there are greater chances of the cooked mushrooms being already contaminated with bacteria when left out for more than 2 hours.
Moreover, if the temperature of the surroundings is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, then the process of spoilage takes place at a faster pace and it is recommended to discard cooked mushrooms that are left out in the open for more than an hour at 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long do cooked mushrooms last in the freezer?
Cooked mushrooms if kept in an air-tight container or air-tight bag in the freezer can last for about 10-12 months provided that it was stored properly but it is recommended to use them within the first 2 months to enjoy their best quality.
So what you gotta do is to add the cooked mushrooms to the plastic freezer bag and eliminate as much air as you can from the bag by gently squeezing it while sealing the bag or you can use a vacuum sealer pump for this purpose. Now label the bag and store it in the freezer
Thus keeping the cooked mushrooms in the freezer will increase their shelf life considerably owing to the cool temperature of the freezer that halts the bacterial growth on cooked mushrooms.
It is worth mentioning that the figures mentioned above are the estimated shelf life of the cooked mushrooms.
How to thaw frozen cooked mushrooms properly?
When it comes to mushrooms then instead of thawing them, you need to cook them directly (while they are still frozen). The reason behind doing so is that when you cook the frozen mushrooms, their outer pores will close quickly due to heat, thereby preventing them from becoming soggy or limp.
So what you can do is directly reheat the frozen mushrooms by placing them in the preheated oven or you can reheat the frozen mushrooms in the pan.
Can I refrigerate the reheated cooked mushrooms?
So once you have reheated the cooked mushrooms, you should never refrigerate them. As when you reheat the cooked mushrooms, their temperature rises more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit and we know that bacteria grows at a faster rate between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. So the bacteria will find their way to your cooked mushrooms and you should never refrigerate the reheated cooked mushrooms.
You can read how to make garlic mushrooms here.
Other FAQs about Mushrooms which you may be interested in.
Can you eat elephant ear mushrooms?
Tips to properly store cooked mushrooms
- You should always store your cooked mushrooms at 40°F or below. Bacterial growth takes place at a faster pace between the temperature of 40°F and 140°F, therefore it is always advised to store your cooked mushrooms at a lower temperature.
- It is a good practice to store cooked mushrooms on one of the shelves of the refrigerator rather than the door as there is a lot of temperature fluctuation at the door of the fridge that can mess up the quality of cooked mushrooms.
- One thing to keep in mind is to let your cooked mushrooms cool thoroughly before putting them in the container or the zip-lock bag. If you put steaming hot cooked mushrooms in these airtight bags or containers, the moisture will build up inside them which can provide suitable conditions for the bacteria to grow.
Different ways to spot bad mushrooms
There are a couple of indications that point out that your mushrooms have gone bad. You should consider the appearance, color, smell, and texture of mushrooms along with the condition of the can in which mushrooms are stored to give a final verdict about whether or not your mushrooms have gone bad.
- If you spot some white fur growing on your fresh mushrooms then it is better to get rid of such mushrooms. Moreover, if you spot some dark spots on your fresh mushrooms or if you notice that the mushroom caps have become wrinkled then it is time to discard such mushrooms.
- If the color of mushrooms has darkened or if there are dark spots on your mushrooms then it is the indication that your mushrooms are past their prime age and they are going to go bad in some time. So it is better to buy for yourself some new mushrooms.
- If you notice that the otherwise plump texture of your mushrooms has turned slimy or mushy then it is an indication that your mushrooms have gone bad and you should discard them.
- Fresh mushrooms generally do not have any noticeable odor so if you smell some strong odor, something putrid and unpleasant while taking a sniff test of your mushrooms then it is an indication that they have gone bad.
- Moreover in the case of canned mushrooms if you notice that the can is heavily dented or has leakage, rust, or is bulging, then it is better to discard it.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “how long can cooked mushrooms last in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of cooked mushrooms. Moreover, we discussed tips to properly store cooked mushrooms and different ways to spot bad mushrooms.
