Have you ever ended up with a bowl of cooked mushrooms lingering in your fridge and wondered whether they are still okay to eat? Many people are wary of fungi and it can be challenging to tell what is and isn’t safe, so you might be tempted to just throw them away without checking. After all, cooked mushrooms won’t come with a printed expiry date.
How long do cooked mushrooms last in the fridge? Generally, cooked mushrooms should last up to ten days in the fridge, although if the mushrooms are quite old when you cook them, they may not keep as well. Make sure you are using fresh mushrooms where possible, and be careful about eating mushrooms that have been stored for a while.
How Long Do Cooked Mushrooms Last in the Fridge?
Cooked mushrooms should keep for at least a week, and probably around ten days if they are kept consistently cold. If you place the mushrooms in the fridge as soon as they have cooled, they should last well, especially if they are stored in a sealed container.
If the cooked mushrooms are exposed to the air, you will probably find that they go bad faster, because they will dry out. The oxygen will break down the surface flesh and make it more vulnerable to bacterial infection. Being kept in an airtight container will slow this process and keep the food free from contaminants for longer.
If you have accidentally left the mushrooms at room temperature for more than two hours, it is best to throw them away. They may look fine, but at temperatures above 40 degrees F, bacteria can form and multiply quickly. Always make sure you store your mushrooms in the fridge to keep them fresh and safe to eat.
How Can You Tell If Cooked Mushrooms Have Gone Bad?
There will usually be visible signs when your mushrooms are no longer edible. For example, mushrooms that are wrinkled or slimy will likely no longer be safe to eat. Similarly, if they smell bad or have dark spots on the flesh, you should throw them away.
It’s harder to tell with cooked mushrooms than with fresh mushrooms, so make sure you check the texture. Mushiness and sliminess are both good indications that the flesh has been compromised by bacteria and is no longer safe to eat. Flecks of mold are a further sign to look out for.
It is possible to have just one or two mushrooms within a bowl that smell bad, but it’s also possible that the whole bowl will have gone bad. If it’s just a few, you can remove them and eat the others, but be cautious about this. If a couple have gone bad, the others will be close to going bad too.
Don’t eat cooked mushrooms that you think are past their best, as they could make you sick.
Do Cooked Mushrooms Last Longer Than Raw Mushrooms?
In general, a cooked mushroom will last about as long as a raw mushroom, as long as both are unsliced. You can usually store raw mushrooms in your fridge for about ten days, and cooked mushrooms will keep for approximately the same amount of time.
Both of these estimates are affected by how fresh the mushrooms are to start with. If you buy mushrooms that are close to their “use by” date, you will probably find that they only last for a few days in the fridge.
Similarly, if you cook mushrooms that are starting to look wrinkly and unappealing, they will not last long in the fridge. Fresh mushrooms should, in both cases, last much better.
Slicing the mushrooms will reduce their shelf-life. In most cases, a sliced mushroom will only last for a week, or less, whether it has been cooked or not. Slicing it increases the amount of oxygen that comes into contact with the mushroom’s surface, and makes it decay more quickly.
Avoid slicing your produce if you want it to last well. If you have already sliced the mushrooms, try to minimize the airflow by keeping them in an airtight container, and aim to use them up more quickly.
Can You Freeze Cooked Mushrooms?
Yes, you can freeze cooked mushrooms and they should remain good to eat for a year or longer. Place them in an airtight container or sealable bag to prevent them from getting freezer burn.
Cooked mushrooms that have been frozen are likely to be mushier once they have been defrosted, so it’s best to use them in stews or other cooked meals. You can defrost them in the fridge overnight, or simply tip the frozen mushrooms into whatever you are cooking, allowing them to defrost and then cook.
You can also freeze raw mushrooms if you prefer, and certain varieties are better when frozen raw. Clean them first, and then place them on a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them like this. You can transfer them to a bag when they are fully frozen, and this should stop them from sticking together in clumps.
Can You Reheat Cooked Mushrooms and Put Them Back in the Fridge?
It is better not to reheat food more than once. If you have taken cooked mushrooms out of the fridge and reheated them, try to use them all up, or only heat a small portion of them. Reheating them more than once may not be very safe.
The more times your warm mushrooms up to the “danger zone” (between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F), the more likely bacteria is to spread throughout them. It is therefore best to minimize the number of times you reheat and cool them.
Although many people do reheat mushrooms multiple times without an issue, be cautious, because this doesn’t follow food safety guidelines.
Final Thoughts
Cooked mushrooms should keep well in the fridge, especially if you place them there promptly after you have cooked them. Don’t leave them at room temperature for longer than it takes for them to cool down, and avoid reheating them unnecessarily. If you aren’t going to use them up within ten days, consider freezing them to avoid waste.
