How Do You Know When Mushrooms Go Bad?

Mushrooms are an iffy food for a lot of people. After all, they're a fungus and no one really wants to think that they're willingly eating fungi. But over the years, people have gotten increasingly interested in eating mushrooms. They're a low calorie food that is great in many vegetarian and ethnic dishes, adding texture without making you put on the pounds. If you're still hesitant about trying mushrooms, it could be because you're afraid of getting sick from them. After all, they are associated with the psychedelic and poisonous properties of some of their types. And you might think that if your mushrooms go bad, you're going to go on a bad trip.

The truth is that bad mushrooms can make you sick. But there's not too much of a risk if you're eating store-bought or farm-fresh mushrooms. And there's even less of a risk if you're eating those mushrooms cooked. Still, you obviously don't want to eat mushrooms that are bad because you don't want to take your chances. So, how do you know when mushrooms go bad?

Here are some obvious and not-so-obvious signs that your mushrooms need to go in the trash:

• They're slimy. The number one rule of thumb that most people follow for definitely throwing out their mushrooms is that they've gotten slimy sitting in the refrigerator. They actually aren't definitively dangerous at this point, but it's good common kitchen practice to toss them.
• Wrinkles. Sometimes your mushrooms don't get slimy but instead dry out and get wrinkles. If they're shriveled up, they're probably bad.
• When mushrooms get darker or get dark spots, they're starting to go bad. The best thing that you can do is to keep an eye on your mushrooms throughout the time they're in the fridge. If you see them getting darker, it's time to use them or lose them.
• You've had them for two weeks. The general consensus among the people that I spoke with is that they think two weeks in the fridge is the shelf life for most mushrooms. Some stick with a week. I kind of eyeball them and use common sense instead of a timeline but if you're around the two week mark, you're probably pushing it.
• There's an odor. Mushrooms shouldn't have a noticeable odor. If you smell your mushrooms, they've gone bad. Of course, if you're sticking your nose right up to them, you'll get a scent, but it should be subtle. If you pick up the bag, open it, and have to turn your head then you've got bad mushrooms.

Being afraid that your mushrooms are going to go bad isn't a good reason not to eat mushrooms. Use some common sense, look out for the obvious signs and enjoy what this fungus can add to your recipes. Store the mushrooms in a way that lets them get some air without drying out - a paper bag inside the refrigerator is one common way. Another is to store them in plastic bags lined with paper towels to capture the moisture, changing the towels regularly if you aren't using the mushrooms right away.