Content
- White fluff on fresh mushrooms is not a mold
- White fluff is mycelium
- When should you throw away mushrooms?
- Keep fresh mushrooms properly
- Tips
White fluff on mushrooms is not a mold
White fluff on fresh mushrooms is not a mold
No matter if you buy or buy mushrooms, almost every mushroom enthusiast has already been confronted with the rather common phenomenon of the white "mold" of fresh mushrooms. Some people prefer to throw away mushrooms of this kind, because mold fungi are a major health hazard. In fact, it is usually the harmless mushroom mycelium.
White fluff is mycelium
What we commonly refer to as a "mushroom" is basically just the fruiting body of the actually underground mushroom, the mycelium. It is a widely branched network of white threads, which pervades soil or breeding substrate and sometimes makes itself felt on very ripe fruiting bodies. This spores, but from the growth of new mycelium. In this respect, your mushrooms, which are traversed with white threads, are not bad, but only very ripe - which is why a new mushroom mycelium has already formed. If you want, you can use these specimens to grow your own mushrooms or simply wipe the mycelium with a kitchen towel. The mushrooms are still edible.
When should you throw away mushrooms?
However, this is only valid as long as the mushrooms, which are traversed by the mycelium, still look fresh and crisp and give off a pleasantly mushy smell. In no case use (but instead dispose of) you should, however, if you perceive the following characteristics:
In these cases - only one of the mentioned characteristics must apply! - be sure to dispose of the mushrooms, otherwise you risk food poisoning.
Keep fresh mushrooms properly
To keep mushrooms from actually becoming moldy, you should remove them (if you have them) from the packaging (usually plastic boxes) and store in a cool, dry and dark place.The best place for this is the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, by keeping the mushrooms, wrapped in a dry and clean kitchen towel, quite three to four days. However, fresh mushrooms are best processed on the same day because they spoil very quickly due to their high water and protein content.
Tips
The white mycelium fluff is not only typical for mushrooms, but also for oyster mushrooms.