Can you eat mushrooms after the best before date?
MUSHROOMS are a staple of a British diet, whether in our breakfast, lunch or dinner.
But should we be worried about eating them after their best before date?
Can you eat mushrooms after the best before date?
According to Chef’s Pick, mushrooms often last longer than their best before date.
However, you should check the fungus before eating to see that they still look OK.
As a rule, if you’re purchasing fresh unpackaged mushrooms they should keep for seven days in the fridge.
If your mushrooms have a change in colour, texture or moisture then you need to throw them away.
If you’re unsure how a bad mushroom feels, it’s often slimy and unpleasant.
It can also turn mushy making it difficult to cut.
What is the best way to reheat mushrooms?
All fresh mushrooms bought from stores can be eaten raw.
Many people prefer them cooked, and it IS safe to reheat them if need be.
There are multiple ways to do this including reheating in the microwave, oven or a saute-pan.
A microwave is the quickest method.
Set up the microwave on the lowest heat setting, then put the mushrooms in a glass dish and cover with a damp paper towel.
Reheat for one minute and then check the mushroom temperature.
If you’d like to make them a bit hotter, put them in for an additional 30 seconds until they’re at your desired temperature.
The safe temperature for reheating food is 75 degrees C.
However, it is also important to store them correctly.
According to Dr Weil, mushrooms should be kept in the fridge in their original packaging or in a porous paper bag.
You should never put mushrooms in plastic as this will only make them spoil quicker.
You can store sauteed mushrooms for a longer period of time but you shouldn’t freeze mushrooms.
This is because when you thaw them they’ll turn to mush.
If you’d prefer to use your oven then you should reheat your oven to 180°C.
Cover a baking tray in foil before placing the mushrooms on it.
Spray the mushroom tops with some cooking spray.
This will keep them firm as they cook.
Heat them for 10 to 15 minutes.
Flip them over about half way through the cooking time at five or seven and a half minutes.
After 10 minutes, check the temperature of the mushrooms.
If you’d like them a bit hotter put them in for an additional five minutes.
To reheat mushrooms with a saute pan add a small amount of oil and set your stove to a medium heat.
If your mushrooms are stored in a fridge, take them out and let them rise to room temperature.
Let the oil heat up and when it’s hot put the mushrooms in the pan.
The mushrooms should heat up in about two minutes.
Shake the pan in order to prevent the mushrooms sticking to it.
Once they’re hot, tuck into them.
How many times can you reheat mushrooms?
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) states you should always reheat food until it is steaming all the way through.
You should only ever reheat your food once.
After the first cook it’s important to store your mushrooms correctly.
If they’re not stored properly mushrooms can cause an upset stomach.