Regardless of which kind of mushroom you pick up in the produce aisle, fungi offer a slew of health benefits, including protein, fiber and essential vitamins.
But sometimes you purchase items at the grocery store and don’t get around to eating them in time before they expire. Regular refrigerated mushrooms should be eaten within three to seven days after purchase, for example, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The good news: Mushrooms are actually freezable, so you can save them to have another healthy option on hand at a later date.
“Mushrooms are another lesser known, freezable vegetable, but fresh and frozen mushrooms differ on a few things,” registered dietitian and recipe writer Micah Siva, tells USA TODAY. “Freezing is a great way to reduce food waste, and make eating healthy convenient and accessible.”
Can you freeze mushrooms?
You can freeze mushrooms, but they’ll change slightly in a few ways compared to their fresh counterparts, experts say.
“The biggest difference is texture,” Siva says. Some vitamins (like B vitamins) can decrease during freezing, but for the most part, mushrooms retain much of their nutritional value, adds Shelley Balls, a registered dietitian and nutritionist for Consumer Health Digest.
From a nutritional standpoint, fresh mushrooms are a source of B vitamins, vitamin D, phosphorous, potassium, copper and selenium, according to Harvard Health. When frozen, some water-soluble vitamins, including B vitamins, can decrease — but “for the most part, mushrooms retain much of their nutritional value,” Siva says.
More:Yes, mushrooms are good for you. But don’t eat them every day.
What is the best way to freeze mushrooms?
When you freeze mushrooms, experts don’t recommend you freeze them straight out of the grocery store container.
To prepare, mushrooms should be cleaned with a soft brush or slightly damp paper towel, per the USDA. Balls recommends steaming or sauteing them.
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“Because mushrooms have such a high water content and spongy texture, freezing can greatly impact their texture,” Siva notes. “To reduce the risk of soggy mushrooms, try cooking them before freezing. I love to cook mixed mushrooms with olive oil and garlic, and freeze for easy additions to pasta, bolognese or risotto.”
Those cooked mushrooms can remain in the freezer for up to a month, according to the USDA.
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