Is white mold on oyster mushrooms dangerous?
A white fluff on the oyster mushrooms, which runs through the fruiting bodies with numerous fine threads, is not mold. Instead, it is the actual fungus, the mycelium, which under appropriate conditions grows from the spores of the ripe oyster mushrooms and develops a new fungal network. This mycelium can be eaten without any problems - unlike real mold, it is non-toxic and not harmful in any other way. You can simply wipe off the white threads with a dry cloth or you can simply cook them with - they can no longer be seen in the later dish as they dissolve.
also read
- Fresh oyster mushrooms have a short shelf life
- White fluff on fresh mushrooms is not mold
- Simply grow oyster mushrooms on straw
When should you throw away oyster mushrooms?
However, if the oyster mushrooms are not only streaked with a mycelium, but also generally look poor, you should dispose of them immediately. Fresh mushrooms are crunchy, look healthy and have a pleasant, mushroom-like smell. But if they do instead
- smell severe or unpleasant
- no longer look fresh
- but have many dark spots
- are muddy and have rotten spots
- maybe even covered with a colored or dark fluff,
you should immediately dispose of them with household waste or compost. If so, they are actually spoiled and you would risk food poisoning if you cooked and eaten them. Typical mold on mushrooms is not white, by the way, but mostly black, brown or green - depending on which species it is.
Store oyster mushrooms correctly
So that fresh oyster mushrooms do not go moldy or go bad so quickly, you should either prepare them immediately or store them properly. Oyster mushrooms can be kept cool, dry and dark for up to three days, and they are best stored in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. Since mushrooms have to breathe, you must not wrap them in plastic packaging or Tupperware or wrap them in foil. Instead, they should be wrapped in a clean, dry cloth made of cotton or linen.
Tips
Since mushrooms also take on odors very quickly, fresh oyster mushrooms have no place near intensely smelling types of cheese and sausage. Otherwise, your mushrooms would quickly taste like Roquefort or salami.
