King oyster mushrooms go moldy - what is the white fluff?

How can mold be distinguished from mycelium in king oyster mushrooms?

Mold or mycelium?

Basically, mold and mycelium - the fungal network that usually grows underground - can be easily distinguished from one another. Mycelium is always white and has a fine, cobweb-like structure. It sometimes appears within a few hours on mushrooms that appear fresh and still make a good impression both visually and smell. Mushrooms colonized by mycelium have a pleasant smell and have no putrid spots. Mold, on the other hand, usually has a completely different color and is often black. In addition, moldy mushrooms have an unpleasant smell and no longer look appetizingly fresh. Please dispose of these specimens immediately and do not prepare them again: Otherwise there is a risk of unpleasant mushroom poisoning.

Are the king oyster mushrooms still fresh?

You can tell whether the infected king oyster mushrooms are still fresh or not by these characteristics:

The mushrooms still smell pleasantly mushroom, they don't “stink”.
The mushrooms still look fresh on the outside and have no rotten or greasy spots.
The flesh of the hat and handle is elastic.
The hat and stem are still the same healthy color.
The meat is uniformly colored.

If the criteria are right, you can use the mushrooms without hesitation.

Store king oyster mushrooms correctly

So that the king oyster mushrooms do not actually go moldy or go bad, you must either process them immediately or store them properly. Although these mushrooms can be stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for eight to ten days, you should choose more durable methods such as freezing if the length is expected. If, on the other hand, you only want to store the mushrooms for a day or two, wrap them loosely in a damp cotton or linen cloth - cleaned but not cut. The individual mushrooms should lie airy in the refrigerator and must not be squashed.