How to understand that champignons have spoiled (disappeared): how to determine freshness, what spoiled mushrooms look like, photos, is it safe to eat?

4802

Article rating

Any product, incl. and champignons have their own expiration date. Let's find out how to tell if champignons have gone bad. This can happen during storage at home or in the store. Most often, they are given away by their appearance and smell, but there are several other signs.

Signs of spoilage of champignons

How to tell if champignons are gone

Fresh, just picked champignons have an attractive appearance, they are elastic to the touch, and there are no signs of rot or decomposition. However, such mushrooms only need a few hours to notice the first signs of spoilage.

This photo shows spoiled champignons

This happens especially quickly at elevated temperatures and humidity. If the mushrooms are not placed in the refrigerator within the next 6-8 hours, they will begin to spoil very quickly.

What spoiled champignons look like

Signs of spoiled fresh champignons are:

Lack of matte shine, characteristic of freshly collected specimens.
The appearance of black dots on the surface of the cap.
The fruit bodies have become wet and slippery.
The appearance of a foreign odor that differs from the natural almond or anise aroma of champignons.
Blackening of the plates on the reverse side of the cap.

By all these signs you can quickly understand that the champignons are spoiled. If the damage is local in nature, then the harvest can most likely be saved by sorting out the mushrooms, cutting out problem areas and putting them into processing with mandatory boiling. If spoilage has begun en masse, then it is better not to tempt fate and throw the mushrooms in the trash.

Important! The sooner you place the harvested crop in the refrigerator, the longer it will be stored.

Signs of corruption

Champignons spoil very quickly, so you need to check their condition in the refrigerator daily so as not to be poisoned by such a snack.

There are several signs to tell if mushrooms have gone bad:

the champignon began to darken, became brown and slimy;
the round cap bursts or releases juice when pressed;
at the site of the cut of the fruiting body, the flesh changed color from pink to dark.

How to tell if dried champignons have gone bad

Drying is an excellent way to prepare mushrooms for future use. However, violations of conditions and storage periods often lead to their damage. You can identify spoiled champignons by the following signs:

Mold appeared on the slices of dried mushrooms.
The aroma of mushrooms has a distinct smell of rot.
The plates have lost their elasticity and are crumbling.
Parasitic larvae or their signs (passages, holes) have appeared in the mushrooms.

Dried mushrooms need to be inspected from time to time.
If these signs of spoiled champignons are detected in a timely manner, then part of the stock can sometimes be saved. In this case, it is necessary to completely sort out all the mushrooms and, without pity, throw away everything that has even the slightest sign of damage.

Is it possible to eat champignons with darkened plates?

If you are 100% confident in the freshness of the champignons, then if you start to notice dark spots on the caps, then it is advisable not to eat these mushrooms, so as not to spoil your own health. If darkening is observed on the plates, then you can still eat the mushroom, but you should follow all the cooking recommendations. It is imperative that champignons with dark plates be boiled in water for 40 minutes. Therefore, make sure that the heat treatment is maximum. It is also desirable that the mushrooms, in addition to cooking, go through the frying process. Naturally, their taste will not deteriorate, but they will be 100% safe for the human body.

How to tell if pickled or canned champignons have gone bad

Canned champignons are a real delicacy. Many mushroom pickers pickle and salt them themselves, and in this case the likelihood of spoilage is quite high. The following factors may be the reason for this:

Poor quality raw materials or ingredients.
Violation of cooking technology.
Poor pre-processing of raw materials.
Insufficient sterilization of the product or container.
Poor quality closure.
Violation of storage conditions.

Each of these factors, individually or in combination, can lead to damage to the workpiece. Determining whether canned champignons have gone bad is quite simple. Signs of this are:

Lack of clarity of brine or preservative.
Blistering lids on jars.
Fermentation accompanied by the release of gas bubbles.
Strong unpleasant odor from an open container.
Slime or traces of mold on removed pieces of product.

Bombing (blowing of lids) is the first sign of spoilage of canned mushrooms

Important! Having realized that the champignons have spoiled, all mushrooms should be thrown away immediately. They should not be eaten as this can lead to severe poisoning.

How to destroy botulinum toxin in mushrooms

A distinction should be made between botulism caused by eating contaminated but edible mushrooms and mushroom poisoning. Boletuses, milk mushrooms, champignons and other safe varieties can pose a threat. When collected, it is impossible to distinguish them from samples containing toxin by external signs. The only way to reduce the likelihood of infection is the correct technology for preparing forest products. Therefore, it is important to know how to destroy botulism in mushrooms.

Pathogenic bacteria are destroyed under the influence of high temperatures (80–90 degrees) and an acidic environment (PH 4.5). Heat treatment must be carried out for at least half an hour. To destroy bacterial spores, it will take much more time - at least 6-7 hours of cooking at a temperature of 100 degrees.

In the food industry, autoclaving is used to destroy clostridia, their spores and the toxin itself for 10 minutes at a temperature of 120 degrees. In some cases, soaking mushrooms in 1% baking soda is advisable. But none of these methods provides 100% protection against infection.

Is it possible to eat expired champignons?

There are deadlines for any storage method. If after this period no traces of spoilage are detected, then the mushrooms can be eaten. In this case, it is better to heat treat fresh or frozen fruiting bodies. In any case, it is advisable not to exceed the shelf life of champignons in any form, because they are a perishable product. If any signs of spoilage appear on the fruiting bodies, then their use should be abandoned. Canned expired champignons are especially dangerous; they should be inspected carefully and, at the slightest suspicion, thrown into the trash. Don't risk your health.

What happens if you eat spoiled champignons?

Eating mushrooms that have begun to spoil can lead to stomach upset and, in some cases, severe food poisoning. Signs of this are the following symptoms:

Acute spasmodic pain in the stomach.
Nausea, vomiting with traces of bile and mucus.
Diarrhea.
General weakness.
Increased sweating.
Increased body temperature, chills.
Heart rhythm disturbances.

Poisoning from spoiled mushrooms can be fatal

Important! Eating mushrooms with signs of spoilage can lead to a serious and in many cases fatal disease - botulism.

Symptoms of poisoning and first aid

If the product has gone missing and you have eaten a mushroom dish, you need to act as quickly as possible.
Important! Do not forget that eating unsuitable mushrooms can cause serious intoxication of the entire body
.

If the symptoms of poisoning do not go away within 24 hours, you should call an ambulance again.

You can tell that poisoning has occurred by the following symptoms:

nausea or vomiting appeared;
pulse slowed down;
the temperature has increased;
feet and hands became cold;
diarrhea and abdominal pain occurred.

It is necessary to urgently call a doctor, and before his arrival, drink more purified water. It will help remove toxins from the body and restore water balance. You can also take sorbents that will help remove harmful substances faster and minimize the danger. If there is no vomiting and no diarrhea, then it is recommended to do an enema.

If the pain is very severe, you can take a painkiller. Champignons are very tasty and healthy mushrooms. That's why they are so in demand in the grocery market. Champignons are quite unpretentious in growth, but require special attention during storage and processing, otherwise they can cause poisoning and other health problems.

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your opinion!

Write in the comments what questions you have not received an answer to, we will definitely respond!

You can recommend this article to your friends!

Already helped 53 times

How to determine the freshness of champignons

When purchasing champignons in a store or from hand, be sure to pay attention to the following:

The surface of the cap should be smooth and glossy white.
There should be no traces of impacts, rot, dents or other mechanical damage on the surface.
The cover covering the plates must be intact.
The cut on the leg should not be dark.
The mushroom should have a pleasant aroma without the smell of rot.
The surface of the cap should be dry, pleasant to the touch, without mucus.

The photo above will help you understand how you can determine that fresh champignons have gone bad. If the cover covering the back of the cap is damaged, then you should definitely pay attention to the color of the plates. If they are chocolate brown in color, then the mushroom is most likely old. In young specimens the plates have a pinkish tint.

Champignons from the store

Mushrooms are a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances. This product allows you to prevent many diseases, but only if it is prepared according to technology. Mushroom dishes made from champignons are enjoyed by people of all ages, but you still need to take into account that this product is not suitable for everyone, since it contains the following substances:

chitin - this component is practically not excreted from the body and is difficult to digest. This substance is especially difficult to digest for fragile children’s stomachs, so mushroom products should be limited in children’s diets;
acids – champignons contain various acids, so people who have chronic diseases of the digestive organs need to consume such products with great caution;
phosphorus and hydrocyanic acid - such substances are usually found in mushroom pickles. They tend to accumulate in the body and negatively affect the kidneys. And although the dosage of these substances is very small, a weak organ may well respond to them with pain.

If the champignons turn black in the store before reaching the consumer, then the price for them is significantly reduced. Many people use these products to make soups, stir-fries and pizza. You can eat such blackened champignons, but it’s better not to tempt fate; no one can guarantee the high quality of discounted products.

High-quality mushrooms should be white, smooth and without spots on the cap. It is believed that the smaller the size, the better, but there are some culinary recipes that require large mushrooms.

Storage rules

The shelf life of champignons depends on many factors, including the method of preservation. Freshly picked mushrooms should not be kept warm for more than 12 hours. During this time, they must be placed in the refrigerator or processed. After freezing or canning, their shelf life is much longer. Here are some conditions and recommended storage times for these mushrooms:

In a refrigerator. In refrigerator conditions, fresh champignons can not spoil for 3 to 6 days. In this case, you need to use a closed container for storage to prevent moisture loss. Storage temperature should be within +2..+4°С.
Frozen. The freezer allows you to preserve fresh champignons for much longer - from 6 to 9 months. At the same time, they should be in plastic packaging, or better yet, in vacuum packaging. The temperature should be maintained around -18 °C.

Important! After defrosting, this product should be used immediately. Re-freezing is not allowed.

It is better to store frozen champignons in the freezer in a container

Using deep freezing, you can store not only fresh, but also pre-boiled or fried mushrooms. After heat treatment, they are cooled, placed in containers or bags and placed in the freezer. Under the same temperature conditions, fruiting bodies are stored without loss of properties for up to 6 months.

A short video on how to properly freeze and store champignons can be viewed at the link below:

Storage methods:

Drying. Sliced and well-dried fruiting bodies are stored in clean linen bags in a cool, dry place. Under such conditions, mushrooms can be stored for 1-1.5 years.
Pickling. If you follow the canning technology, pickled mushrooms can be stored in a cool place for up to 1 year.

Canned champignons are a real table decoration

Store-bought canned goods made industrially usually have a longer shelf life - up to 2 years.

Store mushrooms correctly

Check if the refrigerator temperature is set correctly

The temperature in the refrigerator should be below four degrees. In this case, the champignons will be sufficiently frozen. You can put the mushrooms on the shelf. It is not necessary to hide them in a separate drawer inside the refrigerator.

If you bought mushrooms in a store, do not remove the packaging from them.

Until you start cooking the champignons, store them in their original packaging. If you bought the products in a store, they are covered with film. Thanks to which the product will not erode.

You can also use cling film. After you take out a few champignons, apply it. To ensure that the product does not spoil.

Champignons can be packed in a container

If you buy champignons in bulk at the store, then when you get home, hide them in a container. It is important to leave some air for the mushrooms. In this case, they will last longer.

Champignons should be kept away from meat (raw), as well as eggs and various types of seafood

These products must be kept away from each other. Also, when preparing food using the above ingredients, use different cutting boards. On one you will make raw meat. And on the second you can cook mushrooms.

Keep in mind that champignons quickly and easily absorb various types of odors. If there is meat or any other similar products next to them, it will end negatively. The mushrooms will smell like other foods. What can ruin the dish?

Do not freeze fresh mushrooms

Doing this is completely prohibited. Before you can freeze mushrooms, you need to cook them. In particular, you can boil them. Or fry. After which the dish must be allowed to cool. Mushrooms can be stored in the freezer for a very long time. Eight to twelve months.

Why are champignons a great product?

Champignons are a great ingredient. You can cook a huge number of delicious dishes with them. They can be added to almost every product. Use when preparing omelettes, meat, pasta and other dishes. Therefore, if you buy champignons, you can create a wide variety of dishes.

Buy mushrooms at the store, do not pick them yourself

We recommend buying champignons exclusively in supermarkets. Or in trusted stores. We recommend that you avoid collecting champignons in the forest. Otherwise, it will have negative consequences. You risk picking up the wrong mushroom. As a result, you will have health problems.

If you buy mushrooms in supermarkets, then this is guaranteed to have a positive effect on you. You will purchase high-quality champignons that will be edible and very healthy.

Density

Good, fresh champignons always have a firm, elastic body. If it is soft, you definitely cannot eat such champignons - this is a sign that the mushrooms are already significantly spoiled.

Nature's wisdom: why newborn polar bear cubs are so tiny

It definitely won’t be cold: the scientist gave a weather forecast for the summer in Russia

A stream of water and a few more ways to avoid tears when chopping onions

However, loss of elasticity is usually not the only sign of spoilage of the mushroom. Most likely, to make sure that it is not fresh, you won’t even have to touch the caps.

The main symptoms of this food poisoning

Since such a disease does not begin immediately after the penetration of these bacteria into the human body, the main symptoms also do not appear immediately. Moreover, they appear suddenly, a few hours after eating - when the contaminated food has already been digested in the gastrointestinal tract.

The main signs and severity of poisoning depend on how many of these harmful bacteria enter the human digestive system. That is, the more a person has eaten mushrooms infected with botulism, the more severe the poisoning of the body will be. If a person discovers similar symptoms of botulism, then it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance.

We must remember that as soon as the symptoms of this food poisoning appear, medical attention is needed for the first 24 hours - it is during these 24 hours that the highest percentage of mortality due to botulism occurs. Botulism is the most dangerous of all types of food poisoning, so the patient must describe all the symptoms that have arisen in his body so that the doctor can make the correct diagnosis. The remains of mushrooms must be taken for laboratory tests.

Botulism does not develop where there is access to fresh air

To summarize

Now you know how to distinguish champignons from toadstools, how to identify spoiled champignons, why champignons turn black, how to freeze champignons and much more. In this article, we tried to answer all the popular questions so that you understand how to identify spoiled champignons and how to prevent mushrooms from spoiling. Be sure to watch the videos along the text of the article to visually reinforce the written material. In addition, in the video the authors tell a lot of useful information that is not indicated in the text. And if you are interested in recipes for dishes with champignons, you can find them in other articles on our website (to do this, click on the icon in the upper left corner). If you still have any questions, write them in the comments below the article. We will definitely answer all your questions as quickly as possible right there under the article in the appropriate comment field. Bon appetit, see you soon!