Mushrooms Should Never Be Stored In A Plastic Bag. Here's Why

Mushrooms are so delicious and versatile, and there's probably a few varieties you haven't even heard of. We've broken down the best ways to cook with mushrooms, but what about the best ways to store them? There's definitely some debate about whether or not you should use plastic to store mushrooms, and Lifehacker did a little investigating around this issue.

Lifehacker talked to Portland-based Farmer Dan, who said that mushrooms "get slimy really fast in a plastic bag even if it's open." He noted that it "depends on the mushroom and the conditions they were picked in" but ultimately concluded it's "better to have them dry out a little in a paper bag than to get slimy in a plastic bag."

Food52 confirms this, and they explain why a paper bag works: "As mushrooms age, they may begin to release water; the paper bag will absorb that moisture, keeping the mushroom's surface slime-free for longer than if they were, say, packed in an airtight container."

However, if you buy mushrooms from the store, Food52 writes that it's best to leave them in their package.

If all this mushroom information seems confusing, don't worry. The main thing to keep in mind is that paper bags are the best for loose mushrooms, and you can keep mushrooms you buy in the store in their original package. Food52 says that if you don't use all the mushrooms at once, you can cover them with plastic wrap; just punch some holes in them. Alternatively, you could put your leftovers in a paper bag.

Here are some other tips and tricks you need to know about mushroom storage. You might often use your fridge drawers for produce, but you should avoid this with mushrooms. According to The Spruce Eats, it's too moist inside the crisper drawers for mushrooms. If you've run out of paper bags, don't worry. Food Network says that you can also wrap mushrooms in paper towels and leave them in an open plastic bag as an alternative.

Have you had mushrooms in the back of the fridge for a long time? Here's how to make sure those mushrooms haven't gone bad yet.