Storing cut button mushrooms vs whole button mushrooms

Question

Do cut buttons mushrooms have a tendency to spoil more quickly than whole button mushrooms?

Also, what are signs that a button mushroom has gone bad ?

Just curious about this.

Answer 1

Anything will spoil more quickly if cut than if whole. It's all a matter of surface area.

The bacteria/fungi/mold/whatever can only attack the surface that is open to the air. When you cut the mushrooms, you open more surface up to attack, and hence they will be affected more quickly. This is equally true for dehydration and loss of flavour (by evaporation), which are also linked to surface area.

With regards to spoiled mushrooms, a quick sinff will usually give away any dodgy mushrooms. They tend to stink like nobody's business when they've gone south. If they look right and smell right, they're most probably fine.

Answer 2

In my experience, yes, though you'll probably find dehydration to impact the mushroom quality of sliced mushrooms faster than decomposition sets in, especially if you store in paper packaging. Mushrooms seem to spoil more quickly in plastic (but they're less likely to dehydrate in plastic wrap).

Usually, a sort of fishy smell is a sign that mushrooms of any sort are past their prime. Certainly visible mold can form as well. Mushrooms that merely dry out aren't actually spoiled, however, and they can be used if you add water and cook them.