How to Store Mushrooms? Key Points at a Glance
Mushrooms, also known as button mushrooms, double-spore mushrooms, white mushrooms or cultivated mushrooms, belong to the family Agaricaceae, genus Agaricus, and are a cultivated edible fungus vegetable. The fruiting body (composed of the cap, gills, ring and stem) is eaten. They are mainly produced in the region south of the Yangtze River. Harvesting begins 30-40 days after spawning, after which they can be harvested continuously and marketed in stages. They are also cultivated in the Yangtze River basin and northern regions, generally with two harvests for market, in autumn and the following spring.
(1) Harvesting requirements
Watering should be stopped before harvest to avoid damaging the mushrooms during picking. The harvest standard should be when the cap has not opened and the gills have not broken. According to use, they can be divided into: for fresh sale, generally harvested when the cap diameter is 2-6 cm; for processing into cans, small mushrooms of 2-3 cm are suitable for harvest. Harvesting too early gives low yield, while too late affects quality and also inhibits the growth of the next batch of mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms are crisp and tender; if mechanically damaged, they brown very easily in the air, lowering quality. Therefore, harvest carefully and gently, and after harvest promptly trim, cut the roots, remove impurities, grade and place into baskets or cardboard boxes with lining material, and do a good job of low-temperature pre-storage.
(2) Storage characteristics and storage and transport methods
Mushrooms are quite sensitive to temperature and humidity; a slightly higher temperature after harvest easily causes the caps to open, so they are not suitable for long-term storage. The suitable temperature for short-term storage is 0°C, with a relative humidity of above 95% being best. They also have a strong tolerance for carbon dioxide (CO2). Under suitable temperature and humidity conditions, reducing the oxygen content in the storage environment while also appropriately increasing the carbon dioxide content helps delay aging and prevent browning, thereby extending the storage period. Mushrooms can be stored for about one week in a 0-2°C cold store. The temperature and humidity conditions for transporting mushrooms are the same as for storage; use insulated vehicles for short- and medium-distance transport. They need to be pre-cooled to 0°C first, and packaged in corrugated cardboard boxes or lidded foam plastic baskets. Avoid squeezing and friction during transport.
(3) Marketing quality standards
The fruiting body is relatively intact, correct in color and pure in taste, fresh and tender; free of impurities, rot and off-odors; graded packaging in plastic bags. Grading standards:
Grade 1 quality standard: intact cap, diameter 2-4 cm, pure white color, thick flesh, springy; no muddy roots, no hollow or white-core mushrooms, no pests, diseases or insect spots, no damage, no off-odors, no thin-skinned mushrooms; stem length not exceeding 1 cm, cut surface smooth.
Grade 2 quality standard: intact cap, diameter 2-4 cm, pure white color, springy; no muddy roots, no off-odors, no insect spots or diseases, no serious hollow, white-core or damage, mildly thin-skinned mushrooms allowed; stem length not exceeding 1 cm, cut surface smooth.
Substandard quality standard: mushroom color pure white, no off-odors, no muddy roots, no pests or diseases; cap diameter not exceeding 6 cm; stem length not exceeding 1 cm, cut surface smooth; various cut-away spots allowed, hollow, white-core, thin-skinned and deformed mushrooms allowed.