How to store oyster mushrooms

The short answer: keep them cold and dry, in their punnet, and eat them by the date on the pack.

Keeping them at home

Keep oyster mushrooms in the fridge. Penn State Extension advises always storing mushrooms in the refrigerator, either in their original container or in a paper bag.² Leave them in the punnet until you are ready to cook: Utah State University Extension says to keep mushrooms in their original packaging until you use them, and to clean them only when you are ready to use them.¹

Do not move them into an airtight box or a sealed plastic bag. Mushrooms keep breathing after they are picked, and the University of New Hampshire Extension notes that without enough air flow they spoil faster and turn slimy.³ In a plastic bag, moisture collects on them.² If you open the punnet and do not use them all, a paper bag in the fridge lets the rest breathe.¹

However you keep them, eat them by the date on the pack.

Signs they are past their best

Fresh oyster mushrooms look firm, with caps free of spots and decay.^1,2 As they age they can turn soft and slimy, their stems can darken as they lose moisture, and bruised parts turn brown.³ If they smell off, feel slimy or show mould, throw them away.^1,3

Read on

• About our mushrooms
• How we grade, pack and chill them

Sources

1. “Fruit and Vegetable Guide Series: Mushrooms”. Utah State University Extension. extension.usu.edu. Read on 30 October 2026.
2. “Preparing and Preserving Mushrooms”. Penn State Extension. extension.psu.edu. Read on 30 October 2026.
3. “Boosting the Quality and Safety of Specialty Mushrooms”, fact sheet by Mary Saucier Choate. University of New Hampshire Extension. extension.unh.edu. Read on 30 October 2026.