Whether you’re growing, picking or buying mushrooms, it’s important to know how to preserve them – especially if you aim to acquire them in larger quantities.
Knowing the right way to preserve everything from edible mushrooms to medicinal mushrooms and psilocybe cubensis mushrooms can be a great asset, reducing the need for frequent harvest and ensuring that you’ll always have fresh ingredients for your meals and traditional medicine.
Short Term Storage
Sometimes all you need is 3-5 days’ worth of storage time before you want to use your mushrooms. If that’s the case, the simple key to effective storage is to keep them dry and protected from the elements.
Avoid washing them, keep them in a sealed container or brown paper bag, and place them in the refrigerator. Make sure they’re not in the vicinity of any foods with a strong odor or flavor.
Freezing and Drying Your Mushrooms
Long term storage is a little trickier, and it usually involves either freezing or drying your mushrooms (or both). To dry your mushrooms you can use a conventional oven or a dehydrator. A longer but more natural process would be to leave them out in the sun to dry for up to a week.
Frozen mushrooms can be stored easily and they last longer. The process is simple, as you just have to place your mushrooms in the freezer in a secure container. Some mushrooms can be frozen raw while for others it may be best to sauté them before freezing.
High quality psilocybe cubensis spores from a reputable company may be kept in a refrigerator about 6 months.
Other Methods
Pickling, fermenting and canning mushrooms may also be viable methods of storing them longer. Although these processes will alter the taste and flavor of your mushrooms, they can be effective and still provide you with some tasty ingredients.
Pickling typically involves soaking your mushrooms in vinegar, while fermentation will require a chemical reaction between the sugars contained in the mushrooms and the bacteria added through fermentation.
When it comes to canning, you can consider it for both fermented and pickled mushrooms for later use. The easiest way is through a pressure canner, although by carefully following a reliable canning recipe, you might not have to invest in one.