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ajna
Hunter


Registered: 01/02/05
Posts: 410
Loc: Qld, AUS
Last seen: 14 years, 8 months
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mushroom storage question
#4762640 - 10/06/05 05:51 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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until a few months ago i hadn't had the need to store mushrooms for more than a week or so, i just left them in front of the fan until it was time to eat.
this time i dried them like usual (about 5 days in front of the fan) then stuck them in the freezer inside sandwich bags, and the've been there for a few months now.
just got them out to have a look and they aren't crisp like they were when i put them in. they've gone soft, but still dark and wrinkled.
is this likely to have affected the potency, or is this normal? i was under the impression freezing dried shrooms was a sound method for long time storage - i had just imagined they'd be crispy still i guess 
thanks for your help, ajna
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JackTackle
pinningmycologist

Registered: 09/18/05
Posts: 282
Loc: behind you
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Re: mushroom storage question [Re: ajna]
#4763336 - 10/06/05 10:31 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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they will turn to slime when they thaw freezer is not a good choice
glass jars maybe with a desiccant pack in the bottom are said to be best
-------------------- Stay Blue!

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Nashbar
just strange.... on drugs

Registered: 07/16/05
Posts: 3,536
Loc: strawberry field
Last seen: 6 years, 3 months
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Re: mushroom storage question [Re: JackTackle]
#4763459 - 10/06/05 10:58 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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fridge and freezer have a lot of moisture in them. plastic bags are useless.
Desiccant inside one of these is ideal.
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Land_Crab
NeuroticPsychonaut


Registered: 08/29/04
Posts: 2,194
Loc: U.S.
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Re: mushroom storage question [Re: ajna]
#4763816 - 10/06/05 12:12 PM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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I've noticed that dried shrooms are like sponges, they can easily reabsorb moisture from the air. That's probably what happened with yours, even with the little amount of air present in your sandwich bags (Ziplock, I presume..?).
Light, air, heat, and moisture will all degrade potency over time, so I wouldn't expect that fungus to be as spicy as the day you put it in there. Also, putting them in the freezer causes the cell walls to shatter and break apart more easily.
Next time, I'd put them in a ziplock with a desiccant pack in the fridge. Try to suck out as much air as you can before you seal the bag. Then place it in a glass canning jar.
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porcupine
Stranger

Registered: 01/09/05
Posts: 1,289
Loc: MI
Last seen: 11 years, 11 months
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Re: mushroom storage question [Re: Land_Crab]
#4763828 - 10/06/05 12:16 PM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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where can you get dissicant and what kind should you ask for
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rod
Ψ


Registered: 06/29/05
Posts: 3,727
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Re: mushroom storage question [Re: ajna]
#4763832 - 10/06/05 12:17 PM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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on the ones I know I am going to store for a while, after drying, I put a lot in a food sealer bag suck the air out, then I put the bag in a quart glass jar in the freezer. They seem to still be crunchy months later.
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ajna
Hunter


Registered: 01/02/05
Posts: 410
Loc: Qld, AUS
Last seen: 14 years, 8 months
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Re: mushroom storage question [Re: rod]
#4764745 - 10/06/05 03:59 PM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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ok thanks guys, i've got them out and i'll put them in front of the fan for the rest of the day while i source a jar and some desiccant.
hopefully not too much damage done!
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Land_Crab
NeuroticPsychonaut


Registered: 08/29/04
Posts: 2,194
Loc: U.S.
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Re: mushroom storage question [Re: porcupine]
#4765617 - 10/06/05 07:17 PM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
porcupine said: where can you get dissicant and what kind should you ask for
The one people use most often is Calcium Chloride, which comes in the common product Damprid, which can be found in most hardware stores:

You can make little packs with the stuff by cutting open a teabag, pouring the tea leaves out, pouring in some desiccant, and taping it shut. (for example)
I myself just ordered some silica gel packs from Ebay, in addition to a plastic desiccator jar--which is a plastic jar fitted with a pump that you can use to suck the air out and create a vacuum.
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