We were always told by our mothers and grandmothers that mushroom dishes should not be reheated. Is that actually true? Read here to find out if you really shouldn’t reheat mushrooms or if it’s a myth.
Reheat mushrooms, yes or no?
Yes, reheating mushrooms once is safe. The advice comes from a time when hygiene standards in food preparation and storage were not as high as they are today. Thanks to the invention of the refrigerator, reheating mushrooms such as champignons or chanterelles is not a problem today. Why is this so?
Essentially, mushrooms consist of water and protein. This is a highly perishable combination in which the proteins are decomposed by oxygen and bacteria and toxic decomposition products can form. Heat accelerates these undesirable degradation processes, while cold slows the process. Accidentally consuming these toxins can cause diarrhea and nausea.
So how do you treat fungal debris?
If you let the leftovers of the mushroom dish cool down as soon as possible after the meal (for example, in an ice water bath) and immediately deposit them in the refrigerator, they can last well for the next 24 hours. Then you should heat the mushrooms well, to at least 70 degrees. However, you should never let a dish with mushrooms sit around at room temperature for a long time or keep them warm. By the way, this applies to fresh mushrooms as well as canned mushrooms.
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Lütticken, I. / Nutritional advice Rhineland-Palatinate: warming up mushrooms? (Retrieved: 09/2020)
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Online information of the German Society for Nutrition e. V. (2011): peak season for wild mushrooms. DGE gives tips on porcini, chanterelles and Co. press release No. 04/2011 from 04.10.2011. (Retrieved: 09/2020).