How to Freeze Mushrooms


While mushrooms are a superfood, they’re highly perishable. Whether you’re growing mushrooms at home or buying them from a store, knowing how to freeze mushrooms can help reduce your food waste. Freezing mushrooms can keep them fresh for up to a year and preserve their rich nutrients.


Most mushroom fans like to stock up on their favourite mushroom varieties while they’re in season. Learning how to freeze mushrooms can make it easier to incorporate them into recipes and your daily diet.


The secret to freeing mushrooms is to choose mushrooms that sell fresh and don’t have an unpleasant odour or bad spots. We’re sharing our tips and tricks on how to freeze mushrooms at home to keep them fresh for longer.


How to Clean and Prep Mushrooms for Freezing

Start by washing your mushrooms in cold water and trim off the stem ends. If your mushroom is more than an inch wide, it’s best to slice it. Remember that freezing mushrooms causes them to change colour and texture, often becoming softer and darker. If you’re freezing mushrooms for a longer duration, it’s best to steam them than sauté them.


Freezing Mushrooms for Cooking

Freezing mushrooms are a great way to expand their lifespan if you don’t plan on using them within a week. It’s best to freeze your mushrooms as soon as possible. We recommend cooking your mushrooms – either steaming or sautéing – before freezing.


Cooking your mushrooms before freezing helps preserve their flavour and quality. Frozen mushrooms will last for up to a year with sautéing being the best option if you’re planning on using your mushrooms in the immediate future.


Lightly sauté your mushrooms in butter, stopping as soon as they’re fully cooked. Alternatively, you can steam whole mushrooms for five minutes. Sliced mushrooms typically take three minutes to fully steam.


After your cooked mushrooms have cooled, place them inside a vacuum sealed freezer-safe bag. Add the date to the outside of the bag as frozen mushrooms should be eaten within 12 months.


Cooking Mushrooms from Frozen

It’s best to cook your mushrooms directly from frozen, especially for recipes like stir-fries, stews, and pasta bakes. You can incorporate the frozen mushrooms directly into any recipe that will involve heating them. Alternatively, you can place the mushrooms into a fridge to thaw them before cooking. Remove the mushrooms you’ll need from your sealed freezer bag and keep the rest in the freezer.


Freezing is the best way to get the most out of your home-grown mushrooms by making them last longer. Most fresh mushrooms only last a week in the fridge, so freezing is the best alternative.

If you don’t have a freezer or have limited space, dried mushrooms are a great option. Simply soak in water to rehydrate them before incorporating into your mushroom recipes.  


Start Experimenting with Our Home-Grown Mushroom Kits

We’ve taken all the guess work out of growing mushrooms at home. Our ready growing mushroom kits arrive already growing, ensuring a healthy crop, and giving you your first mushrooms in just days.


Follow the instructions above to free your freshly grown mushrooms to use for up to 12 months. Got a question about freezing mushrooms? Contact our team, follow us on Instagram, and explore our blog for more mushroom growing tips and tricks.


Authored by: Merryhill Mushrooms