Spoiled mushrooms can also be detected by observing that they have dried or that they have wrinkled considerably since purchasing them.
If you can smell them when you open the refrigerator door, avoid eating them. It should be subtle and not something you can smell at a distance. Mushrooms should release an earthy smell, a natural and fresh scent. They will be unfit to eat not only because they won't taste very nice. If you perceive that they smell sour, similar to the smell of ammonia, this means that the mushrooms are rotten. You also shouldn't just cut around the spots as you can't be sure they will not still cause harm.Īnother way to know if mushrooms have gone bad is their smell. These spots will get worse and worse as they spoil more and more. If you see the mushroom has some areas with darker spots, it means that the mushrooms are starting to spoil.
If you want to know how to tell if mushrooms are still good to eat, the first thing is to observe the fungi in search of stains. You may also be interested in: How to Preserve Mushrooms How to tell if mushrooms are still good to eat To contact David Fischer, send an e-mail to…Īll content at is Copyright © 2006, 2007 by David W. I'll add more as time and photographic opportunities (plus I have a bunch of 35mm slides yet to scan to add to my pages) permit. These are just a few of the many mushrooms with distinctive odors. Most Stinkhorn mushrooms such as the Stinky Squid (Pseudocolus fusiformis) have a strong unpleasant odor similar to rotting flesh. The tree parasite commonly called the Northern Tooth Mushroom (Climacodon septentrionale) often has an odd and unpleasant odor reminiscent of bad ham. fallax) also boast a very nice fruity-fragrant aroma. The Black Trumpet (Craterellus cornucopioides and C. The delicious Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) has a fruity fragrance somewhat similar to that of apricots. The Orange Mock Oyster (Phyllotopsis nidulans) has an unpleasant odor that's often compared to rotten cabbage. Nolanea conica smells a lot like chlorine bleach. rugosoreticulatum has an odor that's distinctly similar to green corn. Marasmius scorodonius is one of a number of different species of small, gilled mushrooms with an odor of garlic.Ĭystoderma amianthinum var. The Citron Amanita (Amanita citrina) also has the raw potato odor. Crushing a little bit of the mushroom's cap helps bring out its odor.Īmanita brunnescens, often called the Cleft-footed Amanita, usually has an odor of raw potatoes (it is often necessary to sniff a crushed sample). Keep in mind that while many mushrooms' odors are very strong, in some cases it's more subtle. Some mushrooms have very unusual odors, and here we take a look at some examples. Identifying mushrooms requires paying close attention to detail, and one of the most interesting characters used is odor. In other words, it is possible that I have mislabelled a mushroom here! I am always grateful for corrections (contact me at ).ĭO NOT use these photos as a tool for safe identification of edible wild mushrooms-use resources that are designed for that purpose:Īmerica's Best, Safest Edible Wild Mushrooms This resource is posted without warranty as to absolute taxonomic determination. Enoki and oyster mushrooms belong to the shimeji family, and should have a delicate 'good fish' smell of fresh seafood, rather than the 'bad fish' smell of a fish that's been sitting on a riverbank in the sun for a few days. However, shimeji mushrooms can have a faint fishiness.