Do Magic Mushrooms Go Bad?

Byking_adm on February 28, 2022

Many magic mushroom consumers wonder if it is possible to store mushrooms for a few months or even years?

Magic shrooms are popular all over the world due to their extraordinary properties. For hundreds of years, people have used mushrooms in various ways – for cooking, stress relief, and psychotherapy. There are more than 200 species of mushrooms in the world, many of them contain health-promoting compounds – minerals, vitamins, proteins. Mushrooms are known for their positive effects on humans when used for medicinal purposes – they reduce stress and anxiety, help improve concentration, bring energy and increase creativity. Some say that taking mushrooms improves athletic performance.

The questions that inevitably arise are: How quickly do they spoil? Do magic mushrooms go bad?

The answer is – yes. Like all other types of mushrooms, psilocybin mushrooms also spoil. Usually, fresh mushrooms spoil within 2-3 days. But the right kind of storage can extend the shelf life of mushrooms and their unique compounds. If properly stored in paper bags in the bridge, the fresh mushrooms can be kept up to 7-10 days, while frozen or dried mushrooms can be kept much longer.

In fact, there are several ways to preserve mushrooms so that they do not lose their unique psychoactive properties. The idea is to protect the mushrooms from rotting.

How many days can mushrooms be kept?

As a rule, fresh mushrooms last up to 10 days. How long mushrooms stay fresh depends on several factors: the place where they were harvested, the way they were transported and handled. If all conditions are met, including proper storage, mushrooms stay fresh for up to 14 days.

Why are fresh mushrooms preferable?

The most obvious answer to this question is the taste of the mushrooms. Fresh psilocybin mushrooms taste like regular mushrooms. The pleasure of eating dry mushrooms with a bitter taste and rather rough texture is doubtful. Fresh mushrooms are 90% water, which overpowers the bitter taste. The second reason is that fresh mushrooms ensure the preservation of potency of mushrooms.

So if you plan to use mushrooms in the next 2 weeks, it would be a good idea to keep them fresh. If you start drying mushrooms, they will lose potency. This is because mushrooms oxidize when they are dried. Some experienced consumers say that the effect of mushrooms is stronger than when they are dry. But there is no sure scientific research in this field. So the fact whether fresh mushrooms provide a better visual experience is controversial. It is believed that fresh mushrooms are more popular among users because their taste outweighs the unpleasant taste of dry mushrooms, and this positively changes the outcome of the experience.

Can mushrooms go bad if stored? The most effective storage methods

If you do all things right – your mushrooms won’t spoil if stored. As a matter of fact, properly dried mushrooms can be stored in airtight containers for years. Usually, people tend to store fresh mushrooms in Tupperware or paper bags.

If you choose to store mushrooms in paper bags, roll the bags before storing the mushrooms. This is necessary to protect the mushrooms from the environment. The paper bag will protect the mushrooms from getting wet, as the paper will absorb any extra moisture. If you decide to store the mushrooms in a Tupperware container, it would be a good idea to place a paper towel inside the box to achieve the same effect.

Most veterans who want to keep mushrooms fresh use food vacuum packs. These packages allow mushrooms to remain potent for an extended period of time. Vacuum storage helps avoid the risk of oxidation. Stored in vacuum packs, mushrooms cannot spoil for up to three months.

What happens when I dry mushrooms?  Can shrooms go bad?

There was a case a few years ago. A collection of dried magic mushrooms dating back to 1861 was found in the UK. There was no sign of mold or rust on the mushrooms. They were completely unspoiled and even edible and fully potent. The mystery is explained by the fact that these mushrooms were properly dried and stored.

How to dry the mushrooms?

The easiest way to dry mushrooms is to put them in the sun. However, this method is the longest, because you need to let the mushrooms dry in the air for two or three days. But you would need no extra movements. Place the mushrooms on a clean paper towel, in a place where the mushrooms are well ventilated and receive direct sunlight. The more sun the mushrooms get, the faster they will dry. Be careful to keep the mushrooms out of the rain. In countries with hot climates, the drying process can take less than a day if the mushrooms are exposed to high temperatures from the sun.

Some users tend to dry mushrooms in the oven. Unlike drying mushrooms in the sun, this method does not require much time, no more than six hours. On average, the mushrooms are prepared in two to six hours. It is important not to dry the mushrooms in the oven for too long, otherwise they will lose their effect. The procedure for drying mushrooms in the oven is not complicated.

• Place the mushrooms on a tray lined with oven-proof paper.
• Do not turn on the oven. Place the tray in the cool oven.
• Turn on the oven and set the temperature to no more than 90°C.
• Turn on the fan speed
• Check the condition of the mushrooms occasionally, overdoing it would not be a good idea

There is another way to dry mushrooms – using Epsom salt, a natural desiccant that can remove excess moisture from the mushrooms. This method is the most complicated, as it involves 2 steps: Preparation of the desiccant and application of the desiccant.

Prepare desiccant:

• Put the Epson salt on a tray and put it in the oven heated to 400 degrees.
• Leave it in the oven for 2 hours.
• The prepared salt will turn into a solid cake. When you remove it from the oven, immediately break it into several pieces and place them in an airtight container. It is important that you do it as soon as possible, before the salt cools.

Use the desiccant:

• Place the paper towel over the desiccant at the bottom of the container.
• Take a metal grid and use it to create a platform over the paper towel and desiccant. It is needed to create a shelf for the mushrooms.
• Seal the container airtight and make sure no air gets in or out.
• Let the container sit for a few days, checking on it occasionally.

The idea behind this method is that the desiccant removes moisture from the mushrooms. Since the mushrooms are stored in the airtight container, they cannot oxidize and spoil. After 2 or 3 days, the mushrooms should have the same consistency as crackers – if you try to bend them, they will break. Only in this state they can not decay.

Of course, you can also dry the mushrooms in a dehydrator. They are a good alternative for people who live in countries with rainy weather and a lack of sunny days. There are different types of dehydrators. To dry the mushrooms properly, you need to follow the respective instructions.

Some users advise turning off the heating mechanism of the dehydrator to avoid overheating the mushrooms, but this is debatable. Some users who have turned the heating mechanism up to maximum temperatures have not noticed any loss of mushroom efficacy, and even suggest that if the mushrooms are dried quickly, loss of efficacy due to oxidation is less likely.

How to store dried mushrooms?

After you have dried the mushrooms, by whatever method, you need to store them. In order for you to store the mushrooms for a long time, it is important to put them in an airtight jar. This jar should be kept only in a cool and dark place, and the lid should be closed as tightly as possible.

Do not be surprised if the mushrooms lose size after the drying process. The explanation is simple: since mushrooms are 90% water, they shrink during the drying process. It is known that properly dried mushrooms are only 1/10 of their original size. So before you decide to dry mushrooms, remember the rule that 10 grams of fresh mushrooms becomes 1 gram of dried mushrooms.

How long are shrooms good for eating? Are there any risks in using old mushrooms?

As we have learned, properly dried mushrooms can be stored for quite a long time. And what are the signs that dried or fresh mushrooms are spoiled? If you notice signs of mold – throw the mushroom away immediately. If you notice that the mushroom does not smell like an ordinary mushroom – do not take any chances and discard the mushroom. Other serious signs are: sweetish smell, color change to dark brown or black.

The point of eating mushrooms is to have a pleasant experience. Even if the spoiled mushroom still contained active psilocybin, no one can promise you that your experience will not go wrong.

Use your mushrooms for pleasure

If you follow all the instructions for storing mushrooms, you can enjoy them for another year. Do not put yourself at unnecessary risk and use spoiled mushrooms that are easy to identify.