How can I use up old mushrooms?

MushroomsThis is more a recipe request than a recycling thing but it saves them from the compost heap…

Despite our best efforts, we quite often find ourselves left with a couple of mushrooms when they’re starting to get a bit bruised and, well, a bit slimey. And yet we can’t always bring ourselves to just fling them out.

At what point, should they say hello to Captain Compost? And a few minutes before that, any particular recipes or dishes that hide the fact they’re not as fresh as they might be? Or any other suggestions with things to do with them?

(photo by Mela, c/o sxc.hu)


7 Responses to “How can I use up old mushrooms?”


  1. sarar says:

    I find if you peel back the outer layer of skin, it helps them a lot.

    I tend to use past-it mushrooms quite a lot – as long as they don’t feel too rubbery to cut, I think they’re fine. I just make sure I cook them really well in a soup or a curry or something.

    SaraR

  2. john says:

    Use them in a spicy curry. The strong flavours mask any suspiciousness of the mushrooms.

    Do make sure they aren’t fluffy or anything first of course.

  3. Diane says:

    Does anyone know if you can grow more mushrooms by collecting spores from old ones? Or is it more complicated than that?

  4. heather says:

    i make this version of this soup – with my old mushrooms. if i’ve not got any other exciting fresh mushrooms in, i add dried porcini and some other dried mushrooms i get from the chinese supermarket for the mushroom variety. dried mushrooms are your friends.

  5. Lisa says:

    I usually just slice the remaining mushrooms, fry them and add them to gravy. Beautiful!

  6. Shorty says:

    You can put them in everything. Pasta, pizza, any kind of stir-fry, anything.

  7. shirley byers says:

    I like to pan fry them in butter (of course) and when they cool I put small to medium amounts – or whatever amount you might like – into a sandwich bag, roll or seal the bag and put the bags into a freezer bag to freeze. You have mushrooms any time you want for gravy, sauce, pizza or whatever



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