Maybe you cooked more than expected, or ate with your eyes before your mouth. Whatever the case is, there are ways to reheat your leftover mushrooms and keep them tasting nearly as good as they did when they were originally cooked. Before reheating them, it’s important to know how long mushrooms last. In the fridge, they’re good for a little over a week, but they can last much longer in the freezer.
Mushrooms are 80-90% water and they retain a lot of their moisture. So, when reheating mushrooms, it’s important to do everything you can to let them hold onto that moisture. Time is of the essence when you are reheating mushrooms.
You may be tempted to throw out your leftover mushrooms in fear of them drying out. But, you can reheat mushrooms in the microwave, oven, a closed saute pan, or a bain marie and still preserve their original freshness.
You may be skeptical of using a microwave to reheat your leftover mushrooms, as microwaves are infamous for sucking the moisture right out of food. And famously, they heat and reheat food very quickly. But there are still ways to sufficiently reheat them in a microwave, and enjoy the end result.
First, make sure your microwave is at the lowest heat setting. After placing the mushrooms in a microwave-safe dish, cover with a damp paper towel. Heat for about one minute, and check the temperature. Continue heating in thirty second intervals if needed.
By heating in small intervals, you can make sure your mushrooms don’t get overcooked. And by using a damp paper towel, the mushrooms will retain much of the liquid needed for them to be enjoyable.
Using an Oven to Reheat Mushrooms
Like the other methods, your main priority here is preventing the mushrooms from drying out. This is still possible with an oven, though it is much more time-consuming. To reheat mushrooms in the oven without basically cooking them a second time:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
As the oven preheats, take your mushrooms out of the fridge and let them sit so they can reach room temperature.
Use aluminum foil to line a baking sheet, and spread the mushrooms across said baking sheet as evenly as possible.
Spray the tops of each mushroom with a little oil or cooking spray. This will help them keep their texture, preventing them from getting too mushy or flimsy.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping the mushrooms halfway through. After ten minutes, check the temperature to ensure that they are hot.
If mushrooms aren’t hot enough, cook for a couple more minutes. Make sure not to overcook, as this will defeat the purpose of the method.
By using foil on the baking sheet, the mushrooms will get warmer faster. This means there’s less of a chance of them getting too dry, and the oil helps them keep the desired texture. Because of the slower process, using an oven to reheat mushrooms is the best way to preserve their flavor.
In French, saute literally translates to bounce or jump because of how quickly you get the food in, cook it, and get it out. Thus, using a closed saute pan to reheat your mushrooms is a swift method. When preserving the flavor and texture of mushrooms while reheating them, time is your best friend. Using a saute pan to reheat mushrooms only takes a couple minutes.
Take mushrooms out of the fridge and let them get to room temperature. This helps to speed up the reheating process.
Heat some oil in your saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, toss in the mushrooms.
Place a lid over the saute pan right away, this helps the mushrooms retain their moisture and cook faster.
Cook for about two minutes, repeatedly moving the pan to prevent the mushrooms from sticking to it.
Serve the mushrooms once hot.
Closing the saute pan is the essence here as it traps the moisture in, letting the mushrooms retain it. It takes very little time to get the mushrooms warm enough to eat.
Reheating Mushrooms Using a Bain-Marie
A bain-marie is essentially a device that sits over almost boiling water. When steam hits the pan, it heats whatever is inside the pan. This is why it’s a good method for reheating mushrooms, they will be heated very gently.
If mushrooms have been in the fridge for five days or less, they’re already safe to eat. There is no bacteria that needs to be killed, reheating mushrooms is solely for the purpose of enjoying them. If you have a bain-marie, it can be the perfect way to reheat your mushrooms:
Preheat the bain-marie to the highest setting. Take your mushrooms out of the fridge and let them get to room temperature.
Once ready, put the mushrooms in the bain-marie. Add a splash of water to create some extra steam and help keep them moist.
Cover with a lid, and leave for ten minutes. Check if they’re hot enough for you to enjoy, and if not, reheat in small intervals.
Using a bain-marie to reheat your mushrooms can guarantee good quality, as it is the most gentle method. However, they may not get super hot. This method will get your mushrooms warm enough to consume, just not burning hot. And it preserves the juiciness of the mushrooms, possibly the best out of any of these methods.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been throwing out your leftover mushrooms, it’s likely because you don’t want to eat them when they’re too soggy or too dry (understandable). Hence, when reheating mushrooms, preserving their moisture and flavor is the top priority. As each of these methods only take a couple methods, they are sure to get your mushrooms back to a point where you took pleasure in consuming them.
