Storage of mushrooms and mince

[JustFabulous]

We will be having lasagne without mushrooms as they have gone all slimy and yuk. I have put them in the fridge per the label. I have a mushroom bag that I never remember to use. Not sure why myshrooms need to go in the fridge. How can I stop this happening again as I am not shopping every few days for food.

My mince has started to go brown. This is for the lasagne for the kids. Still in date. Is it okay to use?

Both bought from Sainsbury's on Monday.

The mince will be fine. Do you buy mushrooms loose or in a punnet? If the latter, just take the cling film off when you put them in the fridge and they won't sweat. No need for any fancy bags.

Mince - smell it as well, if it doesn't smell sickly sweet then it should be fine. Brown is the normal colour for mince to go after a couple of days - it only stays red when additives such as nitrites are added to it to keep it red. The brown colour is cyanmetmyoglobin - it's fine. But if it smells sickly sweet, then some of the meat protein has started to break down and is producing volatile nitrogens - probably best not to use it then but take it back to Sainsburys and demand a refund.

Mushrooms - are they in plastic or paper packaging? Plastic makes mushrooms sweat - they lose a lot of moisture quite rapidly and if they are in an airtight container then they can go slimy very quickly. They should be either in paper bags, or if you buy pre-packed in plastic, break the clingfilm lid to allow the moisture to escape.

HTH.

Thank you.

I already have the bag.

I thought taking the clingfilm off made them more likely to go yukky.

Well if you take the wrapping off completely they will lose more moisture more quickly, yes. Which is why I just break the clingfilm, rather than removing it.

Without the cling film they will eventually go dry and wrinkly but this takes longer than the sweating.

mince going grey is the first step to going off

you may like to check the temperature with a fridge thermometer.

I always take the cling film off mushrooms and line the plastic box with a piece of kitchen towel to absorb any moisture. They last much longer this way.