Mushrooms, whose consumption and production are increasing rapidly today, have a distinctive taste and nutritional value of their own.

Mushroom cultivation, which is widely used around the world, is very important. Mushroom cultivation is mostly done in the Mediterranean region in our country.

At the same time, there are different types of microdose mushrooms such as white-capped cultivated mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and truffles.

The most important point in mushroom cultivation is to preserve the products under the necessary conditions after the mushroom harvest.

Because mushrooms continue to breathe after harvest. For this reason, mushrooms are preserved in cold air stores, thus preserving their freshness on the first day.

What are the mushroom storage conditions in cold storage?

Mushrooms contain 85-95% water. Mushrooms are affected by water loss, humidity, fresh air and atmospheric pressure after the harvesting process.

The freshness of the mushrooms shortens their lifespan. For this reason, mushrooms should be sold immediately or stored in cold storage. For example, the shelf life of fresh mushrooms is extended when cooled at 1-4 °C.

Mushrooms to be kept in cold storages in warehouses with a relative humidity of 85%, at -1 °C to 0 °C for a maximum of one week, at 0 °C to 1 °C for 4-5 days and at 3 °C, It is stored for 3 days.

In addition, if the temperature drops below -1 °C, discoloration of the mushrooms may occur. At the same time, high temperatures trigger the possibility of deterioration of the mushroom, while lower temperatures trigger the possibility of damage as a result of freezing.

What Processes Do Mushrooms Go Through Before Storage?

Firstly, the crushed, spoiled and diseased parts of the mushrooms to be stored in cold storage are separated and firstly soaked and then washed.

Then, part of the stem of the products to be stored as a whole is cut off and discarded. Water containing approximately 50 ppm of high chlorine is preferred in the water of mushrooms washed in moderate conditions. As a result of all these processes, mushrooms are divided into large and small.

In this separation process, the mushrooms are passed through a rotating cylinder-like sieve made of stainless steel with many holes. Finally, mushrooms are placed in the rooms to be stored and preserved.

Many varieties of mushrooms are white in color. In order to ensure color protection, it is necessary to complete all processes by acting quickly from the moment the cork arrives at the factory.

During the freezing process, care should be taken to ensure that the freezing rate is high.

The core temperature of the mushroom should reach -23 °C, in 3-5 minutes for chopped mushrooms and 20 minutes for whole ones.

In summary, mushrooms need to be stored in a relatively low humidity environment after harvest to prevent water and weight loss.

At the same time, one of the factors affecting decay in fungi is their respiration. To prevent this, a cooling technique is used that affects the entire space temperature before the mushrooms are cooled.

In this way, the shelf life of mushrooms is extended. You can contact us for more detailed information about our article .