You Should Never Reheat Mushrooms In The Microwave

On days when time and energy are in short supply, there are few more convenient ways to prepare a quick and easy meal than nuking some leftovers in the microwave. From chili, stews, or casseroles to that half-eaten pizza languishing in your fridge, a number of foods lend themselves well to the speedy heating ways of the microwave — as long as they are eaten before they begin to spoil, of course.

Some foods, however, require you to exercise more caution and you must carefully consider how the food has been handled. The safety of reheating mushrooms in the microwave, for instance, largely depends on whether the funghi has been properly stored. If mushrooms aren't refrigerated immediately after cooking and are first stored at room temperature for too long, it can alter their protein structure, activating enzymes and bacteria that can make ingesting reheated ones in the microwave unsafe and an overall unpleasant experience.

A similar bacterial reaction occurs in potatoes, which if improperly stored and not refrigerated right away can grow a bacteria called clostridium botulinum, which, per expert home tips., can cause harm if eaten.

Considering you haven't been cooking your mushrooms wrong, and you have been correctly storing them in an airtight container while keeping them at the right temperature, it can still be safe to microwave them. Reheating and then eating mushrooms that have been left out at room temperature, and have quite possibly sprouted bacteria, could run you the risk of developing a stomach ache or even contracting food poisoning. Just A Cook suggests tossing them if mushrooms have been left out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Because their protein structure can easily break down, mushrooms are a tricky food in general and you would be wise to heed proper storage guidelines. Even when preparing mushrooms for the first time around, it's recommended that you eat them immediately and not let them sit out too long (per MyRecipes).

Clark.com also makes the important distinction that this microwave reheating rule of thumb pertains to fresh mushrooms and does not apply to those that are canned, frozen, or dried. Ultimately, should you decide to reheat mushrooms, the European Food Information Council has issued guidelines advising that you warm them to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit (per Insider).