Help! 2-4 year old mushroom spoilage?

[humanoid24601]

I have mushrooms that range from minimum 2.5 years old to maximum 4 years old. They've been in the freezer, and were cracker dry before freezing. I'm planning to finally take stock of them soon and I'm wondering if there's anything I should look out for that indicates spoilage, other than obvious mold and wetness? I know they'll be less potent and am not worried about that, but I've never taken shrooms stored for this long before and just want to be sure I don't miss anything major.

 

[Phobos]

Once the mushrooms reach freezer temp, no mold or bacteria will be active.
That means that as long as the freezer worked properly for those years, your mushrooms will not be spoiled.

 

[Xorkoth]

I wouldn't even expect them to be any less potent, unless they thawed repeatedly. The freezer will keep them just fine. In fact, even cracker dry in a jar where they stayed cracker dry, and away from heat and light, in a closet, I would expect no degradation.

 

[Ismene2]

I dunno - whenever I've kept mushrooms in the freezer - even dried - something negative happens to them - whether it's freezer burn or some kind of damage. I'd be wary of keeping them in a freezer for years.

 

[G_Chem]

I dunno - whenever I've kept mushrooms in the freezer - even dried - something negative happens to them - whether it's freezer burn or some kind of damage. I'd be wary of keeping them in a freezer for years.

This has been my experience as well. I’ve wondered if slight residual moisture is causing the cells to burst and oxidize upon freezing and thawing. I keep everything in the freezer together so it all comes and goes in anytime I need something.

Have had zero troubles since moving them to the fridge..

-GC

 

[Xorkoth]

I feel like the fridge would be worse, because it's very moist and it's not cold enough to freeze. I have the best luck keeping them in a sealed jar in a closet, in the dark, with dessicant in the jar, making sure they're cracker dry.