Canned mushrooms are for cooking. They are soft, mild and already cooked, made to disappear into a soup, a sauce or a casserole. Pickled mushrooms are for eating as they are: firm, sharp and savory, straight from the jar onto a cheese board, a salad or a fork. If you have ever opened a can hoping for a mushroom to snack on, a jar of pickled crimini is what you were after: whole caps with garlic and thyme, and a bite that holds.
Below: how canned, jarred, pickled and fresh mushrooms differ, which to buy for which dish, how to cook canned mushrooms so they taste better, easy canned mushroom recipes, how long each keeps once opened, and answers to the questions people ask.
Canned, jarred, pickled or fresh: what's the difference
They all start as fresh mushrooms. What changes is how they are kept, and that changes how they taste and what they are good for.
- Canned mushrooms are cooked during canning, usually button mushrooms in salted water, sold whole, sliced or as stems and pieces. They are soft and mild and keep for years unopened. They are made to be cooked into something.
- Jarred mushrooms from the canned-vegetable shelf are the same idea in glass: cooked mushrooms in water or a butter sauce. Use them the way you would use canned.
- Pickled mushrooms are preserved in a vinegar brine with garlic, herbs and spices. They are firm, tangy and savory, and they are meant to be eaten as they are, cold from the jar.
- Marinated mushrooms sit in oil and vinegar with herbs, antipasto style. They are a different jar again; here is how marinated and pickled mushrooms differ.
- Fresh mushrooms are raw. They brown best in a hot pan and shrink a lot as they cook.
So the question is never which one is better. It is whether you want a mushroom to cook with or a mushroom to eat. For eating, pickled is the one to buy, and Golden Grove makes five:
- Crimini: whole caps with garlic and thyme. The one to try first, and the closest in shape to a can of whole mushrooms, but firm and ready to eat.
- King oyster: thick, meaty coins with truffle oil in the jar. For steak, boards and anything rich.
- Shiitake: the most savory of the five, with tamari in the brine. For ramen, rice bowls and noodles.
- White shimeji: bright, delicate clusters. For salads, toast and soft cheese.
- Black shimeji: savory and tender, in apple cider vinegar. For grain bowls and salads.
Texture is the difference people notice first. Canning leaves mushrooms soft; a good pickled mushroom keeps its bite.
"The mushrooms still have a bite to them and don't have that canned texture at all."
— Julia R., Golden Grove customer
"The shiitake had a really deep savory flavor and the crimini were firm instead of soft like a lot of jarred mushrooms."
— Maya C., Golden Grove customer
Not sure which to start with? A Build Your Variety Pack lets you choose the jars and try several in one order.
Which to buy for which dish
| For | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Soups, stews and casseroles | Canned or fresh | Canned mushrooms are already cooked and soft, so they only need heating through |
| Pasta sauce, gravy and stroganoff | Fresh, or canned in a pinch | Fresh mushrooms brown and deepen a sauce; drain and dry canned ones first |
| Pizza | Canned or fresh before baking, pickled after | Scatter pickled crimini over the pizza when it comes out of the oven |
| Cheese and charcuterie boards | Pickled | Firm, sharp and ready to eat |
| Salads and grain bowls | Pickled, or fresh sliced thin | A splash of the brine works in the dressing |
| Sandwiches and burgers | Pickled | A tangy, savory layer, like a pickle |
| Martinis and Bloody Marys | Pickled | A savory garnish on a pick |
| Ramen and rice bowls | Pickled shiitake | Deeply savory, with tamari in the brine |
For more on the last few, see our lists of ramen toppings and Bloody Mary garnishes, and the charcuterie board shopping list.
How to cook canned mushrooms so they taste better
Canned mushrooms taste flat straight from the can, but five minutes in a pan changes that.
- Drain them well. Rinse them too if you want less of the salty canning liquid.
- Pat them dry. Wet mushrooms steam instead of browning.
- Sauté them hot. Use a wide pan with butter or oil, and don't crowd them. Leave them alone until the edges turn golden.
- Season at the end. Garlic, thyme, black pepper, a splash of soy sauce or a squeeze of lemon.
- Add them late. In soups and sauces, stir them in near the end; they are already cooked and only need to heat through.
Or finish the dish with a few halved pickled crimini, for the sharpness and bite that canned mushrooms don't have.
Easy canned mushroom recipes
Canned mushrooms work anywhere they are cooked into something. A few easy ones:
- Mushroom gravy: brown them in butter, stir in a little flour, then broth, and simmer until thick.
- Stroganoff: add them with the onions, then finish with sour cream.
- Omelets and frittatas: sauté them first so they don't water down the eggs.
- Fried rice: toss them in near the end with soy sauce and scallions.
- Casseroles and pot pies: stir them straight into the filling.
- Pizza: drain and dry them well, then scatter them on before baking.
For anything eaten cold, like salads, boards and sandwiches, reach for pickled mushrooms instead.
Swapping one for another
- Canned for fresh: fine in anything cooked. Canned mushrooms have already shrunk, so use less than the amount of raw mushrooms a recipe calls for, and add them near the end.
- Fresh for canned: slice and brown them first, then add them where the recipe adds the canned ones.
- Pickled for canned: not a straight swap. Pickled mushrooms carry vinegar, so treat them like olives or capers: add them at the end, and taste before adding salt or more acid.
- Pickled for fresh: yes in a salad, a sandwich or on a board; no in a sauce or a stir-fry that needs mushrooms to brown.
How long canned, jarred and pickled mushrooms keep
Plain canned mushrooms are a low-acid food. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service puts unopened low-acid canned goods at 2 to 5 years in the pantry and opened ones at 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. For better quality, it suggests moving leftovers out of the can into a glass or plastic container, and it says not to buy cans that are bulging, rusted, leaking or deeply dented.
For plain jarred mushrooms, follow the label. Our pickled mushroom jars say to store them in a cool, dry place and refrigerate after opening. For how long an opened jar keeps, see how long pickled mushrooms last.
Can you can mushrooms at home?
Yes, with care. Because mushrooms are low in acid, Oregon State University Extension says to use only tested recipes, and its method for plain canned mushrooms uses a pressure canner. Pickling is a separate process with its own tested recipes; our guide to making pickled mushrooms at home walks through it.
Canned mushroom questions
Are canned mushrooms already cooked?
Yes. They are cooked during canning, so in a recipe they only need heating through. Their texture is soft, so most people brown or heat them rather than eat them cold.
Do you need to rinse canned mushrooms?
Always drain them. Rinse them if you want less salt from the canning liquid.
Are jarred mushrooms better than canned?
Plain mushrooms in a jar are much the same as canned, just in glass. Pickled mushrooms in a jar are a different food: firm and tangy, made to eat as they are.
Are canned mushrooms as good as fresh?
For soups, sauces and casseroles, canned work well and save time. For browning, salads or anything where texture matters, fresh mushrooms are better, and for eating straight from the jar, pickled.
Can you eat pickled mushrooms straight from the jar?
Yes, that is what they are for. Drain a few onto a plate, or pick them out with a fork.
How long do canned mushrooms last once opened?
About 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, going by the USDA's guidance for opened low-acid canned goods. Move them into a covered glass or plastic container.
Which pickled mushroom is closest to a classic mushroom?
Crimini: whole caps with garlic and thyme, a familiar mushroom flavor with a sharp, savory finish.
The short version
Buy canned mushrooms to cook with and pickled mushrooms to eat. Canned are soft, mild and already cooked, made for soups, sauces and casseroles; drain, dry and brown them for the best flavor, and use opened ones within 3 to 4 days. Pickled are firm, sharp and ready from the jar, made for boards, salads, sandwiches and drinks. Start with a jar of pickled crimini, and for more ideas see what to do with a jar of pickled mushrooms.