Assessment of shelf life
Harvested mushrooms were packed into commercial polypropylene bags (0.03 mm; 26 × 30 cm) and stored at 5 °C under dark. On the 10th day of storage, a trained sensory panel was introduced that evaluated the fruiting body on a daily basis for freshness. Shelf life was classified into 3 groups: A, intact mushrooms (almost as good as newly harvested one); B, intact mushrooms with water and spores (partly wet on the surface of cap and stipe with spore but no browning); and C, marketable and edible mushrooms (partly soaked on cap and stipe but no browning). After brown spots or mycelia or softened texture appeared on fruiting body, it was evaluated as no more salable grade.