Every now and then I do leave a package of mushrooms in the fridge too long and they become spongy, a state of affairs that has no remedy besides sending them off to the compost heap – or so I though! Standing in a friend’s kitchen last week, sipping wine and chatting while she put the finishing touches to an Asian feast, I was surprised to see her grab a bag of frozen mushrooms from her freezer and add them to her soup. Frankly, I didn’t know mushrooms could be frozen! The taste and texture were still perfect when we ate them, so I just had to know how she did it. Here are her secrets: You can freeze mushrooms, but you have to cook them first. All you do is sauté or steam them until well done, then cool completely and drain of any liquid before popping them in airtight containers and storing in the freezer. Don’t defrost, add them directly to cooking food while still frozen, and voila! Now there’s no excuse for leaving a punnet in the fridge for too long any more!