The popularity of burgers increases, especially during barbecue season. In addition to the traditional meat version, vegetarian and vegan options are also becoming increasingly popular. But how can you freeze purchased or homemade burger patties? What are the rules for defrosting and the shelf life of the patties? To ensure that everything goes smoothly the next time you make a burger, these and other questions are answered in the following article.
Freezing burger patties
If it is not possible to eat homemade or purchased burger patties straight away, you can freeze them. They will stay fresh and edible in the freezer for up to 3 months, which can help avoid food waste. It is possible to freeze both raw and already cooked burger patties.
To prevent the burger patties from sticking together when frozen, they should be placed individually on a piece of baking paper cut to the right size. Another option is to pre-freeze the patties individually on a small tray before packing them. This allows the patties to be easily stacked and stored in a closed freezer bag or suitable freezer container for the remaining storage time in the freezer at -15°C. Excluding air prevents freezer burn on the patties, which is not only unsightly but can also affect the consistency.
Defrost burger patties
Care should be taken when placing frozen meat burger patties directly in the pan or on the grill. This could cause uneven heat distribution and result in patty remaining raw in some places. Therefore, it is advisable to thaw burger patties in the pan or on the grill slowly at a low temperature. Frozen vegan burger patties can be thawed directly in a pan on a low-medium setting with enough heat-resistant cooking oil.
A recommended method is to defrost slowly in the refrigerator, ideally overnight. For a faster method, the defrosting process can be accelerated using the microwave function. If this function is not available, the microwave should be set to a power between 90 and 180 watts.
It is important to note that once thawed, burger patties should not be refrozen as they have already come into contact with microbial germs that may be able to survive even at sub-zero temperatures.
Shelf life of burger patties in the refrigerator
When using ground beef or pork, it is important to maintain the cold chain and strict kitchen hygiene. Burger patties made from ground meat stay fresh for up to 24 hours in the coldest part of a refrigerator, so it is recommended to eat them on the first day.
Freshly prepared burger patties made from ground meat should be eaten the same day or frozen.
By the way: Burger patties stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. This also applies to vegan burger patties, which can also be stored for up to three months.
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