What Happens If You Leave Burger Patties In The Freezer For Too Long?

Buying frozen burgers patties is a smart move. You can cook them from frozen if you're short on time, so you've always got a delicious meal to make in a pinch. But if you are wondering what happens to them if they stay in the freezer too long — or for that matter, what too long even is — you're not alone. Whether you buy them in the freezer aisle or stock up on ground beef when it's on sale and make your own patties, frozen patties will retain optimal flavor and texture for up to four months if they're in an airtight container. After that, the taste, texture, and appearance will all start to decline. From a health perspective, beef can stay safe to consume virtually indefinitely in the freezer, but it simply won't be as pleasant to eat after those first four months.

It's important to keep food properly stored in the freezer, meaning tightly sealed in an airtight container. If not, you are running the risk of unsightly freezer burn, which will turn the meat dry and leathery — not something you'll particularly enjoy munching on. (And when meat isn't properly sealed, freezer burn can happen far faster than four months.)

Freezer burn happens when moisture inside the meat forms ice crystals, which then move to the meat's surface and sublimate, leading to the previously mentioned decline in quality. If your beef is freezer burned, you'll have to thaw the meat and cook it to know for sure if the taste has been changed. (It's generally still safe to eat either way.)

Aside from storing meat properly in the freezer, you can prevent it from sitting in there too long by dating it before you freeze it. When you need to grab some meat for dinner, make sure you check the dates on everything so you are using up the oldest meat first. It's important to have a freezer system to keep track of your inventory, which can save you time and money. But if you should happen to overlook it or forget about it, all hope is not lost. As we've established, frozen food doesn't exactly go bad, so as long as you are okay with the less-than-ideal taste and texture, you can still turn those frozen patties into grilled burgers.

If freezer burn has already set in, you still have a chance of salvaging the meat. You can remove the most badly affected parts of the patty, but that won't give you much to work with if you want to make burgers. Instead, consider crumbling the patties into bits and repurposing that meat into something that won't exactly advertise the fact that you forgot the meat in the freezer or store it properly.

Casseroles and soups are the ultimate disguises. They allow you to use the meat up so it isn't being wasted and still let you get the protein you want from a meal. But what really makes them saviors of freezer burned meat is the extras that go into the recipes. Creamy cheeses, delicious sauces, herbs and seasonings, and more help mask the flavor lost from the meat and instead help create the symphony of flavors that soups and casseroles are so well known for. Your guests (and your stomach) will be none the wiser.