Yes, you can freeze hamburger buns just like you can freeze ordinary sliced or fresh bread. It hardly takes any time at all and is useful if your household is composed of two people and you only need to use two buns at a time. In this article, we will take a look at how to freeze hamburger buns, how freezing affects them, and how to defrost them. Freezing hamburger buns is a great way to keep your buns staying fresh for longer (see also Can You Freeze Brioche Buns?). However, it is important to remember that freezing will not transform a stale bun into a fresh one. It will still be stale when defrosted.
When Should You Freeze Hamburger Buns?
So, you’ve only used some of your hamburger buns. What will you do with the rest of them? It seems wasteful to just throw them away. The buns will last for a few days after the packet has been opened so you could have another burger night. However, if you don’t want to eat burgers again so soon, it’s a good idea to freeze them for a later date. It is best to do this as soon as you have finished your meal as you don’t want the buns to start going stale. The fresher the buns are, the better the result will be.
When Shouldn’t You Freeze Hamburger Buns?
If you haven’t opened your packet of hamburger buns, look at the sell-by date. If it has gone, then there’s no point in freezing them. Just keep them in your cupboard and use them within the next few days. In fact, hamburger buns (see also Can You Freeze Hot Dog Buns) usually last for longer than the sell-by date. You only have to be worried if an item of food has a use-by date. However, bread in general just gives a sell-by date. If you’re going to use them a couple of days after the sell-by date, you should be fine. If you decide to freeze them on the sell-by date, always check that the buns haven’t gone stale. I
If you have bought them for use in the future, you might as well freeze them. Perhaps there’s a special offer on hamburger buns, so why not buy them now and stock up. It does, of course, rest on the size of your freezer and how much food you already have in it.
The Way to Freeze Hamburger Buns
It’s not difficult to freeze hamburger buns, but if you’ve baked them yourself, make sure that you cool them down first. You don’t want to put warm food into the freezer as it pushes the temperature up. In addition, when you put the buns in a bag, condensation can develop if the buns are warm. This will just lead to soggy buns that won’t be tasty at all.
Once the buns have cooled down to room temperature, it is time to wrap them. The longer you intend on keeping them in the freezer, the more wrapping you will need. If you plan to use the burgers in a couple of weeks time, it is fine to put them in a single plastic bag and lay them down side by side. If you are planning to keep them for longer in the freezer, it is a good idea to wrap them separately and maybe give them an extra sheet of plastic wrap.
Perhaps you put a lot of things in the freezer and can’t always remember when you put them in. If so, why not put labels on the buns saying when they were frozen.
The final step is to put the buns in the freezer. It won’t take them long to freeze.
How to Avoid Freezer Burn
If you intend to freeze your buns for a long time, wrap them well otherwise they may get freezer burn. If you are storing them for just a week or two, it is okay to put them all in one bag, but if you want to keep them for around a month or longer, wrap the buns individually using freezer wrap, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil. This will stop the buns from getting freezer burn. Perhaps you aren’t sure what freezer burn is. Well, it is a condition that is caused by food being damaged by dehydration and oxidation. It is caused by food not being securely wrapped. If the buns aren’t securely wrapped, they will probably end up being a greyish brown color, they will seem leathery, and they will be dried out. It’s not the best way to enjoy a hamburger. If you wrap them singly, you can still put them into a freezer bag together. If they don’t seem as fresh as they were before freezing, don’t worry. You can still use them, particularly if you make nice homemade burgers and add lots of toppings like cheese, onions (see also Freezing Green Onions), salad, tomatoes and a sauce like ketchup or mayonnaise.
What is the Longest That You Can Freeze Hamburger Buns For?
It is best to use your freezer buns within three months of freezing them. However, if you keep them in the freezer for longer than this, nothing bad will happen. Instead, they will lose some of their taste and may dry out. Use the expiry date as the best before date and if they stay in the freezer for longer, it won’t matter. You’re not going to get food poisoning if the buns have been frozen for six months. They just won’t be as tasty.
How Do You Defrost Hamburger Buns?
It’s not difficult to defrost hamburger buns. You have three choices and these are mentioned below.
- On your worktop.: This is by far the best way of defrosting hamburger buns as they will turn out the same as when you froze them. You do, however, need two to four hours to do this so it means planning ahead.
- In the microwave: If you only have a short time in which to defrost your hamburger buns, this is a good option. However, keep an eye on them as it’s easy to dry them out in the microwave.
- In the oven: This is another quick way to defrost hamburger buns, but you will need to preheat the oven first for five to ten minutes.
Now that we have given you the three options for defrosting hamburger buns, we’ll take you through each method thoroughly.
How to Defrost Hamburger Buns on Your Worktop
This is just so simple and takes very little effort on your part. Just take the buns out of the freezer and leave for two to four hours. You can defrost them either wrapped or unwrapped, the choice is yours. However, if there is a lot of frost and ice on the wrapping, it is best to unwrap them otherwise they may become soggy. If there isn’t much frost, leave them wrapped so that they retain some moisture.
If you are in the kitchen while your buns are defrosting, turn them over after about an hour. This will stop the buns from becoming soggy. If you’re not at home while your buns are defrosting, it is a good idea to put them on sheets of paper towels. The paper towels help to absorb moisture and you should end up with nice fresh-tasting buns.
How to Defrost Hamburger Buns in a Microwave
This method is a little more complicated if you don’t want your buns to go dry. What you need to do is to set your microwave to defrost or onto medium power. Either will work. The buns will need to be unwrapped and placed on a plate that is microwave safe. They need to be microwaved for 15 – 20 seconds, then checked, and then microwaved again for 15 – 20 seconds. Keep doing this until the hamburger buns have defrosted. It is a good idea to turn them over every time you check the buns. If they do become dry, there is an easy solution. Spray a paper towel lightly with water, wrap a bun in it, and then microwave for five seconds. You can repeat this process if need be. However, if the buns were already stale when you put them in the freezer, they won’t become fresh.
How to Defrost Hamburger Buns in an Oven
This method generally keeps the buns fresher than using a microwave. You first need to preheat your oven to 350F or 180C. Put the buns on a baking sheet and give them four to five minutes to defrost. If you want them toasted, you can leave them in the oven for a little longer. Hamburgers often taste good in a toasted bun. If the buns do end up too dry, you can just put a bit of water on them and bake them for another minute or two.
What to do with Leftover Hamburger Buns
Perhaps you don’t fancy burgers again, but you still have lots of hamburger buns leftover. Well, don’t despair. There are other options.
Paninis
Paninis are a trendy snack and are easy to make. Quite often they are made with sourdough bread, but hamburger buns will be just as delicious (see also Freezing Bagels).
Choose your fillings first. Perhaps it is cheese, maybe it’s salami (see also How To Freeze Deli Meats), perhaps you want a mixture of fillings. The next and final step is to grill the buns. You could even put them in a toasted sandwich maker if you have one. The result will be tasty.
Bread and Butter Pudding
You don’t need to use sliced bread to make a delicious bread and butter pudding. You can use buns as well. Cut them in half and spread butter on them. Then cut them into smaller pieces and put them in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over sultanas, raisins, or currants. Then whisk up five eggs, four ounces of sugar, and four cups of milk, or cream if you are being particularly indulgent. Pour this over the buns, making sure that it is all covered. Then bake for 45 minutes at 375F.
French Toast
Once again, hamburger buns work as an alternative to sliced bread (see also Freezing And Defrosting Bread). Slice them in half and dip them in a whisked mixture of eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, and spices. Fry them on the hob although if you want to be more health-conscious, put them in the oven. Within a few minutes, a delicious breakfast will be served.
Microwave the Buns
If you are looking for a quick snack and don’t want to wash up too many plates and dishes, slice the buns in half and fill them with ham (see also Can You Freeze Cooked Ham) and cheese. Put them in the microwave for three minutes at medium power. It will only take three minutes until the cheese is melting and you will have a perfect snack.
