What You're Really Getting With Frozen Beef Patties Vs Fresh

"Fresh is best" — you may have heard this phrase in the past. Any old-school grillmaster is going to swear up and down that you can only get the perfect burgers if you start with fresh beef patties that you shape and press yourself. But life's busy, and sometimes you just don't have the time to stop by the local butcher to pick up some fresh patties or ground beef. This is usually when the burger patties in the frozen aisle would start to look really good. So, if you do choose to go against conventional wisdom, what would you gain (or lose) when you pick frozen, store-bought beef burgers over fresh?

Fresh patties are obviously 100% raw beef, and this is what people love most about them. You can season them exactly how you'd like from scratch, plus you also know what goes into your food. The only downside is that you'd be considered lucky if your ground beef lasts more than two days in the fridge.

In stark contrast to fresh patties, frozen patties are awesome due to their sheer longevity. In the freezer, they can easily last for up to four months, so whenever you feel like having a spontaneous cookout, you can just bust the patties out and go to town. However, you're usually stuck with whatever flavor the manufacturer chose, plus, they'd come loaded with salt, seasoning, and preservatives. By far the biggest complaint, though, is that many say they're drier and far less juicy than fresh.

Frozen patties have gotten a bad rap over the years, but it might not have actually been deserved! Some studies suggest frozen patties might actually hold their own against fresh ones.

Cargill (the company behind TNT burger patties, so take this with a grain of salt) had taste testers try both fresh and frozen burgers in a study, and it turns out that most couldn't tell the difference. Now, taste is subjective, so mileage will vary, but these results are intriguing enough that you really should consider putting them to the test yourself.

First, make sure that yours is good in the first place by buying quality patties from reputable burger brands. Then you'll need to thaw it properly — that means avoiding the microwave since it's going to rob the meat of all the moisture, leaving you with a shrunken, leathery block in the end. Instead, just rest the patty in a bowl of cold water for about an hour. While yes, this means you'll have to plan at least an hour ahead, but this far gentler thawing technique will keep the meat from drying out or toughening. Just grill it just like you would fresh patties afterward and give it a few drizzles of these store-bought sauces. Who knows, it might be able to convert you into a believer!