No matter how well you try to plan your summer BBQ, there are always going to be plenty of leftovers that everyone is just slightly too full. With many foods, like salads, you can enjoy them for lunch. But what do you do with all the leftover hamburger buns? How about freezing them?
To freeze hamburger buns, pop them into a freezer bag, seal the bags up and freeze. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Freeze Hamburger Buns
Though they tend to have more sugar than regular bread, hamburger buns are simply a type of bread. As such, you can freeze them like any loaf of bread.
Follow the method below and freeze as many hamburger buns as your freezer can store only using freezer bags:
- Allow To Cool
Not everyone has time to make their hamburger buns from scratch. But if you do, leave your spare buns to cool until they are at least room temperature before preparing them to freeze. - Store In A Freezer Bag
Using airtight freezer bags, separate the hamburger buns into one larger or several smaller freezer bags. - Squeeze The Air Out
Squeeze as much air as possible from the freezer bag before securing it shut. This will make the buns taste fresh when you use them again. - Make Room In Your Freezer
Until the hamburger buns are properly frozen, you need to store them somewhere they won’t get squashed and misshapen. Clear space in your freezer before you shove the buns to freeze. - Label
On each freezer bag you have used, label them with what they contain and a use-by date. Hamburger buns can be frozen for up to 3 months. - Time To Freeze
Once all of your hamburger buns are bagged and sealed, carefully place them at the back of your freezer and leave the buns to freeze for up to 5 hours. - Move Somewhere More Convenient
After 5 hours, check that the hamburger buns have frozen solid. Then you can place them somewhere more convenient in your freezer for long-term storage.
You can microwave frozen hamburger buns to defrost them. So long as you wrap the frozen buns in a slightly damp tea towel, you will not have overly soggy buns.
How to Freeze Hamburger Buns Successfully
Freezing hamburger buns seems easy enough, but there is still room for things to go wrong, especially if you haven’t thought ahead and are only freezing the buns as a last resort.
The last thing you want is soggy, misshapen hamburger buns when you are craving a fluffy, doughy bun. So, keep in mind these tips when you are freezing hamburger buns:
- The Sooner Eaten, The Better – You could wait the entire 3 months to use your frozen hamburger buns. But the longer you wait to eat them, the less fresh and fluffy they will be once defrosted.
- Freeze Store Bought Buns Straight Away – For those who prefer to use store-bought hamburger buns, you can wrap the buns back up in their original packaging and freeze them in that instead of using up all your freezer bags.
- Portion Out Before Freezing – Depending on how many people you will need to feed, you may not want to defrost all the hamburger buns at once. When placing the buns in freezer bags, remember how many hamburger buns you will need at one time and portion them accordingly.
- Don’t Overfill Freezer Bags – It may be tempting to try and squeeze as many hamburger buns into as few freezer bags as possible. While this may save you some room in your freezer, the buns will become misshapen. This will make it challenging to get the buns into the right shape once they are thawed, so avoid squashing them in the first place.
- Double Wrap Buns – Some freezers cause more freezer burn than others. If this is the case for your freezer, you can use a spare plastic shopping bag to wrap around the initial freezer bag holding the hamburger buns. The extra layer will keep the hamburger buns better protected from the cold.
- Individually Wrap Buns – When you only have one or two hamburger buns left to freeze, you can cover them individually in plastic wrap. Just ensure that there is as little air trapped in the wrapping as possible and that no bare part of the bun is exposed to the freezer’s chill.
Do Hamburger Buns Freeze Well?
Hamburger buns do freeze well when they are frozen correctly. Like many other bread products, hamburger buns can be pretty temperamental.
Though the method for freezing them is easy enough to follow, you must follow the steps closely to avoid soggy, unusable buns at your next barbeque.
Freezing Hamburger Buns FAQs
Do you still have questions about freezing hamburger buns. These questions might help you out:
Pre-sliced hamburger buns can be frozen, but you may find that they dry out easier. The open faces of the buns will be exposed to the elements more, which can result in freezer burn.
When kept in a cool, dark cupboard and away from direct sunlight, fresh burger buns will last between 5 and 7 days. If you want to store them for longer, you will need to freeze them.
Acacia may be a freelance writer by day, but they are a food fanatic by night. They are always trying out new recipes or finding different ways to elevate classical dishes. But their biggest culinary aim is to educate others on the basics of the kitchen so that they too can enjoy delicious food.
