Freezing or Storing Turkey Burgers

[Shel_B]

I'm going to make turkey burgers for dinner later this week. The burgers are made with the addition of finely chopped zucchini and crimini mushrooms. We like to cook with leftovers in mind, so I was wondering how long these puppies might keep in the refrigerator or freezer, and if they can be frozen without losing too much quality. Thanks!

[judiu]

Do you squeeze the zucchini dry in towels before you make the burgers? They have a huge amount of water in them, and might result in an ice crystal problem if used as is.

[Shel_B]

Do you squeeze the zucchini dry in towels before you make the burgers? They have a huge amount of water in them, and might result in an ice crystal problem if used as is.

I've not made this before, so I'm glad you reminded me about the water content of the zucchini. Thanks!

[judiu]

(sorry, edit function does not work for my o.s.) Are you planning to freeze raw mix, raw patties, or cooked patties? I think I'd do the salt, drain and wring process for the zukes no matter what. The moisture in the squash will stew the patties if you pan cook them, though it might be beneficial if you grill them. Just my .02.

[Shel_B]

(sorry, edit function does not work for my o.s.) Are you planning to freeze raw mix, raw patties, or cooked patties? I think I'd do the salt, drain and wring process for the zukes no matter what. The moisture in the squash will stew the patties if you pan cook them, though it might be beneficial if you grill them. Just my .02.

I want to freeze patties, either raw or cooked. I might prefer freezing raw as I'm concerned that recooking, or reheating, the cooked patties may result in an excessivly dry or tough burger. Of course, I could cokk the patties to be very rare, and maybe reheating would give a better result.

I'm going to pan cook the burgers, at least this time.

[TheNoodleIncident]

Of course, I could cokk the patties to be very rare, and maybe reheating would give a better result.

Rare turkey burgers?

Edited September 12, 2012 by TheNoodleIncident (log)

[Paul Bacino]

Can you water bath them to re-heat? I would cook them then reheat as needed. I do microwave on defrost, or water bath them!!

[Shel_B]

Rare turkey burgers?

Not quite ... cook 'em rare first, then freeze 'em, and finally finish cooking them as leftovers.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Shel_B (log)

[rebgold]

I would patty them very thin, flatten them as much as possible and freeze them raw with a piece of plastic wrap in between so they separate easily. They cook very quickly in a really hot pan, why cook them first? They won't taste as good if you do. Another bit of advice if you're interested, I serve turkey burgers at my restaurant, try adding a little cocoa powder to the mix. I use 1/3 cup to 5 lbs of turkey, and onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. It makes them very "meaty". If I was going to try adding zucchini, I would only grate the outside skin, that's the part with the higher concentration of nutrients, and skip the inside with the high water content.

[Shel_B]

I would patty them very thin, flatten them as much as possible and freeze them raw with a piece of plastic wrap in between so they separate easily. They cook very quickly in a really hot pan, why cook them first? They won't taste as good if you do. Another bit of advice if you're interested, I serve turkey burgers at my restaurant, try adding a little cocoa powder to the mix. I use 1/3 cup to 5 lbs of turkey, and onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. It makes them very "meaty". If I was going to try adding zucchini, I would only grate the outside skin, that's the part with the higher concentration of nutrients, and skip the inside with the high water content.

You've brought up some interesting and, for me, unusual ideas, cocoa powder being the most unusual and intriguing. Using only the outside skin is also something that never crossed my mind. I was goingto thinly julliene the zucchini (using Romanesco if I could get it) and then dice the strips, heat them lightly in the skillet along with some finely chopped leeks and the mushrooms cooked with a scosh of garlic. Let that cool and mix it with the seasoned meat and maybe a hit of Worcestershire sauce for the "meaty" flavor. I like using smoked paprika, so I'll try adding a little to the mix. If I have time to grab some cocoa powder, I'll try using some in one or two of tonight's burgers, and compare the result to the ones with the Worcestershire sauce.

Thanks!

Edited September 14, 2012 by Shel_B (log)

[Shel_B]

[...] try adding a little cocoa powder to the mix. I use 1/3 cup to 5 lbs of turkey ...

I'm guessing that would be unsweetened cocoa powder?