# Freezing burgers made with eggs



## mattaki1 (May 24, 2009)

Hello all! My question is 'Can beef burgers made with raw eggs be safely frozen and if so, what is the maximum freezer time?' Thank-you for your replies.


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## luc_h (Jun 6, 2007)

Hi Matakki1,
the short answer ... yes and indefinitely (in theory).

Bacteria does not grow at minus 18C so storing meat well sealed in a chest freezer with no defrost cycle set at minus 18C or lower, will keep (almost) indefinitely. The rule of thumb is 6 months.

As for the yes....There is a misconception that raw eggs are unsafe which, at least in Canada, is not true. I think that goes for any developed country.

But the key concept to understand is control your combination of temperature & time:
use fresh meat, Keep eggs and meat cold, mix quickly and form burgers quickly to avoid letting them warm up.
Freeze in one layer on separate cookie sheets (metal ideally) as soon as you finish.

Ideally, do not defrost but cook frozen on the grill.
short time combine with cold temperatures is the way to control bacterial growth hence making food safe.
When cooking, you should cook burgers through and through (no red or pink).

Hope this helps?
Luc H.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Come on Luc, you know about rancid fat in the freezer. That should be included too, at least from a quality perspective. Beef with more saturated fat stays "fresher" better in the freezer than say chicken or pork which have less saturated fats.

Phil


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## luc_h (Jun 6, 2007)

Rancidity is also lessen at low temps. Fat rancidity is more important when meat is in a refrigerator freezer that cycles from defrost to freezing because rancidity occurs when liquid water and air (oxygen) is present with fat. The chemical reaction occurs at the oil/water interface. Oxygen dissolved in the water is the oxidizing chemical. Being a chemical reaction, it is dependant on temperature hence at minus 18C the reaction is very slow and temperature time control is critical to minimize this affect as well.

That being said.... Phatch, I grant you there is a potential for rancidity here but honestly how much eggs can one use to make burgers, not that much. 

As an example of polyunsaturated fat oxidation in food, I freeze fresh supermarket salmon in portions for my family and the rancidity is much more important if I store the bags in my refrigerator freezer 1 week than a month in my chest freezer.

Luc H.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Who puts raw egg in hamburger and what legit pupose does it do? 
Meat Loaf because there are other items and Salisbury steaks ok it helps bind together because meat is litteraly stretched by bread or oatmeal or whatever one adds., but for hamburgers NO way.


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## luc_h (Jun 6, 2007)

I hear you Ed!
Luc H.


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