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How to Store ImpossibleTM Burger

Impossible™ Burger is becoming the nation’s #1 preferred meat made from plants because it cooks and tastes like ground beef from cows*. You can swap it out for ground beef in any of your favorite recipes, like tacos, lasagna, chili, your grandma’s meatloaf...the list is endless. But what happens after the meat party is over? You’ve put so much love and care into preparing a delicious meal, only to ask the age old question: “How do I store Impossible Burger?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Storing Impossible Burger is easier than saying ‘meaty meat made from plants’ three times quickly. We’re going to show you exactly how to store (and reheat!) Impossible Burger after you’ve eaten your delicious Impossible™ dish. Oh, and if you need inspiration on all the delicious meals you can make with Impossible Burger, check out our recipes page(opens in a new tab). After learning how easy it is to store, we bet you’re going to want to get cooking. And eating. And freezing. And cooking….you get the gist.

HOW SHOULD I STORE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER?

You can store Impossible Burger just like any other meat -- it poses no unique food safety risks. Our products are sold both thawed and frozen; offerings will vary by store. Regardless of which method you choose, cook our products when they're cold to get the best performance.

IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR

If you buy a thawed package from the refrigerated section of your grocery store, it should have a sticker with a “best by" date. For best quality and freshness, we recommend keeping it in your refrigerator in an airtight container and finishing it off before that date. Like any other perishable food, after you’ve opened the package the freshness starts to diminish. After the package has been opened, we recommend finishing it within 3 days, or by the “best by” date on the sticker -- whichever comes first.  

IN YOUR FREEZER

If you purchase a frozen package of Impossible Burger, you may choose to thaw it in the refrigerator prior to cooking. For freshness, we recommend that you finish eating the entire package within 3 days of opening it, or 10 days after it was thawed -- whichever comes first. You should also abide by any "Best By" sticker or "If Frozen Best If Used By" date on the packaging. (This will vary depending on where you bought it and whether it was thawed or frozen on the store’s shelves.)

CAN I FREEZE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER TO SAVE FOR A LATER USE?

Yes! You can freeze Impossible meat to use later. To make sure it stays fresh, we recommend it spend no more than three days total thawed once the package has been opened, and that you finish it off before the "best by" date printed on the back of the packaging.

HOW LONG DOES IMPOSSIBLE BURGER LAST IN THE FRIDGE?

Like any other perishable food, after you’ve opened the package the freshness starts to diminish. After the package has been opened, we recommend finishing it within 3 days, or by the “best by” date on the sticker -- whichever comes first.  

HOW SHOULD I DEFROST / THAW IMPOSSIBLE BURGER PATTIES?

Impossible™ meat defrosts a little slower than conventional beef.  Simply remove as many patties as needed from the freezer, place in the refrigerator for about 24 hours and cook them once they're thawed. Any remaining patties should be stored frozen in the sealed pouch, and the whole package should be consumed prior to the "best by" date printed on the back of the package.

We do not recommend thawing Impossible meat by immersing it in water. 

CAN I COOK IMPOSSIBLE BURGERS FROM FROZEN?

If you purchase a frozen package of Impossible Burger patties, you can cook the patties from frozen or after thawing -- they're great either way! Impossible meat performs best when cooked cold - you get a better sear and can build and enhance all its juicy, meaty flavor.

Check out our cookbook(opens in a new tab) for more tips on how to cook and store Impossible™ meat made from plants.

HOW SHOULD I REHEAT LEFTOVERS?

We think Impossible Burger tastes best when served hot, immediately after being cooked-- digging in is the best part of cooking, after all. That said, you can feel comfortable reheating it the same way you would for any leftovers that contain ground beef. Impossible Burger is made from plants and poses no unique food safety concerns. 

HOW LONG CAN I STORE LEFTOVERS?

Keep in mind that the length of time any leftovers (not just our products) are safe to eat is largely dependent on how they were handled before, during, and after cooking, so we encourage you to use your best judgement based on the way the leftovers look and smell. We recommend storing open packages in airtight containers to reduce oxidation, and you can feel comfortable storing leftovers with Impossible Burger for the same amount of time you would for any leftovers that contain ground beef.

I LEFT IMPOSSIBLE BURGER MEAT OUT OVERNIGHT. IS IT SAFE TO EAT?

For food safety purposes, we recommend that you treat Impossible Burger like any other meat. Impossible Burger is perishable, and should be kept frozen or refrigerated. 

CAN I EAT IMPOSSIBLE BURGER PAST THE EXPIRATION DATE?

Whether you store Impossible Burger in the fridge or freezer, we recommend finishing it off before the expiration date to ensure you get the best experience.

I TOOK THE PACKAGE OUT OF THE FREEZER SEVERAL DAYS AGO. IS IT STILL OKAY TO USE?

For freshness, we recommend that you finish eating the entire package of Impossible meat within 3 days of opening it, or 10 days after it was thawed -- whichever comes first. You should also abide by any "Best By" sticker or "If Frozen Best If Used By" date on the packaging.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE EXPIRATION DATE?

You can find the expiration date on the back of the packaging for any Impossible Burger meat that you purchase in a retail location or on our online store.(opens in a new tab) In addition to the printed expiration date, stores that sell Impossible Burger thawed will add a date sticker indicating when it should be sold or used by, just like packaged animal meat. This is another important indicator of freshness and should guide how long you wait to finish it off.

Got more questions? We’ve got answers!

Check out our FAQs page(opens in a new tab) to learn how to Cook Impossible Burger or reach us on social (Twitter: @impossiblefoods(opens in a new tab), Instagram: @impossible_foods(opens in a new tab)). You can also contact our customer support team(opens in a new tab) if you need more help. We’re here for you wherever you’re at in your journey with Impossible Foods.


Source: *In a home usage study, 70% of 254 US consumers who cooked with Impossible Burger thought the taste was comparable to or better than ground beef from cows and 77% thought it sizzled like ground beef from cows.

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