Burger fans love toppings. In fact, they love toppings so much that they pile them on their burgers and enjoy them each and every day on just about every continent (except maybe Antarctica). And while people do love toppings, they typically love fresh topping more.

But what constitutes “fresh” these days? We’re going to dig into this fresh topic (see what we did there?) so you can get a greater appreciation for truly fresh toppings and what the definition of “fresh” really is.

 Fresh. But When Was It Picked?

When it comes to fresh toppings, most restaurants try to be as transparent as possible. For example, their lettuce, and other toppings, may come from a local grower. Sure, a restaurant could import fresh lettuce and other toppings from elsewhere and save some money, but it’s likely that those toppings would have been picked weeks prior, stored in a chilled environment for an unknown amount of time, shipped in a chilled container or truck, stores again, then brought to each restaurant location for use in menu items.

And that’s not really fresh, if you ask us.

You see, when a restaurant gets their toppings locally, they avoid much of the storage and chilling that would be required if they were to choose suppliers that are father away – or who have different harvesting methods.

quality restaurants try to get toppings that are picked as close to the date you bite into them as possible. That’s what fresh really means, and most restaurants that are worth your time and money know that their customer appreciate their dedication to being fresh.

Fresh = Flavor.

As toppings (we’re talking veggies, here) grow, the develop greater flavor. So it makes sense to leave veggies in the ground as long as possible to develop the greatest amount of flavor. When you pick a vegetable early, its flavor profile can change and it may not develop the same flavor and texture as those that are allowed to grow longer.

This is another reason why good restaurants do their best to minimize the amount of time between picking and serving our toppings. Their suppliers let the veggies grow, pick them at the best possible time, and then ship them to restaurant locations as quickly as possible for customers to enjoy.

Quality Veggie Suppliers Know Fresh.

Our blog readers aren’t the only ones who get an in-depth lesson on what is considered “fresh” when it comes to burger toppings. Restaurant suppliers know their customers’ (the restaurants) standards as well, and they strive to ensure all standards for quality and freshness are met with each and every vegetable they pick for.

When an entire supply chain is on-board for freshness, that’s when a restaurant can be confident that they are serving the right toppings to their customers.

So, that’s the definition of fresh when it comes to toppings and veggies. Like we said, when it comes to toppings, fresh truly does mean fresh. If you don’t believe us, just bit into one of your burgers at your favorite restaurant and taste for yourself. Got some fresh comments for us? Let us know!