Bacon is a part of pork with a good portion of lean meat and fat. You probably have eaten it with eggs or in hamburgers, but the real question today is how to keep bacon longer.
Being a meat product, you must preserve the bacon cold, especially when it is raw. If you store it in the fridge, you will keep the raw bacon for seven days, but if you freeze it, it can last a month.
To learn more about how to keep bacon, keep reading.
How to Keep Bacon Raw in the Fridge
You can purchase bacon in sealed packaging, so you will only have to place the packaging in the coldest place in your fridge until the expiration date is indicated.
Once opened, or in case you have bought the bacon in a butcher shop wrapped in plastic film or wax paper, you will have to do what I indicate below:
- Step 1: Put the bacon in an airtight container.
You can place the bacon inside an airtight bag (if it is wrapped in plastic film or wax paper, better). Or you can put it in an airtight container, you would only have to line it internally with waxed or aluminum foil.
- Step 2: Enter the storage date of the bacon.
Stick a label with the storage date or write it directly on a piece of tape or the container itself.
- Step 3: Store the raw bacon in the fridge.
Finally, put the container with the bacon in an area that remains cold constantly since sudden temperature changes could make it rancid very quickly due to the high amount of fat.
This way, the raw bacon can be refrigerated for about seven days. [1]
How to freeze raw bacon
Can raw bacon be frozen? It isa safer storage option, especially when you do not buy bacon that comes sealed.
If the bacon is still in its sealed packaging, you can wrap it with plastic or aluminum foil to avoid freeze burns.
You may keep unopened bacon packaging until the expiration date indicates.
But if you bought bacon in a butcher shop or uncovered the packaging, you will have to freeze it as follows:
- Step 1: Divide and wrap the bacon.
It is extremely uncomfortable to separate the frozen bacon, so divide the bacon into “individual portions” to avoid this. For example, you can stack several strips of bacon and then wrap them with film, aluminum, or wax wrap.
- Step 2: Put the bacon in an airtight bag or container.
Now put the portions of bacon wrapped inside a bag or container resistant to the freezer that is also airtight. This way, you will protect it from the burns that frostbite can generate.
- Step 3: Write down the storage date.
Put the date on a label and then stick it on the selected container, or you can write it directly on the container or on the area where you have put adhesive tape, or you can write the date on a piece of paper and tape it.
- Step 4: Store the bacon in the freezer.
If you follow all my instructions, the bacon will remain frozen for a month. [2]
To thaw it, transfer it a day before to the fridge or leave it for 20 minutes at room temperature, but be careful with the amount because the bacon cannot be re-frozen. You also have the option of directly cooking it frozen.
How to store cooked bacon in the fridge
That is right, you can also keep the bacon cooked, although if you want to keep it this way, I recommend cooking it only partially, so it is not so dry that when you are going to reheat it.
- Step 1: Remove excess fat.
When the bacon is cooked, it expels a lot of fat, so it is best to put it on paper towels to dry it well after cooking it. Then leave it for a while until it cools.
- Step 2: Wrap the bacon.
When the bacon is cold, wrap it with paper towels which will absorb any excess fat. You can group several strips of bacon and thus not waste so much paper.
- Step 3: Transfer the wrapped bacon to an airtight container.
Now for the bacon wrapped inside an airtight bag or container.
- Step 4: Set the storage date of the bacon.
Write it on a label or in the container.
- Step 5: Store the cooked bacon in the refrigerator.
Place the container in the coldest part of the refrigerator. The cooked bacon can be refrigerated for 5 to 7 days.
How to freeze cooked bacon
Can cooked bacon be frozen? Of course, so in case you want to keep it for longer, do everything I tell you:
- Step 1: Remove excess fat.
Use paper towels to remove excess fat. In addition, as I explained in the previous point, it is better if you do not cook the bacon so long that it is not very dry when you reheat it.
- Step 2: Perform the first freezing of the bacon.
To prevent the slices of bacon from sticking, put them on a sheet with wax paper, side by side, then put the tray in the freezer for two hours.
Another alternative to this step would be to wrap some strips of bacon in plastic film or wax.
- Step 3: Transfer the bacon to a freeze-safe bag or container.
When the bacon is well frozen, or if you decide to wrap them, transfer them to an airtight bag or container suitable for the freezer.
- Step 4: Enter the storage date.
As part of good practices, set the storage date.
- Step 5: Store the cooked bacon in the freezer.
Thus, you will freeze the cooked bacon for 2 or 3 months.
How to reheat bacon?
The best option to reheat the bacon would be to use the conventional or electric oven at 180 ° C for 5 or 10 minutes. You can also use an air fryer, adjust the same temperature, and cook for 3 or 5 minutes.
Another option would be to use the microwave in batches of 30 seconds at medium power but cover the bacon with a paper towel. You can also heat it in a pan over medium heat for 3 or 5 minutes.
How to preserve bacon grease or fat
Some people like to keep the fat that bacon throws away when cooked because they use it as a substitute for the oil that adds flavor to their recipes. To save it, you will have to:
- Step 1: Wait for the fat to cool a little.
Please wait for the fat to cool, but do not wait for it to solidify.
- Step 2: Strain the fat from the bacon.
Over a colander, place paper towels, a filter for coffee or gauze, or fine cloth to filter the remains of bacon so that the fat passes completely clean into a cup.
- Step 3: Transfer the bacon grease to glass jars.
Glass jars with airtight or screw lids are best for storing this product. The bottle must be clean and completely dry; it would not be too much if you had sterilized it, but it is unnecessary.
If you want to keep the fat from the bacon inside the freezer, then it is best to use resistant plastic containers with an airtight lid.
- Step 4: Set the storage date.
Write the date on a label and then stick it on the container. Another alternative would be to write the date on a piece of paper and tape it/tape it. Or, put enough duct tape to write the date on it.
- Step 5: Save the bacon fat.
You can store bacon fat in the fridge for three months, in the coldest part and away from foods that emit a strong odor. Or you can freeze bacon fat for nine months.
How do you know if the bacon spoiled?
You will notice when the bacon is bad due to the smell, whether it emits a rancid or rotten smell; that is the first indication you need to discard the bacon.
Another case would be that it changes color, loses its characteristic reddish color in the area of the flesh and pinkish white in the fatty part, and instead looks pale and opaque.
It is also not good that you have mold, that is, that you get black, green, or blue spots or lint, because it means that you are already infected with too many bacteria, and it is not safe to eat it.
Finally, if the bacon tastes terrible, bitter, or rancid, do not eat it and throw it in the trash; otherwise, you will end up with poisoning.
Why is bacon spoiled?
Bacon is a type of meat (pork, specifically), so it can develop two types of bacteria if it does not have adequate storage.
The first group is known as deterioration bacteria and is responsible for their decomposition and, therefore, the appearance of unpleasant flavors, textures, and odors. These bacteria develop quickly at room temperature and even in the fridge, although in a slower process.
We must also consider pathogenic bacteria, which can cause diseases. One of them is Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), which arises at low temperatures, and therefore, it can be produced inside the refrigerator and cause diseases when ingested.
How long does bacon last?
| Product | Duration |
| Raw bacon in the fridge (sealed) | Until the expiration date |
| Raw bacon in the fridge (unsealed) | 7 days |
| Frozen raw bacon | 1 month |
| Refrigerated cooked bacon | 5 – 7 days |
| Frozen cooked bacon | 2 – 3 months |
| Refrigerated bacon fat | 3 months |
| Frozen bacon fat | 9 months |
What is the best way to preserve bacon?
The best methods depend on individual needs, so if you plan to use the amount of bacon you bought over the week, then the best option would be to store the bacon inside the fridge.
But if you eat bacon sparingly, it would be better off freezing it. Remember to divide it into portions so you can only thaw or use the needed serving.
In case you have cooked too much bacon, you can store it in the fridge or freezer, and equally, in the refrigerator, it will only last a few days, while frozen can keep well for a couple of months.
Besides, bacon fat can also be stored and is an excellent substitute for oil that will add extra flavor to your recipes.
If you are interested in learning how to preserve another product, you can check on this website, as I have an extensive list of topics on food preservation, to which more are regularly added.
[1] https://www.fda.gov/media/74435/download
[2] https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/TheFoodKeeper.pdf?fwd=no