“How Long Does Bacon Last In Refrigerator” And All Things You Should Know About It
“What is Bacon?” or “how does bacon preserve and process?” is still a question of many people. Originating from Europe, very popular in the Americas and only popular in Asia in the past few years but bacon has been and is increasingly loved by customers.
Today, bacon is probably no stranger to many housewives. This is one of the nutrient-rich foods with abundant vitamins and minerals and is increasingly used popularly. To store long-lasting bacon must first seal them with sealed boxes as it helps eliminate odors effectively, avoiding cross-contamination when stored in the refrigerator. There are many ways to make delicious bacon that you can apply to supplement the menu of family meal to be more rich and attractive.
Bacon has become indispensable for many families’ meals like a quick breakfast with Sandwiches, so equipping yourself with bacon knowledge and bacon shelf life is something you should do. We have written this article to be able to bring you the most basic and practical knowledge about bacon, answering questions like “how long dose bacon last?” or “how to store bacon properly?” Take note and write down what you think is most useful before jumping in.
What exactly Bacon is?
Perhaps the most common form of bacon in the US is the meat cut from either side of the pig. This is very fatty, with long fat layers running along the skin. In Europe, the most common bacon is back bacon. This meat is the filet in the middle of the pig’s back. This type of bacon is sometimes called Canadian bacon or Irish bacon. And this is also the type of bacon that has the same texture as the ham.
Meat is soaked in salt, nitrate and even sugar and often smoked before processing. The fat in bacon provides flavor as well as softening the meat when processing, making the meat not too crispy. The perfect ratio between the fat and the meat for a good piece of bacon is usually one- half to two- thirds. Because bacon must be processed before eating, the fat after processing will be dissolved to make the bacon crispy but retain moisture.
Please note that not cooking bacon at high temperatures for a long time, because high temperatures can turn nitrite into nitrosamine, which is an experimental carcinogen in animals. You should use a microwave to make bacon, the microwave helps limit the amount of nitrosamines in the bacon when processing. Nitrit is a controversial topic as a potential carcinogen, but the results have yet to be concluded. Nitrate is used to preserve colors, preserve to slow the rancidity in fat and kill poisoning bacteria.
However, there are nitrate-free bacon products on the market. In addition, vitamin C was added during curing of bacon and this reduced nitrosamine content.
How to cook Bacon in healthy way?
Here are three different healthy ways to cook bacon that you should take a look.
#1 Skillet
This is the most common method of preparing bacon, which is ideal for cooking 6 to 8 pieces of bacon at once. Before skillet, you take out bacon in room temperature for about 20 minutes so that bacon is cooled down. You should not preheat the pans but place the strips of bacon on a cold pan and cook them with medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, turn the bacon side so that it is cooked evenly. Then put bacon on paper towels to absorb excess fat.
#2 Oven
This is a method to help you save time when preparing a large amount of bacon. For this way, you just put bacon on baking paper and put it in the oven. Adjust the temperature to about 400 degrees F and bake for 17 to 20 minutes. With this method you do not need to turn the bacon side, instead you can make other dishes while waiting for bacon to be baked. Remember to put bacon on paper towels after you take it out.
#3 Microwave
This is the method that you can make bacon serve with other dishes like burger. Put a few layers of paper towels in the oven, then palce the bacon and cover another layer of paper towels on top of the bacon. Cook at high temperatures for 4 to 6 minutes. This method helps the bacon to retain moisture and not become too dry.
What does Bacon taste like?
The flavor of bacon depends on the breed of pig, what it is fed, and especially the processing method and how it is cut. In general, the taste of bacon is a combination of salty, sweet, fatty and smoky tastes. This is the unmistakably special flavor of bacon. You can add bacon to any dish and still be able to recognize its taste easily.
Bacon has an easy taste with a delicious smoky smell, making it special for dishes. You can add a bit of delicious bacon to a multitude of dishes from classic breakfast with eggs and salads, to savory cakes and more.
There are also bacons made from other animals such as turkey bacon (often leaner than smoked pork). Canadian bacon is well- cooked pork that tastes like ham (as mentioned above). Italian bacon (or called pancetta) is pork belly that is cured but not smoked, and it is often spiraled or diced.
There are also types of bacon with flavors like apple or maple, low in fat and low in sodium available on the market.
What nutrients does Bacon have?
Meat tends to be very nutritious and bacon is no exception. A part of 100g typical cooked bacon contains:
– 37 grams of high quality animal protein.
– Lots of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12.
– 89% selenium RDA.
– 53% phosphorus RDA.
– Moderate intake of iron, magnesium, zinc and potassium minerals.
Bacon also contains quite a high amount of sodium, which is easy to understand through the way of long-time sodium treatment during processing.
I personally think that the risks of sodium are being inflated. Some studies show that excess sodium can increase blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease, while other studies show that too little sodium leads to the opposite result.
If you have avoided the largest sources of sodium in the diet (processed and packaged foods) then I don’t think you need to worry about the amount of sodium in bacon.
For healthy people who do not have high blood pressure, there is no evidence that eating a little sodium is harmful.
Adding bacon to the menu for one to two meals per week is not only harmless but also very healthy.
In particular, for those who do not eat fish, bacon is the best alternative food source to provide omega 3 fatty acids.
How to tell if Bacon go bad?
Can bacon go bad? Of course, Yes! Bacon will be spoiled if you do not store it properly or over time you can store it in the refrigerator.
Like other meat and protein products, bacon can be completely rotten. In order to make it easy for you to know when the bacon is bad, we have wrote down some ways for you.
#1 Look
You can tell if bacon can be used or not by looking at its appearance. Bacon is considered to be safe when it is naturally pink with a yellow or white fat. In contrast, bacon is no longer safe to use when they turn brown or gray, or appear green or white spots. It means that bacon is exposed to a lot of air which causing color changes.
#2 Smell
Bacons can also identify whether they are spoiled or not by smelling. Safe bacon to use always has a natural smell of meat and a bit of characteristic smoke. The spoiled bacon smells sour, rotten, fishy or simply unpleasant. The cause of these smells is the growth of bacteria when stored improperly or the expired bacon.
#3 Touch
Besides looking and smelling, touching can also indicate the condition of the bacon. Fresh bacon is moist and soft, whereas bad bacon feels slimy when touched. It is lactic bacteria that cause it. If bcaon is spoiled, you should throw them away to avoid harming other foods and causing unpleasant odors to the refrigerator.
How long does bacon last in the fridge?
Many people cannot know how long the bacon can be kept in the refrigerator because they only have a date of sale, not a shelf life. Do not worry. We have helped you find out the time when the unopened bacon and opened bacon can be kept in your refrigerator.
#1 How long does unopened bacon last in the fridge?
Unopened bacons can be kept in the refrigerator for about 1 to 2 weeks. If you want to keep them for a longer time, store them in the freezer, when in the freezer bacon can last up to 6 months.
#2 How long does opened bacon last in the fridge?
In response to this question, an opened package of bacon can be refrigerated for 7 days. This is the safest time to use from the date of sale printed on the package. For cooked bacon, they can last 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator and 4 months in the freezer if properly stored.
You can keep them in the freezer for 1 to 2 months after opening the package. However, you should store them in other plastic bags, air containers or foil to increase storage time.
#3 Tips for extending shelf life of bacon
To maximize the duration of the opened bacon kept in the refrigerator, transfer them to the freezer before the number of days of storage ends. Or as mentioned above, put opened bacon package in another plastic bag, wrap them in foil or store them in a food container. This method helps opened bacon to limit exposure to air, avoid pathogens and prevent them from being freezer burn.
How to properly store Bacon?
There are many ways to store bacon in the refrigerator, which helps to extend their shelf life. Below we have helped you list some of the most basic and easy ways to properly store bacon.
#1 Add some salts
Salt is what helps to moisturize and make bacon drier, prevent bacteria from entering and create a better storage environment for bacon.
This is also a natural spice that is not harmful to the health of consumers, so do not miss this economical and efficient method.
#2 Cover it
As mentioned above, it is extremely important to limit exposure bacon with the air when preserving. So cover it up and do not just put it in the refrigerator.
Place it in a zip bag, food container or foil. For more certainty, you can also package them with towels paper so that they can absorb the moisture in the bacon.
#3 Cook it
If you do not want to spend a lot of time waiting for the bacon to defrost before cooking, cook them before you store them in the refrigerator. This is a method that helps you both save cooking time and save time waiting for defrosting bacon.
However, keep in mind that they should not be cooked completely, but cook them about 80% to keep the softness of the bacon. After cooking, place them on oil blotting paper or towels paper to limit the bacon’s excess oil before storage. Then you can put it in a food container and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
What happens if you eat spoiled bacon?
Any kind of food once rotten will cause food poisoning for people who eat them. Bacon is no exception, when it is bad there will be a sour taste and an unpleasant odor caused by the bacteria on it. These bacteria may be Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Clostridium, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli.
It is these bacteria that cause food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, high fever, abdominal pain, headache and even body aches. There are many cases with mild symptoms that can be treated at home. But there are many cases, severe symptoms such as vomiting of blood, severe abdominal pain, high fever and more. These cases need to be treated in the hospital with the help of doctors.
Top 5 best bacon products 2022
#1 Best Bacon Frying Pan: Red Copper Non-Stick Fry Pan
Frying pan is an effective tool, indispensable in your kitchen. A bacon chef truly needs an oil blotting paper (or towels paper), a flip tool to flip the regular strips of bacon, fresh pieces of bacon and an indispensable item are a frying pan. The frying pan always gives a special flavor to bacon compared to using a microwave and an oven.
Currently on the market there are many types of non-stick pans with a multitude of materials. Don’t worry. We have helped you choose the best product with two criteria: efficient and affordable use.
Red Copper non-stick pans are different from other non-stick pans on the market. It is a copper cookware with non-stick ceramic layer. With this design, Red Copper pan is an outstanding product and is a professional cooking tool.
This product line is manufactured with strict procedures, complying with safety rules so you can be assured when using. Made of high quality copper, the pan absorbs and radiates heat evenly, it can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees F and is completely usable in an oven.
Moreover, the red copper pan also has a fancy and luxurious appearance so it really stands out. Copper also ensures super durability and corrosion resistance for the pans.
On the other hand, the ceramic layer does not contain any toxic or chemicals such as PFOA or PTFE (carcinogen). This special ceramic non-stick coating completely work, nothing can stick on it when cooking. And moreover it is scratch resistant, you can absolutely use a knife or fork on it without any problems.
With 10-inch cooper pan, you can spread bacon evenly to the surface and easily fry them. And even more amazing is that you can clean them with just a tissue after cooking. What is more amazing when you do not have to take dozens of minutes to clean a pan from the grease stains of bacon.
Despite of both reasonable and excellent quality, this product has one unique disadvantage is that they are not made entirely of copper, so can make perfectists disappointed.
#2 Best Bacon Airtight Container To Storage: Popit Plastic Food Storage Containers with Lids
To limit the exposure of bacon to air, enabling bacteria to enter, you should store them in airtight containers.
You can choose between plastic or glass airtight container, but in my personal opinion, you should choose a plastic airtight container; because plastic containers are usually cheaper, bigger, and it is also more suitable for storing bacon than glass one.
This product is extremely suitable for those who want a budget pick. At a fairly cheap price, you can own a set of 8 plastic containers for storing bacon. These containers are square, measuring 3 ounces to 47 ounces. They are easily interlocked when not in use or stacked in the refrigerator to save space. In particular, they can be used in microwave ovens, dishwashers and freezers.
The product is manufactured safely, BPA-free which is harmful to the health of users and the food contained in it. This set of products is also appreciated by its durability and ability to keep food fresh.
However, some users are not satisfied with Popit airtight container’s performance when used in a microwave oven. They found that the container showed signs of being scratched after being removed from the microwave.
However this does not seem to affect much to the main purpose of this review is to storage bacon in the freezer. If you still want to defrost the bacon in the microwave, use a grill tray instead of an airtight container.
#3 Best Bacon Ziploc Bags: Ziploc Gallon Slider Storage Bags
Plastic ziploc bags are one of the must- have item in your kitchen. This is probably multifunctional that you can use them to store food in the refrigerator or freezer, crushed grains or breadcrumbs, store excess sauce and more. We cannot possibly tell all of their uses.
Choosing a good plastic storage ziploc bag is harder than you think. People often buy the cheapest ziploc bags but they are easily leaked and easily damaged bags. So you need to choose brands that produce ziploc bags that are safe for health and must ensure quality.
We have researched and selected for you the best ziploc bags avaiable on the market, based on criteria that can bring you a zip bag to preserve bacon in the freezer.
Ziploc Gallon Slider Storage Bags is a great choice for bacon preservation in the freezer. With less than 20 dollars you can own 152 ziploc bags. These ziploc bags are quite large in size so you can easily place bacon in the bag.
Please note that you should wrap the bacon with towels paper before you put it in a ziploc bag so you can keep bacon last longer in the freezer and also keep the freshest flavor possible.
#4 Best Bacon Cooker: Progressive Prep Solutions Microwavable Bacon Grill
A best bacon cooker has to have all the necessary features to be able to cook bacon easily.
This type of stove is designed to cook bacon until it reaches perfect brittleness, can remove excess fat and especially prevent grease from splashing when you cook them. This is a product that you absolutely do not have to worry about overcooking or turning slices to cook them evenly.
This is a perfect bacon cooker for those who have kitchen space not too large and are looking for a bacon cooker that suits the budget.
With this product, you can grill from 7 to 9 bacon strips at the same time. The cooker is designed which can store extra fat so you can easily pour them out after grilling.
Cooking in the microwave makes bacon become crunchy, lower fat content also makes bacon healthier than cooking in a pan. Not only that, but the vented lid can prevent grease from splattering out of the microwave, making cleaning easier than ever.
Plastic grill do not contain BPA therefore it is very safe for health and not harmful to food. You can use them in dishwashers or you can wash them by hand easily.
The only thing to note about this product is that it is quite hot when grilled in the microwave, so be sure to wear cotton gloves when you remove them from the oven.
#5 Best Electric Bacon Cooker: Smart Planet BNB 1BM Smart Planet Bacon Nation Bacon Master, Stainless Steel
Besides the normal bacon cooker, you should not ignore the electric one. This is also a great choice for an electric bacon cooker in reasonable price and quality.
Similar to plastic racks, bacon is placed on top of a vertical electric stove so they can drain and be heated from the inside. Placing bacon in this position eliminates excess fat and makes each slice healthier by reducing fat content.
With this electric cooker, bacon is cooked slowly at moderate low temperatures to ensure that it is cooked evenly as well as for perfect texture.
To grill the perfect bacon, the bacon should be put on the stove before heating the cooker. Then cover the lid to prevent the fat from splashing out.
At the bottom of the cooker there is a tray to store excess fat, it can easily drain and clean. Besides, since it is made of stainless steel, both the tray and lid are safe to use in dishwashers.
The cooker’s non-stick coating acts as a non-stick pan, preventing the bacon from sticking during cooking. This non-stick layer is also making it eassy to clean.
This electric bacon cooker of Smart Planet also has a temperature controller, allowing you to adjust the ideal temperature to match the crispness of the bacon. The cooker can grill 6 slices of bacon in one grill and only takes 8 minutes to complete. For bacon cooking in a pan, this is probably the quicker and faster choice.
However, compared to normal bacon cooker, electric bacon cooker takes longer to grill perfect bacon. This is also a very expensive and space-based choice compared to the product we introduced above.
However, compared to normal bacon cooker, electric bacon cooker takes longer to bake perfect bacon. This is also a very expensive and space-based choice compared to the product we introduced above.
Conclusion
Like other foods, bacon can go bad at any time so please equip yourself with the most basic and practical knowledge to protect your health and your family.
Now that you know the time that bacon can be stored in the refrigerator and some other important information as well as useful items to help you in the process of cooking and preserving bacon. Because of that, please be wise to choose for yourself a product that fits your budget and needs based on the criteria we have given.
See more maybe you are interested here.