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How Long Does Bacon Last in the Fridge?
southernliving ^ | 2/7/2021

Posted on 02/09/2021 9:36:01 AM PST by mylife

Wasting good bacon is against the law in certain parts of the South—according to some people. So if you are reading this while sniffing or inspecting a package of bacon that's been in the back of your refrigerator for an indefinite amount of time, I'll get right to the point.

Whether you have opened the package or not, uncooked bacon will last for seven days in the fridge, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. That rule applies whether the bacon is thick-cut or thin, hickory or maple-smoked, the fancy stuff or the cheap stuff. You've got seven days.

Store it right. If you have leftover uncooked bacon, don't just put the opened package back in the refrigerator. Keep it from drying out (and making the other contents of your fridge smell like bacon) by storing it in a sealed container or resealable plastic ziplock bag, or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

Freeze it properly. If you can't eat enough BLT Salads and Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon to finish a package of bacon in a week, your best bet is to freeze it. Although foods that are properly stored in a freezer are safe to eat indefinitely, the USDA recommends using frozen bacon within one month. Prevent freezer burn by wrapping the unopened package in a layer of aluminum foil (and label it with the date). If you tend to cook bacon in smaller amounts, flash-freeze individual strips so that they don't harden into a single slab and you can easily defrost as much as you need.

Once you're sure that the bacon is safe to eat, brush up on your bacon cooking basics. And if you're in need of some recipe inspiration, I recommend these Bacon Pancakes.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: bacon; foodstorage
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To: DIRTYSECRET

I will buy it on sale and freeze it. I have some frozen slabs that are at lease 5 years old.

Tastes great when fried—just like the bacon it is.


41 posted on 02/09/2021 9:52:05 AM PST by Alas Babylon! ("You, the American people, are my only special interest." --President Donald J. Trump)
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To: mylife

Cooked bacon last longer?


42 posted on 02/09/2021 9:53:22 AM PST by Leep (Save America. Lock down Joe Biden!)
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To: mylife

It is against the law to put Kevin Bacon in the fridge. He could die! Are you an inciter? Also don’t put Prince Albert in a can. That’s a royal injustice.


43 posted on 02/09/2021 9:55:13 AM PST by BipolarBob (It's all fun and games until Mrs. Bipolar catches me posting on Free Republic without permission.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

The article claims bacon can be frozen a month but I know it can last much longer than that in the freezer. When a butcher shop a few towns over runs bacon on sale we buy 30 to 60 pounds at a time. Once we get it home we vacuum pack it in packages of a couple pounds each and put them in the freezer. Over the course of 3 to 6 months the bacon is all consumed. When we get down to a few pounds in the freezer I start watching for bacon to go on sale again. Buying bacon like this we pay a little under 3 bucks a pound, plus whatever the vacuum bags cost. The best thing is the bacon is far superior in quality to that found in our local supermarket.


44 posted on 02/09/2021 9:55:41 AM PST by WilliamOrby
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To: PGR88

Is that you Sam I am?😏


45 posted on 02/09/2021 9:56:21 AM PST by BiteYourSelf ( Earth first we'll strip mine the other planets later.)
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To: a fool in paradise
Ijust froze my second batch of soup for winter.

Pea soup and chicken done. One more to go...beef barley.

46 posted on 02/09/2021 9:56:46 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: Radix

Yes and Ham.


47 posted on 02/09/2021 9:57:40 AM PST by pas
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To: mylife

About two days in my fridge.


48 posted on 02/09/2021 9:58:07 AM PST by Hyman Roth
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To: mylife

Man we have gone a month or more.

Oh well


49 posted on 02/09/2021 9:58:24 AM PST by Persevero (I am afraid propriety has been set at naught. - Jane Austen )
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To: RoosterRedux
I break it up into sizes that I will most likely cook and freeze it in ziplock bags.
That's exactly what I do! I'll buy a "stack pack" of thick-sliced on sale and cut it into thirds. Two blocks go into baggies and into the freezer, and one stays in the icebox for more immediate use. Works like a charm. I just wish bacon weren't so darned expensive.
50 posted on 02/09/2021 10:00:38 AM PST by Blurb2350
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To: mylife

I’m dead.

Who knew?


51 posted on 02/09/2021 10:06:41 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Ashlii Babbitt, Kevin Clinesmith, Seth Rich, Jeffrey Epstein, Peter Strzok, Ruby Freeman, Jim Comey)
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To: mylife

I live alone, and got tired of throwing away unused bacon. I have successfully been able to partially bake the bacon on foil, on cookie sheets, then stack the slices on layered paper towels, store it in a plastic container, and it keeps in the fridge without any problem. I take out what I want to cook, and the bacon stays fine. I like thick-cut bacon. I set the oven to 325, and use two cookie sheets for a package of bacon. I use two oven racks.I set the timer for 15-18 minutes. When the timer goes off, I switch the cookie sheets on the racks, and cook for another 10-12 minutes.


52 posted on 02/09/2021 10:09:16 AM PST by mass55th ("Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." ~~ John Wayne )
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To: Blurb2350

Bacon is expensive because it’s worth it. :)


53 posted on 02/09/2021 10:10:55 AM PST by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (Posting from deep within enemy territory - San Jose, CA)
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To: mylife

Freezing works far longer than a month if vacuum sealed. I’m at a year with some of mine, and they’re like new.


54 posted on 02/09/2021 10:13:14 AM PST by BobL (TheDonald.win is now Patriots.win)
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To: mylife

Buy it, then freeze it by portions.


55 posted on 02/09/2021 10:14:39 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: mylife

Until it smells funny.


56 posted on 02/09/2021 10:20:36 AM PST by SkyDancer (Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: DannyTN
It’s both state and federal law not to waste bacon.

A moral imperative, too. :-)

57 posted on 02/09/2021 10:25:47 AM PST by AFB-XYZ (Stand up, or bend over)
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To: mylife

The fed guideline claim not to keep anything longer than 5 to 7 days. We eat stuff th a has been I. Fridge longer all the time. Cheese, hotdogs, ham, turkeys not so much though. But many thi gs. Eggs last way longer tha the recommendations too. Butter as well,, months sometimes. We also freeze stuff for way longer than the reco. Ended time, and it s fine. Course some day ti might catch up with us, but so far, after severally g decades, no problems that we know of.

This isnot medical advice, just relating what we do. My gr a ndparents were butchers, and we didn’t know what red meat was till we were older practically. They would bring home the days old stuff that didn’t sell, brown. Somewhat slimy, slight odor. Same with hamburger. None of the good fresh stuff for us growing up lol (just kidding, we did also get fresh too, but .ots of ,eft over from the store meat too)


58 posted on 02/09/2021 10:26:59 AM PST by Bob434
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To: mylife

I lost some bacon at the back of the refrigerator once and when I finally found it it had a heavy greenish rainbow sheenan to it. My hand wouldn’t release it when I tried to throw it out so I cooked and ate it. Tasted ok to me. Didn’t get me sick at all.


59 posted on 02/09/2021 10:29:08 AM PST by TalBlack (We have a Christian duty and a patriotic duty. God help us.)
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To: mass55th
I've only recently discovered the meat press.

Best. Bacon. Ever.


60 posted on 02/09/2021 10:30:03 AM PST by Manic_Episode ( “Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”)
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