How To Store Cooked Bacon

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Wondering how to store cooked bacon? Well, worry not because that excess bacon can be enjoyed as the next days’ breakfast or in other dishes when properly stored. If you cooked more than what you or your guests wanted, then it is pretty understandable. Why? Because no one would resist a delicious bacon strip anyway? not forgetting its insanely sweet smell!

I know that with all the financial efforts you put in purchasing the bacon, you wouldn’t want to drain those efforts into the gutters. That is why you need to have knowledge of some storage options that can keep your leftover bacon fresher for extended periods. Keep in mind that bacon is a perishable food and has to be stored properly to reduce the risk of food poisoning, which leads to food-borne diseases to human health once consumed.

This article will be a guide on various ways you can store your cooked bacon.

How Long Does Cooked
Bacon Last After Cooking?

As mentioned earlier, bacon is perishable, and leaving it to sit for too long after cooking can attract pretty bad growth of bacteria. Cooked bacon left to sit for 2 hours at room temperature is relatively safe for human consumption.

Increased temperatures from 40⁰ F are perfect for the growth of recommended that you store bacon appropriately in the fridge or freezer, and it should be done in time.

Related Topic:

• Different types of bacon

How to Store Cooked Bacon in The Fridge

• Cook your bacon and ensure it is cooked well enough, or just the way you love enjoying it. If you love it crispy, crisp it before you refrigerate it.
• After cooking your bacon, drain the excess oil on paper towels.
• Allow the bacon to cool. You do not want to toss it in the refrigerator while it’s still hot.
• After cooling, take the bacon strips and add them to an air-tight container or even a Ziploc plastic bag. Do not leave too much space on the container lest you damage the bacon. You can place a cling film over your bacon to reduce contact with air.
• After that, close the container or your plastic bag, then refrigerate the contents in it.
• The bacon can last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. The low temperatures in the fridge prevent the bacon from getting moldy since the conditions in the fridge aren’t habitable for bacteria.
• Do not store the bacon longer than 10 days to reduce the risks of food poisoning. Do not consume bacon that:
• Has a slimy texture. It indicates that it is spoilt.
• An odd smell, close to a decaying odor.
• If there is any mold growth on the bacon, just toss the can away in the dustbin.

Related Topics:

• How to cook scallops wrapped in bacon

How to Store Cooked Bacon to Keep it Crisp

Steam turns your crispy bacon into limp bacon strips. Draining excess oil from bacon on paper towels is one sure way to create steam. So you can skip draining the fat on them and instead place them on a wire rack to drain.

If you are worried about the bacon temperatures after cooking, chances are you might be tempted to cover them with a lid to ensure they remain hot. You should, however, avoid covering them and keep them warm in the oven. After that, go ahead and place the bacon in containers or Ziploc bags, then put it in the refrigerator.

 As long as you will have adequately cooled the bacon and properly stored them, ensuring that no air in the container/bag, the crispness in your bacon is retained. Try and remove any excess air from the storage container or even wrap it with aluminum foil.

When the time comes for you to consume the bacon, retrieve it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature. After that, remove the bacon from your storage container/bag, place them on a paper towel, and then microwave it to restore crispiness.

How to Store Cooked Turkey Bacon

Turkey bacon is bacon made from turkey meat. The meat is sliced, just like bacon, salted, then cured.  It is an excellent option for those who don’t consume pork bacon due to religious beliefs or dietary options. There are several storage options you can incorporate to retain freshness in your cooked bacon. They include:

Refrigerator

The refrigerator is one great appliance that helps maintain freshness in our foods. After the bacon has cooled, place it on aluminum foil or on cling film, then wrap it around correctly. Wrap with two layers of foil or cling film to ensure the bacon is well covered and not letting any air in. Like mentioned earlier, Ziploc or an air-tight container are great refrigerator storage options.

Freezer

Freezer storage is quite similar to refrigerating. Only that here, after wrapping the bacon with cling film, you will place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag then toss it in the freezer. If working on a large batch of bacon, you can store it in several sets instead of wrapping them all together. This is to reduce interference with the whole lot anytime you want to have some bacon.

Ensure you also mark the freezing date on each batch you toss in the refrigerator. The bacon can last for up to 8 months in the freezer. To thaw it, place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours instead of thawing at room temperatures, where there is a risk of bacterial contamination.

How to Store Leftover Bacon

Made lots of bacon? Then you are bound to have some leftovers. Worry less as you can either freeze or refrigerate it. Bacteria tends to grow on bacon left at room temperatures for long at a high rate of speed and it is advised to discard any bacon that has sat for more than two hours at room temperatures.

If you place the bacon in the refrigerator, you can salt and then keep it between sheets of paper to prevent your bacon from breaking. Before freezing your leftovers, ensure you drain as much fat as possible because the fat congeals, making it difficult to remove the bacon in cases where you want to prepare it quickly.

Tips for storing cooked bacon

• Split the large pieces of bacon as bigger pieces tend to go bad faster.
• Vacuum sealing your bacon to retain its sweet smell.
• Do not leave bacon sit in the refrigerator for long.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQS)

How long can you keep cooked bacon in the freezer?

Cooked bacon can last for up to 6 months in the freezer. To enjoy the bacon’s sweet smell and delicious taste, cook within the first month.

How long is turkey bacon good after being cooked?

Turkey bacon stored in the refrigerator can last for up to 5 days.

Conclusion

You have no reason to throw away that bacon now. But if you left it to sit for long at room temperatures, then you have no other option than to give it up. So try out the storage options we’ve covered above, and you can include bacon in different recipes.