The Only Way You Should Store Bacon, According to Hormel

How do you deal with the rest of the pack when you only need a few slices?

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Key Takeaways

• Stash opened bacon in a refrigerator drawer or bottom shelf, sealed tightly so it stays fresh.
• Use it or freeze it—bacon lasts 3–5 days opened, up to 6 months frozen.
• Shiny is fine. If bacon smells weird, looks gray or moldy, or feels slimy, ditch it.

There’s pretty much nothing better than the smell of sizzling bacon. One whiff, and I’m immediately transported to a lazy Sunday morning with loved ones, cooking up a breakfast feast I waited for all week long. 

As delicious as bacon is, if we’re really being honest, it’s also kind of a pain in the butt. Once you open a pack (I'd love to know why they package bacon like that), there doesn't seem to be a single good way to store it. I feel like I either have to cook all the bacon at once or else risk bacon juice pooling in my fridge’s cheese drawer.

So, I sought out some expert advice to find a solution to this slimy, sticky problem. And I figured no one better to answer my bacon storage questions than Aly Sill, Hormel Black Label senior brand manager. 

Read More: Bacon Is Great But Millionaire’s Bacon Is Better

The Best Way To Store Bacon When You Only Use a Few Slices

Referring to raw, not cooked, leftover bacon, Sill says the key to keeping bacon fresh (and contained) is an airtight seal. “You could use a resealable bag or a plastic container,” she suggests. “Some products even come with a resealable feature in the packaging itself,” citing Hormel’s Original Thick Cut Bacon Stack Pack as an example. 

As to where it should live in your fridge, Sill says that “if bacon is to be stored in the fridge before being cooked, I recommend storing it in either a drawer or on the bottom shelf toward the back of the refrigerator.”

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Read More: I Asked 5 Chefs To Name the Best Bacon, and They All Said the Same Brand

How Long Does Bacon Last Before and After Opening

Like any food item, and especially meats, first and foremost take a look at the use-by or freeze-by date. Aside from that, however, “once a bacon package is open,” says Sill, “any remaining bacon should be used within three to five days.” Conversely, if you’re freezing your bacon, she recommends keeping it no longer than three to six months to “avoid freezer burn and diminished product quality.”

How To Tell When Bacon Has Gone Bad

As with other food items, you should give your bacon a whiff and inspect it. If you smell any rancid or acidic scents, it’s time to toss. The same goes for mold or discoloration. “If the hue of your uncooked bacon is turning from pink to tannish brown,” explains Sill, “that's a sign that your bacon is no longer edible.”

However, that iridescent sheen that sometimes appears after a day or two? “It’s a naturally occurring factor and does not affect the quality or the palatability of bacon.” Good to know! Keep in mind, though, that a visual sheen is different from a tactile one: If you “notice a slimy feel on the bacon itself,” says Sill, throw out the pack. 

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