The Real Reason You Should Start Freezing Bacon

While bacon is so popular that it might seem like it wouldn't last long in the fridge under any circumstances, there are still some instances in which it might need to be frozen — such as if you got a bunch of bacon on sale and wanted to stock up. Considering the fact that lots of bacon packaging still hasn't been developed to close properly (how hard is it to add a zip-lock system to a bacon bag?) and given the fact that uncooked bacon shouldn't be kept in the fridge for more than a week, the time might come when it's needed to toss it in the freezer for a bit.

Good news — freezing bacon is relatively easy, and it ensures that your bacon splurge won't go to waste. There are two ways to freeze everyone's favorite breakfast meat — either cooked or uncooked.

Freezing uncooked bacon is rather easy. All it requires is wrapping the package tightly with aluminum foil and throwing the sealed bag into the freezer. The National Center for Home Food Prevention advises against freezing an open package, however, so you have some extra uncooked bacon, you'll have to place it in plastic wrap or bags meant for your freezer and squeeze any excess air out before storing it.

However, it should be noted that even in the freezer, cured meats like bacon can become rancid more quickly than expected. Because of the high fat content and the curing salts used, bacon can go bad in a hurry. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, the recommended storage time of uncooked bacon in the freezer is a month — at the very most, three months — although it should be acknowledged that the longer time spent in the freezer, the more the quality will deteriorate.

Freezing cooked bacon is a helpful possibility as well. The first step is to let the strips cool. Then, line them up atop wax paper on a baking sheet and freeze them for a few hours. After the strips are frozen solid, they can be moved into a gallon-sized freezer bag (via The Busy Budgeter).

Frozen cooked bacon can also be kept for about a month. To warm it up, all it needs is a few seconds in the microwave, which means that freezing cooked bacon ensures that you have already-cooked bacon at your fingertips whenever the craving strikes.