Generally speaking, yes. Even cooked, it’s full of proteins and fats that can decompose or be attacked by bacteria and molds. It will spoil, though less quickly than raw bacon.
Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; cooked bacon should be discarded if left for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Do you need to refrigerate bacon? Packaged sliced bacon can be kept in its unopened vacuum-sealed package in the refrigerator up to a week past the expiration date.
We the USDA recommends using dry-cured sliced bacon within ten days when unrefrigerated, and within four weeks if you keep it in the refrigerated. If the dry-cured bacon comes in a slab—the kind you slice yourself—it can last up to three weeks without the fridge, and four to six weeks in the fridge.
Does bacon grease spoil?
Yes, bacon grease can and does go bad, after several months at room temperature. When bacon grease goes bad, it’s actually just the fat molecules breaking down and oxidizing. By this point the grease is no longer edible.
Bacon Contains a Lot of Fat. The fats in bacon are about 50% monounsaturated and a large part of those is oleic acid. This is the same fatty acid that olive oil is praised for and generally considered “heart-healthy” ( 1 ). Then about 40% is saturated fat, accompanied by a decent amount of cholesterol.
How do you get rid of bacon grease?
Remove the bacon grease from the pan. Since your grease container is going in the trash, try to use a container that would not otherwise be recyclable. If you don’t have a container you’re willing to part with, pour the grease into a dish and refrigerate until it solidifies. If you know you’re going to be eating a lot of bacon and tossing the grease, think ahead.
What is good substitue for bacon grease and why?
For the non-pork eaters, crispy chicken skin is our very own bacon. Another animal-based fat you can substitute with bacon grease is beef fat. You can find a ton of lard varieties. Butter quite resembles lard because of the process of extracting it. Olive oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil too might be helpfull too.
How can you tell if Bacon has gone bad?
When spoiled, the signature red hue of your bacon may start to become dull and fade into a grey, brown, or greenish color. Spoiled bacon may also be slimy or sticky rather than soft and moist. Bacon that has a sour smell or rotting odor should also be thrown out, as this is another sign of spoilage.
Is it safe to eat bacon raw?
For raw mass-produced bacon, that’s probably a good rule of thumb. It’s wise to be extra careful with raw pork products because of a not-so-fun illness called trichinosis, a particular risk with undercooked pork and wild game, which causes vomiting, fever, fatigue, and abdominal pain. For cooked bacon, you have quite a bit more lee-way.