Believe it or not, you may at some point run into the situation where you have extra bacon. It sounds strange because bacon is always in such high demand but who knows, one day you may accidentally take bacon to a vegetarian cookout and be left with piles of unwanted bacon.
In this case, you will need to know how to store cooked bacon so you can keep it fresh for as long as possible.
The best ways to store cooked bacon are at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer. The refrigerator is generally considered the best if you are going to store your bacon for more than two hours. It can stay fresh in the fridge for up to four days without spoiling. Any longer than that and you’ll want to use the freezer.
Can You Store Cooked Bacon?
As long as it is stored properly, you can store cooked bacon. Just make sure to line up your storage method with the length of time you need to store it for. This will ensure that your bacon stays as fresh as possible with a minimum negative impact on the flavor of the bacon.
How Long Can You Store Cooked Bacon?
Cooked bacon has the potential to stay fresh for several months. However, this will depend on how you store the bacon.
If you store that bacon at room temperature then the bacon will only stay fresh for a matter of hours. Meats should always observe the temperature “danger zone” rule which pretty much means that you should not leave your bacon at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If you do this, the meat could spoil and you’ll lose your bacon.
In the refrigerator, cooked bacon can last up to four days before you’ll need to toss it. The cold temperatures help to keep bacteria from growing, making it much easier to store the cooked bacon for an extended period of time.
The most long-term way that you can store bacon is in the freezer. This will completely stop bacteria from growing however, it will also dry the bacon out and can be difficult to thaw correctly.
How Do You Store Cooked Bacon?
There are three main methods that you can use to store cooked bacon. You can either store it at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or the freezer. Room temperature is best if you’re going to serve it within the hour, whereas the other two are better if you need to preserve cooked bacon for several days.
Room Temp
Room temperature storage should only be used if you are planning on serving the bacon within about an hour. Storing it at room temperature will help to keep the bacon crispy and will avoid it cooling down and changing its texture.
Steps
- Place cooked bacon on paper towels
- Leave in the oven or another warm place
- Reheat and serve within 2 hours
Fridge
Storing cooked bacon in the fridge is the best option if you need your bacon to stay good for a couple of extra days. This will keep it from spoiling, but special consideration should be taken to ensure the bacon doesn’t become soggy.
Steps
- Wrap bacon in paper towels
- Store in an airtight container
- Place in refrigerator
- Reheat and serve within 4 days
Freezer
The last way that you can store your bacon is in the freezer. This method is best for long-term storage as cooked bacon can stay fresh in the freezer for a couple of months. However, this method is most prone to drying the bacon out, so you may only be able to use it for bacon bits by the time you’re ready to eat it.
Steps
- Dry off the bacon as much as possible
- Flash freeze it
Flash freezing involves laying the pieces of bacon out on a tray and freezing with direct exposure to the air for 1-2 hours. This helps to keep the food from sticking together once it’s in the freezer bag.
- Pack into freezer bags
- Store for 1-2 months
- Thaw the bacon before reheating
Final Thoughts
If you ever find yourself in a rare situation where you actually have extra bacon, don’t worry. There are a couple of different ways that you can store cooked bacon so you won’t have to worry about it spoiling.
Overall, the best method for storing cooked bacon is in the fridge. This will allow you to keep your cooked bacon fresh for up to 4 days without significantly changing the texture or drying the bacon out too much. Make sure to store your bacon with plenty of dry paper towels to keep excess moisture from accumulating on the surface of the bacon.
