A bacon sandwich, or a butty, sarnie, or muffin as some might call it, is often the highlight of the weekend for meat lovers. A 2018 survey by online butcher greatbritishmeat.com revealed that if they could, people would choose a bacon sandwich as their daily meal. However, despite our national love for it, it appears we've been storing our bacon rashers incorrectly, thus missing out on extended freshness.
According to food experts at Tasting Table, instead of keeping it in its original packaging, our beloved bacon should be stored in a sealed container. It's all about oxygen. Older bacon can sometimes discolour or change texture if exposed to this colourless, odourless, tasteless gas for too long, as it provides an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive.
To avoid this and keep your bacon fresher for longer, they recommend storing your rashers in a resealable ziplock bag or a sealed container. Allrecipes also states that an unopened pack of bacon will last up to two weeks in the fridge, opened and resealed raw bacon will last up to a week, and cooked bacon will last between four to five days.
Unopened bacon can be safely stored in the freezer for up to eight months, while leftover raw bacon will last around six months in the freezer and cooked bacon will last up to one month. But it's not just the main event that can be preserved, leftover bacon grease or 'liquid gold' as it's often referred to, can be stored in an airtight container for around six months in the fridge, or nine months in the freezer.
