There are two methods of curing. Depending on what kind of cured meat youre going a wet brining a dry rub etc.
According to the FSIS if the label says nitrite-free and the dry-cured bacon has not been opened it will stay fresh for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.
How long does dry cured bacon last. Earlier this fall I got my hands on some Broadbents dry cured country bacon and ham slices. A couple of different kinds all in 4oz packages. The packages clearly stated no refrigeration required and they were being sold pretty much from a basket on top of a hay bale at a farm stand.
Again if properly done your cooked bacon can last for a period of 5 7 days in a refrigerator and about 3 months in a freezer. More Precautions To Observe Before Storing There are many ways you can store bacon in your refrigerator if you want to extend or maximize its shelf life. Here are the basic precautions to consider.
Types of Curing Dry Curing Meat. Perhaps the most basic type of curing dry curing uses a combination of salt nitrates and flavors. The process pulls so much moisture out of the meat that microbe growth is reduced to less than 1To dry cure meat you essentially bury it in salt then hang it up in a cooler for long term preservation.
How Long will the Dry Cured Meat Last For dry cured meats in the right environment with the above temperature and humidity that can be 2 to 4 years. Although this is the extreme end of it. For dry cured bacon 6-12 months in the right conditions or it starts to dry out.
Depending on what kind of cured meat youre going a wet brining a dry rub etc. And what your end product is be it a jerky or biltong or a cured ham bacon or prosciutto and the amount of salt or other preservatives in your process will decide if your edible shelf life is measured in weeks months or years. Producers of dry cured bacon are likely to tell you that their bacon has been made using dry curing methods.
No added water is also a big clue. It water is listed as the 2nd or 3rd ingredient after pork then you will be buying bacon that has been wet cured. The bacon will last for months at room temperature though it will continue to dry out little by little as time goes on and should be inspected daily for signs of rancidity or any insect problems.
Dry-cured bacon has a premeasured amount of cure mixture applied or rubbed onto the bacon belly surfaces completely covering them. Additional cure may be rubbed in over a number of days but the amount of added sodium nitrite cannot exceed 200 parts per million ppm. Cooked bacon that has been stored properly also has a shorter shelf life and can generally last around 45 days in the refrigerator and up to 1 month in the freezer.
If you choose to save bacon. Bacon slabs cured with nitrites will last 4 to 6 weeks in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. Bacon slabs cured without nitrites will last 3 weeks in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.
There are two methods of curing. The concentration of nitrites cant exceed 200 parts per million ppm in dry-cured bacon and 120 ppm in pumped bacon. The relevant distinction between dry-cured and wet-cured bacon is that the dry-cured stuff lasts slightly longer in the fridge.
According to the FSIS if the label says nitrite-free and the dry-cured bacon has not been opened it will stay fresh for up to three weeks in the refrigerator. Im really sure that Jeanie cowgirl said how long it has to stay in the refrig but I usaully leave my bacon in the frig for atlaest 7 days if not more. You cannt over cure the meat and I have left one buckboard bacon in the frig for 10-11 days once.
Now as far as your firmness of the skin has me asking is your bacon in a bag or is it in a brine. Once opened fresh raw bacon lasts for approximately one week in the fridge past the printed date. After cooking expect your cooked bacon to last just over a week around 4 to 6 days before it goes bad.
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 slabthe kind you slice yourselfit can last up to three weeks without the fridge and four to six weeks in the fridge. How can u tell if bacon is bad.
USDA guidelines say that bacon has a safe refrigeration use-by date of one week. Uncooked bacon should be refrigerated immediately after you get it home and used within 10 days. You can freeze bacon for up to two months for longer storage or cook your bacon and then use it within another five to seven days.