What is uncured bacon?
Firstly, you should know about uncured bacon. Bacon is cured; uncured bacon might make you a little confused. The uncured bacon means the uncured pork belly, which has not been cured yet.
Besides, there is also the bacon known as uncured bacon; it is also cured pork belly. It uses the natural nitrates found in the celery juice for curing the meat instead of chemical nitrates and salt. Although it is labeled as uncured, it is cured bacon.
Some producers make uncured bacon with additional flavorings to make it taste better. That means uncured bacon might also have natural nitrites.
What are the differences between uncured and cured bacon?
Now, let’s see how different uncured and cured bacon are.
How Long Does Uncured Bacon Last?
Uncured bacon is also cured meat. Hence, it lasts longer than the actual uncured meat. However, when talking about uncured bacon’s shelf life, you should see the packaging date to make sure.
There are two factors that affect the uncured bacon’s selflife, including the type of bacon and storage location. For bacon, the bits will last longer than bacon strips.
Whereas the fresh bacon does not last as long as the cooked bacon. Bacon stored in the freezer will last longer than in the refrigerator. The unopened bacon also lasts longer than the opened bacon.
How Long Does The Uncured Bacon Last in The Fridge and Freezer?
The cured bacon will last longer than uncured bacon as the cured bacon has chemical additives which keep the meat fresh for longer. Uncured meat will not have these chemicals, which is why they can last for only a week in the fridge.
The cured bacon lasts for several months; If you open it, the uncured bacon will last for only several days in the refrigerator. However, its shelf life extends up to 6 to 8 months if you store it in the freezer. It will be applied for both cooked and uncooked uncured bacon.
Can The Uncured Bacon Get Spoiled In The Fridge?
It is possible. Even if uncured or cured bacon, how you store it in the fridge is very important for shelf life. It will become destructive if you don’t keep it at the correct temperatures. Remember that the uncooked bacon’s suitable temperature will be 4 degrees C or 40 degrees F, even below. It will be good if you can store cooked bacon at 19 degrees C or 85 degrees F.
How Long Can We Keep The Opened Bacon?
When you already open the bacon package, it will be different from the unopened one. The shelf life of bacon will be shortened. The raw bacon can last for one week only in the fridge past the printed date.
After you cook it, you can expect it to last over a week, around 4-6 days, before it becomes harmful. However, you should refrigerate cooked bacon in the airtight bags, pat the strips dry with the paper towel before storing and squeeze out all excess air in the bags before you want to seal it.
How To Spot the Rotten Bacon?
To know if uncured bacon is getting spoiled or rotten, your senses are the reliable instrument. You can recognize if it happens when you see some popular traits such as sour smell and slimy flesh. The meat color will change significantly from red to grey-brown.
Pungent smell: The rotten meat will come with a pungent smell, then you can easily recognize it with the fresh meat.
Color: The outside of the meat will be slimy and dull. Besides, the smell is rancid. The typical red color of meat will shift to grey or brown color when the meat gets spoiled.
Mold growth: Mold is the obvious spoilage sign in meat. If you see it, you should discard the meat immediately.
Extend The Shelf Life of Uncured Bacon
First of all, you should ensure that the bacon is in the freezer or fridge when you are not cooking with it.
When you store the bacon, you should use the tightly sealed container to prevent moisture and contaminants from getting inside. Then wrap the meat in the foil to prevent juices from seeping. After that, you can do the following to extend the bacon’s life:
Freezing
Like other meats, you can freeze pork slabs. At the freezing temperature of 0℃, the bacon can last for six months in the freezer. In comparison, the cooked bacon can keep for only 3 to 4 months.
Smoking
Smoking is one effective way to preserve bacon. It is easy to do. Smoking extracts moisture and imparts rich flavors into the meat. Then store the smoked meat in a cool, dry, and dark place. The unopened smoked port slab can keep up to 8 months in the freezer.
Conclusion
How long does uncured bacon last? The answer is “from weeks to months,” depending on storage. The uncured bacon does last as long as the cured bacon. You can keep it properly stored or cook the bacon to avoid spoilage. Hopefully, you can enjoy the best-uncured bacon!