Do you love bacon? We all do. With its delicious taste and appealing smell, bacon is perhaps one of the most popular foods in the world. 

Unfortunately, just like any other food out there, bacon is perishable. That is why it’s important to understand how long can cooked bacon sit out of the fridge. You do not want to waste those delicious strips, right?

In this article, we are going to talk about the shelf life of cooked bacon. 

How Long Can Cooked Bacon Sit Out in the Freezer

For those who don’t know, bacteria can rapidly multiply at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F if your bacon is not inside the freezer. This is the regular room temperature of your home. 

So, if you cooked bacon and did not eat it right away, it is only good for around 2 hours. After that, you have to discard the cooked bacon. 

After 2 hours, your cooked bacon will already be contaminated with bacteria. 

In addition to that, spoilage of cooked bacon will take place at a faster rate if the temperature of the room is around 90 °F. If this is the case, you need to get rid of uneaten cooked bacon after 1 hour. 

Signs of Spoiled Bacon

However, what if you don’t know how long the cooked bacon has been sitting out in the open? Are there any indications that the food has gone bad? The answer is yes.

To help indicate whether or not your bacon is still good to eat, you have to pay close attention to the appearance, texture, and smell of the food. 

Typically, the color of cooked bacon is red. However, if it is spoiled, the color might begin to turn dull and fade into a greenish, brown, or grey color. 

Furthermore, spoiled bacon might be sticky or slimy as well instead of moist and soft. 

Immediately get rid of bacon if it has a rotting smell or sour odor. This is another indication that the food has gone bad. 

If you notice any indications of spoilage with your bacon, do not attempt to reheat it. The best thing you can do is to get rid of it right away. Doing so will help you prevent it from contaminating other food in your kitchen. 

Can You Still Eat Bacon That Has Gone Bad?

Unfortunately, experts do not recommend eating bad bacon. Just like any other food item, eating bad bacon can make you sick. This is known as food poisoning. 

That is why you should not overlook the minor indications of spoilage. If you see bacon that has been sitting out of the fridge, make sure you inspect the look, smell, and texture before you eat it. 

The biggest issue with eating spoiled bacon is that you’ll never know when the issue will start to surface. Some people experience the side effects of food poisoning right after eating bad bacon. 

However, other people can experience the side effects of food poisoning after several weeks. 

In addition to diarrhea and food poisoning, there are also other digestive issues that you can get from eating bad bacon. This includes serious discomfort, dehydration, vomiting, nausea, and much more. 

If you accidentally ate spoiled bacon, you shouldn’t hesitate to visit a medical professional. It does not matter if you aren’t experiencing negative effects. It’s best to visit a doctor for advice. 

Another thing to know about bad bacon is that it can be the source of bacteria such as Yersinia, E-Coli, salmonella, and more. 

Bad bacon also contains parasites such as trichinosis, toxoplasmosis, and tapeworms. 

As soon as bacon tastes, feels, smells, or looks a bit off, you have to get rid of it immediately. Do not try to eat it. This will help you and your family avoid getting severely sick.

How to Store Leftover Cooked Bacon in the Fridge?

Fortunately, if you’ve got leftover cooked bacon strips and you don’t want to throw them away, you can still save them for later by storing them in the fridge.

Refrigeration is the most common method of storing cooked bacon. For those who don’t know, cooked bacon can last for 4 to 5 days if you properly store it inside the fridge. 

So, how do you properly store leftover cooked bacon in the fridge? First of all, you have to refrigerate it as soon as possible for ideal results.

Professionals recommend that you store cooked bacon within two hours of getting cooked. With this, you can increase the shelf life of cooked bacon. 

When storing it, make sure you wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Next, place the wrapped bacon inside a container before putting it in the fridge. 

Aside from the fridge, you can also try to store cooked bacon inside the freezer. Unlike the fridge, storing cooked bacon inside the freezer will increase its shelf life for 2 to 3 months. 

Yes, you’ve read it right. You can still eat cooked bacon after 2 to 3 months if you properly store it in the freezer. However, the quality of the food begins to drop. 

If you want to eat the cooked bacon that you freeze inside the freezer, you’ve got to thaw it first. There are a couple of ways you can do this.

First, you can leave it in the fridge. This process is slow. However, it is the safest method you can use. Second, you can thaw it in cold water. It’s much quicker compared to thawing in the fridge. Lastly, you can thaw frozen bacon in the microwave oven. This is the fastest method.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shared with you a couple of things you know about the proper storing of cooked bacon. With proper storage, bacon’s shelf life can range from several hours to days. 

When cooked, bacon is perhaps one of the most delicious foods in the world. Unfortunately, it can cause severe health issues if it goes bad. 

Now that you know how long cooked bacon sit out, what other things do you want to know from us? Let us know in the comment section.

If you are one of the people who love taco bells so much, then you might have experienced buying lots of them only to end up feeling so full and instead saving up the excess for later.

But then again, eating cold taco bell is no fun, right?

Well, there’s a way to this, and that’s by reheating it.

But how?

This article is going to teach you all there is to know about how you can reheat your oh-so-yummy taco bells in the best ways possible.

We will also show you the different methods of reheating it so you’ll have a great time eating your sumptuous taco bell.

How to reheat taco bell in the oven?

Reheating taco bell in the oven is one of the most common ways to reheat this meal. The first thing to do is to first preheat your oven to around 350 degrees.

You can take out the taco bell and remove the cold filling from it along with its other ingredients such as lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes.

Why remove them? Well, you surely don’t want to eat heated tomato, lettuce, or some other taco ingredient.

The next thing you can then do is to place the main ingredients such as the meat and beans in a different bowl so they won’t mix up with the entire meal. Note that you also need to reheat these.

Remove as much cold filling from the taco. Afterward, wrap the taco bells which no longer have the filling to an aluminum foil.

Then secure it on a safe dish for the oven. Double-check it and make sure it’s secured. Place the safe dish inside the oven and set the heating time around 15 to 20 minutes.

While the main taco bell is being reheated, you can also simultaneously reheat the beans and meat. Place them on a separate pan and reheat them on your microwave or stove until they’re warm again.

Once you do all these, you then want to take the taco bell out from the oven and remove its aluminum foil. Take the reheated ingredients which you separated, and then place them back on the taco bell.

How to reheat taco bell on the stove?

Reheating taco bell on a stove isn’t very common because this is a bit more challenging than the previous method. This also requires you to keep a very close eye on the pan so that the taco bell won’t get burned.

First off, is to remove all the fresh ingredients from the taco bell which include tomatoes, lettuces, and onions. You can also remove the grated cheese, guacamole, and sour cream because they’re really not that nice to eat if they’re already reheated.

Also, remove the beans and meat and place them on a separate pan. It’s best if you use a non-stick pan. Then turn on the stove to medium heat level.

Pour a bit of non-stick oil towards the pan. It’s better, though, if you just spray this oil so that it will be more even. You can then add the shell of the taco bell to the pan. Then reheat it on one side first before you flip it to the other. You can also close it using a lid so that the circulating heat will reach all corners of the taco bell.

But keep a very keen eye on the pan because taco bells are fragile and can easily burn if you left them unattended.

Once you see that the shells are already ready, you can then place the beans and meat on the heated pan. Stuff these inside the heated taco bell along with the other ingredients you removed earlier.

How can you reheat taco bell inside a microwave?

You can also reheat your taco bell inside a microwave if you have one.

What’s nice about this is that it is the fastest method of reheating taco bells in the best way possible. So it’s a great choice if you’re in a hurry or you just don’t want to spend a lot of time heating stuff up.

However, this has a catch, and that it doesn’t produce that of a great result compared to heating taco bells on an oven or stove. This is because your taco bell can become a bit soggy. We recommend this one if you don’t have enough time or you are just in a hurry.

The first step is to remove the cold ingredients and filling from the shell of the taco bell. Then get and prepare a microwave safe dish bowl. This is where you will palace the taco bell shells on. Make sure that it’s clean so that there are no contaminations.

Also, expect your taco bell to become a bit soggy. You can, however, minimize its sogginess by placing a wet paper towel or paper cloth on the top portion of the microwave safe bowl.

This ensures that the heat from the microwave won’t drain out the taco bell’s moisture. It will instead drain from the wet cloth.

We recommend you heat the taco bell for around 30 seconds. But if it is still cold after that time frame, then you can reheat it again. You can also reheat the meat stuffing ingredients in a separate bowl. Place them back to the taco cover once they’re warm enough.

Conclusion

In summary, this article shows that taco bells can be stored and reheated even if they are already leftovers.

What’s nice is that they still taste delicious. There are also many different ways to reheating a taco bell. And the best and most popular ones are by using an oven, stove, and microwave. The most efficient way is to put it in an oven because this ensures that the taco bell stays crispy.

The stove method is also nice, but you need to be an experienced cook to do this properly because the taco bell can burn if overexposed.

Then there is the microwave method, but your taco bells can get soggy. However, it’s a nice choice if you want to do it as fast as possible.

Just choose any of these three methods and do the one which best suits your personal preference and schedule. When you do, then you’ll be eating your taco bells as if they’re freshly bought from the shop.

So, you want to know how to get ham off the bone. You want not only to learn how to get the ham from the bone but carve it off with as little waste as possible. How can you do that? Well, this article might be of help. Check out the rest of the post to learn tips and advice on carving as much ham as possible off the bone.

What You’ll Need

There are a few things you will need in de-boning a ham. They are:

• A kitchen knife
• A boning knife
• A cutting glove, if you need

You might need some containers and a towel too. Gather these in your work area and begin getting ham off the bone with the following instruction.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s something to know about bone-in hams – they come with a long, thick femur that runs through the entire meat. This femur has a ball-and-socket joint attached to the aitch bone, a long, flat bone along the leg bone. Hams usually come with the bone as it adds flavor while the meat cooks. But of course, you can choose to have the bone removed, so it is easier to slice.

If you wish to remove the bone, follow these steps:

Lay the Ham on a Flat Surface

First, get a towel and put it on a flat, clean surface. Put the ham on top of the towel so that it doesn’t slip when you work. If not a towel, you can hold the meat using a cutting glove to stop it from slipping. Make sure that you lay ham with the butt facing you because that end is wider. It is also where the aitch bone is a lot more visible to the surface.

Cut Deep Along the Right Side of the Bone

Separate the ham from the right side of the aitch bone by making a deep cut along with it. Start from the top, then slowly cut down the ham. Next, create another deep cut along the bone’s left side, beginning at the top again. While you cut, pull the meat from the bone, making sure that it is free as much as possible.

Cut Even More Deeper Down the Ball-and-Socket Joint

Following the cut you made, slice the meat deeper so that the ball-and-socket joint connecting the leg bone and aitch bone is more visible. Once you have cut deep enough, grab and twist the aitchbone. You can pull it out completely by cutting the cartilage that attaches the aitch bone to the ball-and-socket joint.

Cut Deeper Again Till the Leg Bone is Exposed

With the aitch bone gone, slice the ham along its length. Just like before, begin at the butt end but work away from your body. Ensure that it is deep enough for the leg bone to be seen when you cut the ham.

Gently Pull the Leg Bone Out

Now that you can clearly see the leg bone, free it from the meat using the boning knife. Carve the ham, then pull the leg bone out, gently tearing it from the meat. With that, you successfully carved the ham off the bone.

Other Tips in Getting Ham Off the Bone

Do you want to know some more tips about how to get ham off the bone? Or perhaps, you want some advice on how to make the most of the meat? Well, here are some you might try:

• Don’t forget to use a towel or a cutting glove when you cut the ham from the bone so the meat doesn’t slip and the knife ending up hurting you.
• When you lay the ham on a towel, make sure it is clean.
• When you carve the meat off the bone, try to get as close to the bone as you can.
• There may still be some that are left on the bones because of the tendons, tallow, and gristle. You can pressure cook this bone, which results in the meat falling off and quickly separated from all the other gnarly parts.
• You can use the broth from the ham and bone to turn into a soup. It’s great as a peas soup, butter bean, or simply as a stock you can use for other dishes.
• If you will be cooking the ham after you got it off the bone, it’s a good idea to roll it up and secure it with twine. By doing so, it will still be in its original shape.

Conclusion

How to get ham off the bone? The process is pretty straightforward. All you need is to carve the meat. However, it’s really not that easy for beginners. With the steps mentioned above, you should find it much easier now to de-bone your ham. Try it and see if you can now enjoy eating dishes out of ham without the bone.

The chicken marsala is a classic recipe that is often a staple in family gatherings and special occasions. It’s a perfect holiday meal known to taste better if made a day earlier. But you don’t want to serve cold or rubbery chicken because of too much heating. This article can help by teaching you how to reheat chicken marsala the proper way.

What You’ll Need

There are a few things you will need to reheat your chicken marsala, which include:

• Oven
• Oven-proof dish or pan
• Cooler

With these items, you can start reheating your chicken marsala through the instructions below.

Step-by-Step Instructions

One of the things people like about chicken marsala is it tastes the best if you made it a day or two before actually serving. This is because the chicken becomes more tender after it sits for a while in the marsala sauce. It’s no wonder it is a staple in family occasions, effectively lessening your time spent in the kitchen.

However, that also means you cannot serve a newly cooked chicken marsala. You will need to reheat it, which might turn into a rubbery chicken. The first tip to not make this happen is to make the chicken marsala with thigh, not breast meat. Chicken thighs can withstand a lot more abuse than breast, which dries out and becomes tough to chew.

However, you might not know this beforehand. In that case, it’s down to reheating. How to reheat chicken marsala? Here are the steps to do that:

1. The key is to heat the chicken gently, at a temperature as low as possible.
2. Food is hot at around 120-degree Fahrenheit, so reheat your chicken marsala at a temperature lower than this.
3. Don’t forget to keep the dish covered.
4. It’s most important that you use an oven, not a microwave, because it will hold heat much better. But if you don’t have one, there are other solutions to help you, of course.
5. When holding it warm for at least a couple of hours, do so at or above140-degree Fahrenheit.
6. Heat the chicken marsala for up to 30 minutes, then serve.

Other Tips to Reheat Chicken Marsala

If you are serving chicken marsala as part of a buffet for a party you are holding, the usual reheating method might not be the best. That’s because that method is only ideal for small servings. If you will serving a big crowd, you will have to serve a new dish one after another. Below are some of the tips that can help you serve warm refills of chicken marsala.

• Heat a dish of chicken marsala to serve for the buffet and service. In the meantime, heat another serving for backup and continue to do so after every refill.
• If you don’t have someone to reheat the chicken marsala, you can continually hold it in a warm oven, preheated at 200-degree Fahrenheit.
• If you don’t have an oven, you can create a makeshift one out of insulated fiberglass coolers or foam. You need one with a tightly closed lid large enough to hold the pan of hot chicken. You can keep the cooler from getting scorched by putting towels at the bottom and crumpled newspaper in the space around it.
• Lastly, garnish every platter of chicken marsala with freshly chopped parsley to make it appear fresh.

Conclusion

It’s a bit troubling for some to reheat chicken marsala because of how the chicken gets after constant reheating. But with the tips above, you’ll be able to learn how to reheat chicken marsala without it turning chewy. Try them and see how this delectable dish turns out for you and your family.

Lemon Meringue pie is a kind of dessert that contains a reduced pastry base with lemon curd while the top has some meringue. Such kinds of fruit desserts were first made in France many years ago. With many health advantages associated with lemon, many people prefer the pie to other flavors not forgetting the sweet taste of lemon that is found in the desert. That’s why we need to know how long can lemon meringue pie sit out?

Why do people like lemon meringue pie?

It is high time for us to acknowledge that this kind of dessert is the best you can go for. Considering the crunchy crust, fluffy meringue, and the tart taste of lemon you won’t go wrong buying the pie. It is one of the pies that has existed for many years and today many more people love eating lemon meringue pie.

Here are some health benefits associated with lemon meringue pie.

Lemon juice that is used in preparing the pie is highly rich in a lot of vitamins that are necessary to the body. The vitamins help in boosting body immunity in different ways. Vitamins that are found in lemon juice include;

• 1 Vitamin A. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed during the digestion process. Vitamin-A is important for the functioning of the body or can be stored in the fat cells and liver. The amount of lemon juice used in making the pie contains enough contents of Vitamin-A which is necessary for our bodies.

• 2. Vitamin B-12.  It contains some cyanocobalamin that belongs to the class of soluble vitamins that are helpful to the body since they keep the red blood cells and nerves healthy. When one lacks vitamin B-12 they complain of symptoms such as fatigue. The amount of lemon found in lemon meringue pie is enough for the daily consumption of adults. Hence, if you need to have enough vitamin B-12 you should consider consuming the pie on a daily basis.

• 3. Vitamin C. Vitamin c is a vital nutrient that is needed by human beings. Lack of vitamin c leads to illnesses like ulcerative colitis- diarrhea with some blood, and Crohn’s illness that leads to inflammation of the guts wall. Consuming lemon meringue pie is enough for the body to obtain vitamin c and stay healthy.

• 4. Vitamin D. It is also recognized as cholecalciferol and branded as calcitriol when it is supposed to be used for skin purposes. Vitamin d is the best vitamin one can have if you do not want to experience bone loss. You should be strong all the time and not weak if you have to go on with your daily duties. People suffering from bone weakness are advised to highly consume vitamin d. It also helps in strengthening the immune system of someone. Consumption of lemon meringue pie is recommended for everyone to obtain some vitamin D.

• 5. Iron. Iron is vital for all living beings since it has a lot of advantages when it comes to metabolic processes such as deoxyribonucleic acid commonly referred to as DNA, electron, or oxygen transportation. Lemon is rich in iron and can help one obtain them once you consume lemon meringue pie.

• 6. Potassium.  Adequate consumption of potassium is advisable since it helps in maintaining the normal growth of the human body, building proteins, and regulating the acid-base balance. It is found in lemon juice.

• 7. Calcium. It is an important mineral for human beings since it assists in strengthening teeth, heart, bones, and lowers the risk of contracting a number of illnesses such as seizures or hypertension. Consuming a piece of lemon meringue pie provides the recommended amount of calcium that one should consume on a daily basis.

There are many other health benefits that are associated with the consumption of lemon meringue pie. Having a piece each day is a healthy advantage that you should do all the time.

How long can lemon meringue pie sit out?

Once you are done with the preparation you need to let the pie cool. It is consumed when it is cool. Sometimes it might not be easy to consume the pie at once. In such cases, you need to store them well for consuming them later. It is possible to store them in a refrigerator but make sure it is cool. Now that your pie has already cooled down, how long do you plan on storing it? There are numerous storage procedures that you can use to safely store your lemon meringue pie. The type of procedure you adopt will be influenced by the amount of time you want to store your pie.

Refrigeration

This is undoubtedly the best storage procedure if you are looking to store your pie for the short term. Once the pie has cooled down under room temperature, you need to place it in the refrigerator. Ensure that the pie does not last more than two hours under room temperature. When placing your pie in the refrigerator, you need to place it on the right spot. The best spot is on the top shelf where no dripping or spillage can occur. Allow the pie to sit for 3 to 6 hours before serving. Once you have sliced it into pieces, ensure you return it to the refrigerator immediately to avoid bacterial infection.

Freezing

You can store your meringue pie for up to 3 months. Nevertheless, you need to be cautious about the process. Unlike refrigeration that does not require you to wrap the pie, freezing calls for wrapping and this is the tricky part. Use toothpicks to hold the plastic wrapping by sticking the toothpicks between the center and crust in a triangular formation. Ensure the toothpicks stick out half an inch above the topping. The essence of this procedure is to ensure some distance between the meringue and the wrapping. This will help prevent the eggs and water from releasing water “weeping”.

Conclusion

Pies are undoubtedly one of the most common forms of human energy. With the huge array of pies available, you ought to consider a lemon meringue pie a priority. Having learnt what these pies entail, this is the ideal moment to put a smile on your loved ones.