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.