How long does Hormel fully cooked bacon last? It is important to research the answer because nobody wants to throw away even a single slice of delicious bacon.
Learning how to store cooked bacon safely will help prevent food poisoning, keep it from going bad, and help maintain its delicious flavor.
People say Hormel pre-cooked bacon is shelf-stable. But knowing about Hormel fully cooked bacon shelf life is critical.
Depending on how you store it, Hormel fully cooked bacon may last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Fact: Bacon's production has been an integral aspect of Hormel Foods Corporation since the company's founding in 1891.
How Long Does Hormel Fully Cooked Bacon Last?
As long as it is within its best-before date, you can store cooked bacon in the refrigerator for under a week.
It may last a bit longer if properly packaged in an airtight container, airtight bag, or zip-top plastic bag.
It is worth mentioning that the USDA recommends keeping cooked bacon in the fridge for up to 7 days.
You can certainly follow these guidelines, but you may find that the flavor and texture stay at their best when consumed within a day or two.
How Long Will Hormel Bacon Last at Room Temperature?
The shelf life of pre-cooked bacon is comparable to that of bacon cooked at home.
Precooked bacon has a shelf life in the fridge of four days, maybe five, and can go bad after that.
Always put safety first when cooking bacon. The two-hour guideline applies to most prepared foods left out at room temperature.
Over that period of time, the bacon loses its nutritional value and should be thrown away.
Note
If you wish to store the bacon without any air pockets, you may want to divide it into smaller chunks before wrapping it.
Fact: The pork that Hormel Foods processes come from more than 500 small-scale family farms in the Midwest and one company-owned farm in Colorado.
Is Hormel Fully Cooked Bacon Shelf-Stable or Not?
Yes!! Hormel offers completely cooked, shelf-stable bacon that can be enjoyed as-is or, for maximum flavor and crunch, reheated in a skillet until sizzling.
It is a small, sealed package you can drop in your bag. You can use it to add flavor and calories to your lunch salad, morning wrap, or evening pasta dish.
Trust us when we say this bacon is tasty, but be sure to store it properly to make it last long enough.
How Long Can You Store Hormel Pre-Cooked Packaged Bacon?
You may have seen fully cooked bacon from brands like Hormel that can be stored at room temperature for a long time on supermarket shelves.
And they are not even cold stored. What kind of logic could allow anything like this?
This type of bacon is precooked at the processing plant to a water activity of 0.85 or below to kill off Staphylococcus aureus, allowing it to be stored at room temperature (shelf stable).
The combination of sugar, salt, smoke, and preservatives helps preserve this shelf-stable precooked bacon.
And in most cases, the cooked yield is around 40% of its raw weight.
How Long Do Hormel Bacon Bits Last?
Bacon bits from Hormel have a long shelf life.
Once opened, bacon bits prepared with real bacon have a six-week shelf life in the fridge and six-month shelf life in the freezer.
However, you should bear in mind that the reliability of the dates depends on the quality of the storage you choose.
Fact: Hormel bacon is among the very best mainly because of its quality and generous meat-to-fat ratio on each strip.
How Long Can You Use Vacuum Sealed Bacon?
Most bacon found in the grocery store’s meat section has been processed and is typically offered in plastic packaging to prevent it from drying out.
A package of refrigerated bacon that has not been opened and is vacuum packed should be fine, at least until the expiration date.
However, we found that the flavor diminishes even when vacuum-sealed after approximately a week.
What to Do?
If you want your bacon to taste its best, you should cook and eat it within seven days of purchasing it.
It will spoil over time as a natural meat product, even if stored in the fridge in its original container.
Does Hormel Fully Cooked Bacon Need to Be Refrigerated?
As mentioned already, Hormel fully cooked bacon is shelf-stable. It means that if you do not open the package, there is no need to refrigerate it.
The bacon will keep in an unopened container until its expiration date. However, you should refrigerate it and consume it within seven days of opening.
How Long Can Hormel Bacon Stay in the Refrigerator?
Given how tasty bacon is, it is important to know how long a package will keep so you can eat it at its prime.
In most cases, once a product has been opened, it should be used for 3-5 days or refrigerated for storage.
It is true for ham, raw bacon, and Hormel Natural Choice Meats, which should be refrigerated and consumed within a week.
You may be able to refrigerate and consume Hormel Pepperoni and fully-cooked bacon for up to three weeks.
Is It a Good Idea to Refrigerate Hormel Fully Cooked Bacon?
Yes, it is essential to refrigerate it if you have already opened the package.
In fact, freezing cooked bacon can help make it last a little while longer. And freezing does not have to be difficult, either.
All you have to do is take a baking pan and line it with wax paper. Now spread a layer of bacon on it.
Add another sheet, followed by another layer of bacon. Tuck it in the freezer!
What is the Right Temperature for Storing Cooked Bacon?
You can keep bacon for longer if the temperature is low enough to inhibit bacteria growth without causing a freezer burn.
Ideally, it would be best to store your bacon at 40F or go even lower in the refrigerator.
Using a refrigerator thermometer, you may maintain tabs on the exact temperature inside your fridge if you have concerns about its cooling capacities.
How Long Does Hormel Cooked Turkey Bacon Last in Refrigerator?
Turkey bacon could be a smart choice for fans watching their waistlines.
After being cooked, turkey bacon can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days if it is properly wrapped in plastic.
An Important Consideration
As a result of being leaner and lower in fat than traditional bacon, turkey bacon comes with a shorter shelf life.
Be sure to use an airtight container to preserve it, or you can use foil to improve its shelf life.
How Do You Store Cooked Bacon to Make it Last Longer?
When it comes to how long you can keep bacon fresh, there is no universal rule.
Several factors affect your bacon’s storage life. For instance, factors such as the type of bacon, its thickness, how thoroughly it was cooked, and how it was stored will have a role to play.
Here is how to store bacon based on the type you have.
Cooked Strips of Sliced Bacon
Before you even decide to store those strips, let them cool completely.
When storing cooked bacon, it is essential to use an airtight container to reduce the amount of surface area exposed to oxygen.
Remove as much air from the bag as possible, or consider using a vacuum sealer. Put it in the fridge or freezer once you have dated and labeled it.
Cooked Thick-Cut Bacon
You will want to double up on your plastic wrap or other wrapping material if you store thick slices of bacon.
You can insulate slices by wrapping them in many layers of wax paper or even use freezer wrap.
Note: Your thick-cut bacon will stay fresh in the fridge for up to five days if stored in this manner.
Bacon Bits
To extend their shelf life, homemade bacon bits produced with real bacon should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
If done correctly, they will stay fresh for up to five days.
Note
Bacon pieces freeze well and can be stored in the freezer for up to six months if firmly wrapped.
Fact: It is important to consume Hormel bacon soon after opening, or the flavor will no longer be deeply savory, skewing too salty sometimes.
Takeaway
When you love pre-cooked meat, you should know the answer: “How long does Hormel fully cooked bacon last?”
It helps you decide how to store it and when to consume it for optimum flavor.
And bear in mind that a lot depends on how closely you follow the storage guidelines when leaving your bacon in the refrigerator.