How Long Does Bacon Last in the Fridge After Opening the Package?

How long does bacon last in the fridge? Well, the timespan depends on the types of bacon. So, you must know about the types of bacon before purchasing from the market and using it to prepare something.

Unopened bacon packages can last a maximum of eight months in your freezer and two weeks in your refrigerator. At the same time, an opened package of bacon can last eight months in the freezer and one week at an average refrigerating temperature. If the bacon is cooked, it will last for a maximum of one month in your freezer and only five days in your refrigerator.

We provide information about how long bacon last in the fridge in this article. Now that the basics are covered let’s dive a little deeper into to know more about preserving bacon.

How long does bacon last in the fridge

You may wonder how long bacon lasts in the fridge to have fresh bacon from your fridge. You have got to know already from above about the timespan of the meat lasting in your fridge.

Observe the color, texture, and smell of the bacon to understand whether it is rotten or fresh. You will find that the red color of the bacon has turned brown, greenish, or gray when rotten. Moreover, it will become sticky and slimy if it spoils.

You should not use the bacon if you find a rotting odor or sour smell in it. You have to throw away the rotten bacon immediately because it can contaminate the other foods in the kitchen. The bacon can stay in good condition even for months in your freezer if you store it properly.

Keeping bacon unopened till use

The unopened bacon lasts more than the opened bacon. You will find that unopened bacon can last a maximum of two weeks in your refrigerator.

An opened bacon can last a maximum of one week in your fridge. But cooked bacon can last a maximum of five days. If you want the bacon to stay fresh for a long time, keep it in your freezer.

Raw bacon can last for a maximum of six months in your freezer if you store it properly. The unopened, uncooked bacon can last for a maximum of eight months in your freezer. But the cooked bacon can last for almost a month only in your freezer if you store it in the right way.

You have to store the bacon in a glass or plastic airtight container or keep it unopened for a maximum of a week in your fridge. But you can store cooked bacon for a maximum of five days in the airtight container inside your fridge.

If you have opened it accidentally, you can wrap it with aluminum foil. You can store opened, raw bacon inside your fridge in an airtight container too. Try not to tear the original package if storing raw bacon in it.

The advantage of a freezer is that you can store bacon inside a freezer for a long time, about several months. But it would help if you did not store it for a long time because it loses the original quality and flavor.

So, if you want it fresh, store it for a short period. If you are using a freezer to store unopened bacon, you have to use aluminum foil to wrap it in the right way. The raw and opened bacon should be kept inside a zip-top bag and frozen immediately.

If you want to thaw the bacon, you have to put it inside your fridge and wait overnight for it. If you want, you can put it in a zip-top bag for thawing in cold water. You have to keep it for at least 30 minutes like this for thawing. You can also thaw the bacon in your microwave. Try to cook it only one time for a few minutes.

If you have not opened the bacon package, it can last for two weeks in your refrigerator. But the bacon types like pancetta or turkey bacon will last for an extended time in your refrigerator.

If you are sure that the bacon is not in good condition anymore, you must throw it away instead of eating because the spoiled bacon can cause nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. You have to raise your fluid consumption to get rid of the food poisoning problem. You must take a doctor’s advice if you feel like it.

How long does cooked bacon last in the fridge

You can cook the bacon in your oven, microwave, or stovetop. Heat the bacon at 145°F temperature because it is the safe cooking temperature for the bacon.

You have to continue cooking till the bacon becomes crispy. Do not overcook the bacon. If you overcook the bacon, it will turn black. Nitrosamines can also form in it as a result of overcooking. It may cause carcinogenic effects in you when consumed.

You can use bacon to prepare Bacon Nut, Bacon Meatballs, and Bacon Quiche. If you are a seafood lover and like to have seafood with bacon, you can make Hot Bacon-Crab Dip, Bacon-Beer Mussels, and Bacon-Wrapped Trout. The best options of bacon salads for salad are Bistro Salad and Spinach-Bacon Salad.

Store the cooked bacon in your fridge for a maximum of one week. You have to take out the bacon within seven days from your fridge to use it in any recipe or reheat. You can also freeze the bacon in a freezer and use it for a maximum of six months.

If you want to put the bacon inside your fridge in good quality, keep your refrigerator’s temperature maximum at 40°F. You can also keep the temperature at 0° C for frozen bacon.

It will remain in the best quality for a maximum of four months. If you want to refrigerate the crispy cooked bacon, you have to refrigerate it after cooking for two hours.

As a result, the shelf life of the bacon also increases. For refrigeration, you have to use an aluminum foil or plastic wrap package to cover bacon and put it in the container.

The cooked bacon is spoiled; you will find that the red color has turned into a greenish, brown, or gray color. The moist and soft bacon will also become sticky or slimy. You should not eat the cooked bacon if you get a rotting odor or sour smell from it.

Make sure to seal the plastic bag of bacon tightly before putting it inside the refrigerator. It is an easy process to freeze the cooked bacon.

How long does turkey bacon last in the fridge

If you can store the turkey bacon inside your fridge will stay in good condition for a maximum of 14 days. But still, you should try to store it for a maximum of seven days in your fridge for safety.

You can keep the cooked turkey bacon in your fridge for a maximum of five days. But if you keep it inside your freezer, you can keep it for a maximum of eight weeks. You can also save for a maximum of six months in your freezer but eat the stored bacon within four months if you want to eat it in good quality.

The cooked turkey bacon’s shelf life depends on its ingredients and cooking process. You can use deep-frying or pan-frying cooking, which is the favored method of turkey bacon.

Try to deep fry the turkey bacon because it sticks on the pan. If you grill the turkey bacon, you will find that it has turned dry. So, you have to execute it carefully to avoid the dryness of the turkey bacon.

You have to cool down the cooked turkey bacon before it’s stored. Try to wrap it with wrap or foil at least twice if you want to stay safe. You can also use freezer bags or shallow-airtight containers to store the turkey bacon in your fridge.

Firstly, you have to use cling or foil wrap to tightly cover the cooked turkey bacon. Then, please keep it in a freezer bag or airtight container before putting it in your freezer. You have to thaw the turkey bacon inside your fridge the whole night. Also, you can also thaw it for a maximum of 30 minutes at the temperature of 180° C in your oven.

You will understand that the turkey bacon is not in good condition by its appearance, texture, and smell. The color of the turkey bacon is subtle pink. It changes into gray or brown color if it rot.

There are several ways to keep turkey bacon for an extended time in fresh condition. They are as follows:

1. If you are using a sealed package, then degradation is very slow. So, you must not tear the turkey bacon package if you are not ready to use it.
2. If you have any leftovers from the turkey bacon, you should store them immediately. You can use plastic wraps, freezer bags, or airtight containers for storing it.
3. You can use the stored turkey bacon for a maximum of 14 days. After that, try to throw it away without using it any further, even if you find it is okay.
4. If you freeze the turkey bacon, it will stay safe, and you can use it for several months.

How long does unopened or raw bacon last in the fridge

The unopened raw bacon can last upto seven days in your fridge. The opened raw bacon also lasts for the same amount of time. But the cooked bacon can last for upto five days in your fridge.

It would help if you stored the raw bacon in your refrigerator. If the original package tears accidentally, you can use a freezer bag,aluminum foil, or plastic bag to cover the raw bacon. Otherwise, try to keep the raw bacon in its original package.

If you wrap the bacon properly, it will not lose any moisture from it. Moreover, the wrap will protect the turkey bacon from spreading the pungent smell to the other products in your fridge.

You have to seal the freezer bag or airtight container tightly and store it in the one corner side of your fridge. If the bacon is pre-cooked and store-bought, you can keep it at room temperature and fridge. The place of your storage depends on the type of bacon. The shelf-stable bacon stays in good condition even at room temperature. So, you can keep it at room temperature too.

You have to first cut into small pieces of the large bacon and cook it. Then, after cooking, you can move towards the freezing process. After that, keep the bacon slices in your freezer bag. Then, you have to squeeze out the excess air from it. Put a label on the bag and write down the date before putting it into the freezer. You should take a bag and freeze bacon’s meal-sized portion. You can thaw the raw bacon throughout the night in your fridge.

Final thoughts

If you are a bacon lover and planning to buy some the meat to prepare a dish, you should follow our instructions. Before making something with it, you need to know everything about raw and cooked bacon. It will make your ways simple and easy.

By now, you have already understood how long does bacon last in the fridge. You know about the time until the raw and cooked bacon last in the refrigerator or freezer. This will help you to stay safe from various diseases.

You can look for other options like a freezer or microwave to thaw the bacon instead of the fridge. We have provided details on how long does bacon last in the fridge in this article. Hopefully, our information will come to your help.