I was curing some bacon for the week. It’s vacuum sealed and my garage fridge went out. I’m assuming it went out a day or so ago. Foods were cold yesterday, but now everything is room temp. Freezer items are all room temp.
Is my bacon bad? I was going to smoke it tomorrow
by attimus02
7 Comments
If it doesn’t smell bad when you open it and you plan to cook it through, it’s probably OK. But any hint of bad smell and in the bin it goes for me.
Bacon is salted heavily so it’s more difficult for bacon to go bad than uncured meats. The rule of thumb is that if it smells like raw meat then eat it. If it smells like spoiled milk or has a sticky slime on it throw it away.
For me as a certified food handler, based on the information given i would throw it out. For personal consumption i would cook it down as fast as possible and then smell test!
It looks hermetically sealed. It looks good. I would definitely cook it and as above do the smell test.
If it doesn’t smell bad, then use it up. At least cook it all off, and cook it well, ( dark brown). Then freeze it for future use. Cooked bacon takes up less space than raw bacon does. I’m a former U.S. Army certified cook, baker.
You do have the possibility of C bot growth, given that it’s vacuum packed. I’m not sure if you have adequate salts (nitrites/nitrates) to inhibit C. bot growth. I’d toss it.
You know the deal. Cook it up and use it fast. Of course the safe answer is toss it.
My experience is honest, I recently had two Kosher Salami logs shipped, it was vacuum sealed, they arrived at room temperature. But the oil which separated was still completely clear, not cloudy or milky. Your bacon is the same, it’s not spoiled much inside the wrapper yet.