How Long Is Bacon from the Butcher Good For?

If bacon is a part of your diet, we don’t need to tell you how delicious it is. This salty treat tastes great with scrambled eggs, on a salad, or inside a sandwich. Unless, of course, the bacon went bad before it met the skillet. How long does bacon stay fresh in the fridge? We have the answer and some other tips on how to make sure it stays fresh so you can always enjoy this fine pork product at its best.

One of the joys of visiting a local butcher shop is bringing home high-quality cuts of meat, including delicious, thick-sliced bacon. But since butcher shop bacon doesn’t contain preservatives like commercially packaged grocery store bacon, it has a shorter shelf life. So how long does artisanal bacon from the butcher keep in the fridge?

Below we’ll cover proper storage times and techniques to maximize freshness for both unopened and opened packages of butcher bacon

Unopened Bacon from the Butcher

For unopened, vacuum-sealed packages of raw bacon from the butcher shop, follow these refrigerator storage guidelines:

7-10 days past the printed sell by date. This is an estimate only – always inspect and smell the bacon before cooking.
2 weeks total from the package date. This includes the roughly 7 days between packaging and the sell by date, plus another 7 days afterwards
No more than 2 weeks after purchase. Even without sell by dates, raw bacon lasts about 2 weeks once brought home fridge.

The exact shelf life depends on the freshness when you bought it and how cold your fridge runs. But you can safely store an unopened pack of butcher bacon for 1-2 weeks as long as it smells fresh.

Opened Bacon from the Butcher

Once opened, the clock starts ticking faster on your bacon’s fridge life. Follow these guidelines:

3-5 days: Bacon stored in a fresh zip-top bag or airtight container will keep for 3-5 days.
7 days max: For best quality, use within a week. Bacon older than this may taste stale or rancid.
Freeze leftovers: Freeze any bacon you won’t use within 5-7 days. It keeps for 1-2 months in the freezer.

Proper storage is key – remove as much air as possible and keep the temperature at 40°F or below. With an airtight seal, your butcher bacon should retain good flavor for about a week after opening.

Signs Your Butcher Bacon Has Gone Bad

Watch for these signs that your vacuum-packed artisanal bacon has spoiled and should be tossed:

Sliminess – Fresh bacon feels dry to the touch. Discard if sticky, tacky, or slimy.
Off odors – It smells sour, rancid, or unpleasant. Trust your nose.
Off-color – The fat turns grey or yellow. The meat may look dull or dark.
Mold – You see fuzzy dots of black, green, or white mold.
Expired dates – It’s more than 2 weeks past the sell by/use by date.

Whenever bacon looks or smells funky, remember the old saying – “When in doubt, throw it out!” Don’t risk getting sick.

Storing Butcher Bacon for Maximum Freshness

Here are some tips to maintain quality and prolong the fridge life of your butcher shop bacon:

Keep unopened packages on a bottom shelf or in the meat drawer where it’s coldest.
Transfer opened bacon to an airtight container, removing as much air as possible.
Don’t open the package until ready to use to limit air exposure.
Use opened bacon within a week and write the date opened on the storage container.
Monitor for sliminess, stickiness, or off-odors. Discard if detected.

With proper refrigeration technique, you can enjoy butcher-quality bacon for its full 1-2 week shelf life.

Freezing Leftover Butcher Bacon

For longer storage, freeze any remaining bacon you won’t use within 5-7 days. Here are some freezing tips:

Freeze unopened packages up to 2 months past the sell by date. It remains safe indefinitely but quality declines over time.
Portion opened bacon in airtight bags or containers to remove air. It will keep for 1-2 months in the freezer before losing texture.
Let bacon thaw overnight in the fridge before using. Don’t thaw at room temperature.
Cook bacon straight from frozen if needed. It may just take a bit longer.

The freezer pauses the clock on your bacon, letting you safely freeze and thaw it for later use.

Purchasing Butcher Bacon

To get the longest fridge life from local butcher shop bacon, follow these freshness tips:

Inspect the packaging. Avoid leaky or damaged packages.
Check sell by and use by dates. Pick packages with farther-out dates.
Ask when it was packaged. Aim for bacon packaged that day or week for maximum shelf life.
Consider portion sizes. Buy only what you’ll use within 2 weeks if possible.
Transport it carefully straight home. Keep cold in an insulated bag or cooler.
Refrigerate immediately at 40°F or below. Avoid leaving it warm in the car.

Starting with the freshest bacon from your butcher will ensure you get the full 1-2 weeks of fridge life before it goes bad.

Safely Thawing Frozen Butcher Bacon

To safely thaw frozen artisanal bacon from your butcher shop:

Thaw in the fridge overnight, allowing 8-12 hours. Bacon left at room temp can grow bacteria.
Submerge sealed packages in cold water. Change the water every 30 mins to keep it cold.
Thaw in the microwave if cooking immediately. Use the defrost setting if available.
Cook frozen bacon straight from the freezer. It will just take 50% longer to cook through.

Always thaw butcher bacon in the fridge or cold water, never on the counter. This prevents bacterial growth as it slowly comes up to temp.

Cooking and Serving Butcher Bacon

Butcher bacon should be enjoyed within 5-7 days of opening for the best flavor and texture. Here are some serving tips:

Cook until crispy but not burnt. Around 8-10 minutes in a 375°F oven or skillet works well.
Bake a whole package at once, then refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container.
Add cooked bacon bits to salads, soups, pasta, and vegetables for a savory, salty crunch.
Make bacon the star in a BLT sandwich, Cobb salad, or breakfast spread.
Wrap bites of chicken, steak, shrimp, or scallops in bacon and bake for amazing apps.
Fry bacon slices and chop into lardons to add to salad dressings, sauces, and casseroles.

Butcher bacon deserves to shine, not languish in the back of the fridge! Use it while it’s at peak freshness within a week for the most flavor and the best texture.

The Takeaway on Butcher Bacon Storage

The bottom line when storing artisanal bacon from the butcher shop:

Unopened packages last about 2 weeks at fridge temps.
Opened bacon should be used within 5-7 days for optimum quality.
Watch for sliminess, smell, and other signs of spoilage.
Freeze extra bacon for 1-2 months to extend shelf life.

With proper refrigeration and freezing methods, you can fully enjoy the superior flavor of butcher shop bacon before it goes bad. So next time you grab high-quality bacon from your local butcher, know how long it stays fresh.

how long is bacon from butcher good for

What About Dry-Cured Bacon?

The above guidelines apply to the standard, mass-produced bacon that’s most often sold in the United States (think Oscar Mayer). That said, some types of bacon (i.e., dry-cured) will stay fresh in the fridge for longer. Per the experts at Fleishers Butchery, generic bacon, the kind with the seven-day rule, is almost always wet-cured—a quicker curing process that involves either injecting liquid curing agents into the meat or brining it in a curing solution. Dry-curing, on the other hand, is a more time-consuming process in which the pork is rubbed with a combination of dry curing agents (often celery salt) and hung to dry.

So what does it mean if your bacon says it’s ‘uncured’? Probably not what you think. Uncured bacon is not a thing: In reality, all bacon has been cured using one of the methods described above. However, because of a labeling loophole in the FDA’s definition of curing, companies can still use the rather misleading term to refer to their dry-cured product—a popular, but pricey item often found at whole food stores or at butcher shops in slab form. In other words, if the bacon you brought home from the store claims to be ‘uncured’ or nitrite-free, what the package means to say is that it has been dry-cured with celery salt—an ingredient that contains naturally-occurring nitrite. (FYI: Per the Washington Post, there’s no evidence that dry-cured bacon is any “healthier” or has less nitrite than mass-produced bacon.)

If you’re not sure what kind of bacon you have, look at the label. It will tell you if it has been dry-cured or not.

The main difference between dry-cured and wet-cured bacon is that dry-cured bacon stays fresh in the fridge a little longer. The FSIS says that dry-cured bacon will stay fresh in the fridge for up to three weeks if the label says it is nitrite-free and the package has not been opened. On top of that, if you buy dry-cured slab bacon from a local butcher, you can keep the meat in the fridge for four to six weeks without touching it.

Confused? You’re not alone. If you want to avoid problems with bacon, follow the seven-day rule. This is true no matter how it is cured. Better yet, freeze your bacon and you’ll get months of enjoyment out of every package you bring home.

How Long Does Bacon Last in the Freezer?

So you bought more bacon at the store than you can devour in a single week. (No judgment. Luckily, there’s a way out that doesn’t involve eating a lot of bacon: just freeze the package of bacon, and you can eat it again and again for months. When stored in an airtight container at 0ºF or below (i. e. , standard freezer temperature) bacon, raw or cooked, will stay fresh until the end of time. Still, the FSIS says that you should use raw bacon within four to six months of freezing it for the best taste and texture. Cooked bacon that has been frozen will start to taste less good around the three-month mark.

How to Make Bacon at Home Like a Pro Butcher (JPV Method) | The Bearded Butchers

FAQ

How long does butchers bacon last in the fridge?

Meat Cut	Refrigerator (5˚C or below)	Freezer (0˚C or below)
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Pork Sausage Meat	1-2 days	1-2 months
Round Steak/Pork	1-2 days	3-4 months
Chicken or Turkey (whole)	1-2 days	1 year

How long does Bacon last if cooked?

Once you open that package, bacon’s shelf life shortens whether you cook it or not. Raw bacon in a package that has been opened and re-sealed will last up to a week in the fridge, and cooked bacon will last four to five days if it’s properly stored. You can also store bacon in the freezer.

How long does dry cured bacon last?

The relevant distinction between dry-cured and wet-cured bacon is that the dry-cured stuff lasts slightly longer in the fridge. According to the FSIS, if the label says nitrite-free, and the dry-cured bacon has not been opened, it will stay fresh for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

How long can you keep cured bacon in the fridge?

Bonus: If you’re buying dry-cured, slab bacon from a local butcher, your (untouched) hunk of meat will be safe to eat for anywhere from four to six weeks in the fridge. Confused? You’re not alone. Your best bet when it comes to bacon is to just stick with the seven-day rule regardless of the curing process and you’ll be in the clear.

How long can you keep cooked bacon in the freezer?

You can keep cooked and uncooked bacon in the freezer indefinitely, so this is great for stocking up on bacon. However, the USDA does recommend thawing and cooking raw bacon within four months and thawing and reheating cooked bacon within a month for peak quality and enjoyment.

How long does bacon grease last?

Leftover bacon grease, properly stored in an airtight container, should last up to six months in the refrigerator and up to nine months in the freezer. Bacon grease will have a rancid odor after it has gone bad, so if it smells bad or has any visible signs of mold, throw it out.

Does bacon go bad after opening?

Once a package of bacon has been opened, no matter what the date says, it may go bad much sooner. This happens because the bacon has now been exposed to air and bacteria. In general, bacon is safe to eat for one week after opening as long as you place it in a plastic bag or another airtight container.