Bacon is Brown but smells OK Reddit

With a rich flavor and crispy, satisfying texture, Coleman Natural Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon is a household favorite. So it’s no surprise that it’s often devoured a day or two after you bring it home from the store or it is delivered to your doorstep.

However, sometimes your bacon might get pushed to the back of the fridge. Or perhaps you find yourself buying a bit more than your family can eat. Before long, you might be wondering whether your bacon has gone bad or is still edible.

Even though our bacon is cured with natural ingredients and smoked, it doesn’t stay fresh forever. To help you decide whether it’s safe to eat your bacon, we’re going to cover a bit about packaging, as well as four signs it’s time to toss your bacon

First Thing’s First: Check the Date

Before you start inspecting strips of bacon, take a minute to check the package for a date. While the USDA doesn’t require manufacturers to label bacon with a date, many companies choose to add a “use by” or a “sell by” date.

This date may appear in a variety of formats, including the sometimes mysterious Julian date code, which utilizes a five-digit number in the format XX-XXX. The first two numbers refer to the year. For example, 22 refers to 2022. The last three digits refer to the day of the year. So 001 would correlate with January 1 and 365 would indicate December 31. So a code of 22-023 would mean January 23, 2022.

Once you’ve found the date, take note of whether it’s a “sell by” or “use by” date. Most bacon will have a “sell by” date, but a “use by” date is not out of the question.

So what’s the difference between the two?

A “sell by” date helps grocery managers move inventory through their stores, so you receive fresh products. If your bacon has a “sell by” date, use it within one week after the date listed, or freeze it for up to a month.

On the other hand, a “use by” date (or “best if used by” date) indicates when a product passes peak quality. The USDA advises tossing bacon that has exceeded its “use by” date.

Carefully Inspect the Packaging

Even if it’s before the “use by” or “sell by” date on your package, your bacon may still be bad. How? There might be a hole in the package or other damage that occurred on its way to the store shelf!

All dates are created with the assumption that bacon is properly vacuum sealed and stored. If air has entered into the package, the spoiling process has already started.

Before you purchase bacon, glance over the package to make sure it’s well sealed and doesn’t show any indicators of spoilage.

Four Signs Opened Bacon Has Gone Bad

Even if you’ve bought fresh bacon and stored it properly, it won’t last forever. Here are four signs your refrigerated bacon may have gone bad.

1. It Doesn’t Smell Quite Right

Bacon shouldn’t have a strong scent. If anything, it should smell a bit smoky.

If you’re met with a sour or sulfuric odor, your bacon has gone bad. This stench occurs when bacteria, yeast, and fungi take hold of the bacon. The microbes may produce odors themselves or cause the bacon to release off-putting aromas.

Sometimes bacon’s smoky smell can mask these odors. Therefore, when in doubt, you should also make sure to look for other signs your bacon has passed its prime.

2. It Feels Slimy

Fresh bacon should feel soft and a bit moist. If you go to grab some bacon and find it slimy, something has gone awry. While some may say that slime is just water leaking out of bacon, this isn’t true. Slime actually occurs when certain types of bacteria begin breaking down the meat.

If you notice your bacon feels slimy, it’s almost certainly been colonized by bacteria. That means you should toss your bacon rather than risk sickening yourself and your family.

3. It’s Discolored

Fresh bacon should have tantalizing strips of white fat marbled with pinkish-red meat. However, this isn’t always the case with a spoiled product.

After sitting in the refrigerator for a week, you may notice your bacon has taken on a green, gray, or brown hue. Once again, this discoloration indicates bacteria and/or fungi have colonized your bacon. If you’re guessing this means it’s time to toss your bacon, you’re right!

4. It’s Moldy

Many bacteria, yeasts, and fungi are invisible to the naked eyed, but some fungi can form on the surface of bacon. If you notice any type of mold or growth on the product, your bacon has definitely gone bad.

While you may be tempted to cut off the moldy spot and cook up the rest of the bacon, this isn’t recommended. If there’s anything growing visibly, there’s a good chance that fungi may exist throughout the bacon, even if you can’t see it.

How Long Is Bacon Safe to Eat After Opening?

Now that you know how to tell if your bacon has gone bad, you might be wondering how fast this happens.

As soon as you open a package of bacon, it becomes exposed to the air and the bacteria and fungi lurking in the environment. Even if you reseal your bacon after opening, the initial exposure has begun the chemical reactions leading to spoilage. Therefore, you can expect open bacon to last for about a week in the refrigerator.

To keep your bacon fresh for a bit longer, seal it in an airtight plastic bag and pop it in the freezer. As long as it’s well sealed, uncooked frozen bacon will stay tasty for up to a month.

If you’ve found yourself with more bacon than you can manage, try incorporating it into other dishes. Remember, bacon isn’t just a breakfast food. Corn and Bacon Chowder can be a quick weeknight meal and Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Potatoes are the perfect snacks for football watching or movie nights.

How Long Does Cooked Bacon Last?

Once you’ve opened and cooked bacon, it can last for five to seven days in the refrigerator. If you realize you’ve cooked more bacon than you can use in the next week, you can always freeze cooked bacon, too. Frozen, cooked bacon will keep its delicious flavor and texture for about a month.

There are also plenty of ways to use leftover cooked bacon. While it’s great as a stand-alone snack, it also shines in baked goods like Savory Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Scones and Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

How to Prevent Bacon From Going Bad

When you bring home Coleman Natural’s Parent Tested Parent Approved bacon, you want to be able to enjoy every last savory bit. To make this happen, be sure you store your bacon properly.

You should always store both cooked and uncooked bacon in the refrigerator or freezer. The low temperatures will slow down the growth of harmful microbes that cause spoilage, increasing bacon’s shelf life. If you’re storing cooked bacon, allow it to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge or freezer.

Another tip is to make sure your bacon is as airtight as possible. If you’re storing your bacon in a plastic bag, squeeze out excess air before sealing. At the very least, place your bacon in a sealed storage container.

All-Natural Bacon You Can Enjoy

When it comes time to buy your bacon, check out Coleman Natural’s bacon products, including our Sugar-Free Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon. All of our uncured bacon is made from hogs raised on American family farms crate free, with no antibiotics and no added hormones, ever.

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