Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails - I've committed the worst sin in the food world...
11:09 am December 20th, 2012
thistle_chaser
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I've committed the worst sin in the food world...
I have two pounds of bacon in my fridge. Both of them expired almost a month ago.

I love bacon, but the problem is I can eat it all in one sitting, so I try to resist it. Sometimes I give in and buy some (especially when it's on sale), and toss it in my fridge. I did really well resisting it this time! ...too well.

To be honest, I never realized bacon had an expiration date. Silly, I know, since it's meat, but I figured all the chemicals and preservatives probably kept it good forever. (I've likely eaten expired bacon before without realizing it.)

But now I know. My two wonderful pounds of bacon (my favorite brand of it, too!) are expired. Google didn't give me a good answer on if I should risk it or not. So I come to you, wonderful LJ friends!

The bacon has been in the fridge all this time. Both packages are unopened. They expired on 11/27, so it's currently three weeks over the date, but I likely wouldn't cook them until this weekend (though could make them tonight if pressed). I know expiration dates aren't set in stone, but this is meat... So, what would you do?

Poll #1885935 IT'S BACON!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 16

Would you eat or toss this bacon?

View Answers
Throw it out!
4 (23.5%)
Eat it if it looks and smells okay
12 (70.6%)
Eat it no matter how it smell -- IT'S BACON!
1 (5.9%)

Tags: , ,
Current Mood: curious curious
28 comments or Leave a comment
Comments
Thread started by My alter egos start with a C
kamalloy From: kamalloy Date: December 20th, 2012 07:24 pm (UTC) (Link)
I use StillTasty.com as a reference for these things.

According to it, you can keep unopened bacon in the fridge for up to a week after the expiration date. You can keep it in the freezer for a very long time, though the quality goes down after a couple of months.
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 20th, 2012 08:17 pm (UTC) (Link)
Ah, good site! Thanks for the link! I guess my poor, sad bacon is going to need to be tossed. :/
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by eglantine_br
eglantine_br From: eglantine_br Date: December 20th, 2012 07:25 pm (UTC) (Link)
I put mine in the freezer. It does not take long to thaw, and you can cook it from a frozen state if you just can't wait. ( For me, this is often.) No good now as help, but for next time.

I myself, would go by smell. If it has gone bad you will know. But be careful. If it smells even a little funny, dump it.
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 20th, 2012 08:19 pm (UTC) (Link)
Good idea. I'm going to toss mine in the freezer from now on. Hopefully this won't happen again!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by Peppy
peppygrowlithe From: peppygrowlithe Date: December 20th, 2012 08:58 pm (UTC) (Link)
It's like this: I would eat it, but I'm surprised you would. Does that make sense? X)
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 20th, 2012 09:12 pm (UTC) (Link)
Haha I think it does! I'm really tempted to eat it, but I have so many stomach issues already, I'm not sure if it's worth risking more... Bacon IS really expansive nowadays, but being sick for days would be worse.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by Alix (Tersa)
tersa From: tersa Date: December 20th, 2012 10:00 pm (UTC) (Link)
Concurring with what a few people said: if you're going to buy multiple packages of it and won't eat a lot of it at a time, throw it in the freezer. Better yet, pick up some waxed paper and some foil and package it up into individual serving sizes (however many strips you like to eat at a time) before putting it in there.

Then, when you're in the mood for bacon, you can pull out a package, thaw it in the fridge, and have it whenever you want.

Just make sure to write the date you put the bacon into the freezer on the foil wrapping with a Sharpie or something, so you'll know how long it's been in there.
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 20th, 2012 10:23 pm (UTC) (Link)
That's such a good idea. And you're the reason I even thought to check! For some reason, this morning a line from one of your posts popped into my head. You were making soup or stew or something, and you said you had some bacon that needed to be used up, so you tossed it in as well. It was like a movie, where words kept repeating in the main character's head. "Needed to be used up, needed to be used up..." then it hit me. :P
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by Amanuensis
amanuensis1 From: amanuensis1 Date: December 20th, 2012 10:56 pm (UTC) (Link)
Expiration dates are actually "sell by" dates and "best if used by" dates and I treat them that way. But I treat them that way a little too strictly. There is no "use by this day or throw out" date that follows in my head; there's just my own judgement. Eggs? Good for weeks and weeks and WEEKS past the sell-by date. Canned food? Good for decades. They just might not taste that great after a few years, is all. Package of fresh chicken/hamburger/steak/etc. that I neglected to freeze? Um...if it's been more than a few days, better smell it and see. A week would probably hit my "don't even smell it" limit for fresh uncured meat. Bacon would get a month or two past the sell-by date for me. And that's only if I'm eating it myself, not if I'm serving it to others. I will eat lots of things I won't serve to others. I figure if the worst that will happen is that it'll make me puke it up, that's no big deal, but I'm not allowed to poison other people! ^_^
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 21st, 2012 01:45 am (UTC) (Link)
I'm so torn! And the poll is 50/50 now between tossing it and smelling it and seeing. I paid about $5 for it, so it's not a huge loss if I do toss it.

And totally agreed! I wouldn't feed it to someone else, for sure.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
ani_mama From: ani_mama Date: December 22nd, 2012 05:56 pm (UTC) (Link)
I have been told that fresh laid eggs are good for up to 6 months when kept chilled. Our ranch eggs never hang around that long, but we have had three month old eggs on the fridge that are perfectly fine.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by ani_mama
ani_mama From: ani_mama Date: December 21st, 2012 12:46 am (UTC) (Link)
I would toss it. Food poisoning from bad meats is not something you want to risk!

I keep a jar of bacon grease in the fridge for cooking, and it lasts pretty much forever. But that is cooked, strained grease. I would not eat supermarket bacon if it is more than a week past the expiration date.

I have 20 pounds of bacon in the freezer. ;p

Edited at 2012-12-21 12:46 am (UTC)
(Reply) (Thread)
bastets_place From: bastets_place Date: December 21st, 2012 01:39 am (UTC) (Link)
If you cook it, and it has really gone bad, there will be NO DOUBT in your mind. Personally, I would cook a slice and see. It certainly, absolutely, totally will smell and look WRONG.

Otherwise, it should be fine.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 21st, 2012 01:48 am (UTC) (Link)
Yeah, once I opened some bad pork to put into the crock pot. Ugh! There was no question it had gone bad.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 21st, 2012 01:46 am (UTC) (Link)
I'm thinking that, yeah. $5 of bacon isn't worth being sick for days...
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
ani_mama From: ani_mama Date: December 21st, 2012 02:43 am (UTC) (Link)
Last time I got food poisoning (day before Thanksgiving, sniff)my tummy was not right for a couple of weeks. Definitely not worth it!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by avocado_love
avocado_love From: avocado_love Date: December 21st, 2012 03:17 am (UTC) (Link)
I say if it smells okay then find a great bacon soup crockpot recipe and cook that bitch for 8 hours on high. Then enjoy. :)

Edit: Oh wait, it was in the fridge and not the freezer? Toss it. :(

Edited at 2012-12-21 03:18 am (UTC)
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 21st, 2012 04:10 am (UTC) (Link)
Yeah, fridge. I think it's gotta go!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by Tea and Failure
teaandfailure From: teaandfailure Date: December 21st, 2012 03:28 am (UTC) (Link)
I agree with everyone that says put it in the freezer next time, because then it is okay for a lot longer, but this time throw it out.

Because yes, the risk of meat that has turned is not worth it. I mean sure, most bacon is salted to hell and gone and would probably be okay just because of that, but it's better not to risk it.
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 21st, 2012 04:11 am (UTC) (Link)
Yeah, better safe than in the bathroom for three days straight! Into the trash it's going. :/
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by Loup Noir
loupnoir From: loupnoir Date: December 21st, 2012 06:31 pm (UTC) (Link)
At least open it. If it feels funny at all, you know, a little slimy, then toss it. The use by dates on a lot of products are weird guesses generated by lawyers.
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 21st, 2012 08:16 pm (UTC) (Link)
It's still in my fridge, so I might do that.

Expiration dates sure are odd things. Today I bought a turkey breast to make in the crock pot (assuming it fits...), and it's best used by 12/31. Ten days from now! And who knows how long it's been at the store. I don't think it's frozen, so it's kind of boggling that meat would keep that long. (It's wrapped tightly in plastic from whatever company sells it.)
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by Greg Connor
gconnor From: gconnor Date: December 23rd, 2012 03:37 am (UTC) (Link)
Points in its favor: bacon is usually very well-salted (salting meat was the original preservative, well before refrigeration) and, it's unopened. Your nose will tell you if something is wrong, usually.

Recently I've been eating MORE bacon, not less. But, that's another story -- I am trying not to clutter up other people's comment spaces with my gushing about low carb diet/lifestyle
(Reply) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 23rd, 2012 03:41 am (UTC) (Link)
It's still in my fridge. Tomorrow is my cleaning-out-the-fridge day, so I'll likely open it and have a sniff then. Hopefully if it's bad, it won't be too bad!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
gconnor From: gconnor Date: December 23rd, 2012 03:42 am (UTC) (Link)
oh wait it's only $5? trash it. I also suggest pre-cooked bacon from Costco... easy to heat up just 4 slices whenever you want.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 23rd, 2012 04:32 am (UTC) (Link)
Yeah, only $5. I don't have a Costco membership, but I've been eyeing this package of pre-cooked bacon on Amazon.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
gconnor From: gconnor Date: December 23rd, 2012 05:59 am (UTC) (Link)
Wow is that really $40 plus $15 shipping for 100 slices?

The one I got at costco was
Kirkland Signature Hormel Bacon Precooked 1 lb
$14.29 on costco.com -- I got it for $9.99 in store
(48 to 50 slices)

So that would be like .10/slice. If you don't go to costco, though, safeway probably has something similar, though not as cheap. 3.99 for 2.5 oz (works out to $25/lb)

So, if you can get a friend to get it from costco, that's the way to go, but safeway is still considerably cheaper than Omaha
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
thistle_chaser From: thistle_chaser Date: December 23rd, 2012 06:08 am (UTC) (Link)
Wow, yeah... It had been the postage that was stopping me, so it's good to know those numbers.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
28 comments or Leave a comment
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