Diane's Food Blog

For years I have been storing extra bacon in the freezer, as I never use an entire package in a timely manner. I realize that freezing bacon is hardly a groundbreaking concept or cutting edge technology: you buy some bacon, stick it in the freezer, and thaw it when you are ready to use it. What else needs to be said? Well, more than you might think…

One day I reinvented the bacon-freezing wheel, and found it made life so much easier. So naturally, I want to share that here to make your life easier as well. After all, anything that gets the bacon out of the freezer and onto your plate faster is a good thing, right?

OLD METHOD

I used to take a few strips at a time, stacked together, and wrap them tightly in plastic.

I would freeze these little packets and then on Bacon Day, either thaw them in the refrigerator overnight (on the odd chance that I planned ahead), or else in the microwave that morning (more typical). Thawing frozen bacon is messy, though, and using the microwave can sometimes leave the stack a little frozen in the middle while the outer edges start to cook, and then it’s all just a soppy wet mess.

NEW METHOD

I start by cutting the entire package right down the middle. I just find half-slices are easier to work with.

Next, I spray a flexible mat type of cutting board with a light coating of cooking spray, then peel off all the bacon slices and lay them flat on the board. I love using flexible cutting mats for this purpose. (I needed some extra storage from this package and used a dinner plate for backup. It worked just fine, but next time I’ll line the plate and/or cutting board with parchment paper, thanks to a great idea from one of my readers.)

Once the cutting boards/mats (or dinner plates, as the case may be) are lined with bacon, I place them in the freezer. No need to cover them; just lie them flat. A few hours later, when each slice is frozen individually, I simply bend the mat and slide all the bacon into a freezer bag.

Now I have a bag of individually frozen strips of bacon that goes right back in the freezer.

I also include the package label so I know which brand it is. I keep switching brands and usually have two of three different brands or types in the freezer.

Whenever I need bacon, I take just as many slices as I need. (Notice I said “need,” and not “want.” We’re talking about BACON, after all!)

They don’t even need to be thawed first: I put them right in the frying pan and they fry up crispy every time!

Enjoy!