Note that properly frozen bacon can last far beyond its “sell by” or “use by” dates. Also check to make sure the packaging is still sealed and has no holes or tears, which may expose your bacon to bacteria and cause it to spoil prematurely.
Always handle raw meat with clean hands, and be sure to wash your hands afterward, as well.
If the original packaging is still sealed, keep the bacon until 7 days after the indicated “sell-by” date, or until the “use-by” date.
Bacon will stay fresh for different amounts of time, depending on how it’s been prepared. Cooked bacon in strips lasts for about a week in the fridge, and up to 6 months in the freezer, while bacon bits will last for about 6 weeks in the fridge, and 6 months in the freezer.
Bacon is also perfectly safe to cook straight from the frozen state, if you don’t have time to thaw it.
When shopping, save selecting your bacon for last, and do so immediately before checking out to reduce the time the bacon spends between refrigeration.
If you don’t care to use your leftover bacon fat, let it cool for a couple hours, then pour it into a disposable plastic container, and throw the container out.
