# How do I store homemade bacon bits?



## granolalight (Nov 1, 2006)

I am making bacon for a salad (broccoli, bacon, craisins, and slaw dressing







). I hate cooking bacon b/c of the mess. I would like to make a bunch at once then have on hand to throw on salads, soups, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. Can I cook it ahead of time and then keep it? How long will it keep? Does it need to be refrigerated? Will it keep any of it's crunch?

Oh, and if I save and store the grease for later use... refrigerated, right?

TIA, wise mamas.


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## WaitingForKiddos (Nov 30, 2006)

Keep the grease in the fridge. That I do know...beause boy, there's nothing like the smell of rancid grease!

I would think that you could make up the bits and put them in a jar. Store the jar in the fridge and then pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to get them re-crispy. I have no idea how long it would last. I'd guess it would depend on the type of bacon (how much salt has been added before you cooked it).


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## North_Of_60 (May 30, 2006)

I would under cook it slightly, then lay it between two sheets of parchment paper and freeze flat in a ziploc. Then when you need it take it off the parchment and put it in a paper towel and microwave it to finish cooking it (this will literally only take a few minutes) and it will crisp it up again.

That's the only I've found to get any sort of crunch out of frozen pre-cooked bacon. If you fully cook it and let it thaw at room temp, it won't be crunchy anymore. Still really flavorful, but more rubbery then crunchy. If you pre-cook the bacon until just before the way you like it, you can finish it off in the microwave and get that crunch back. And it's less messy and a lot quicker then doing it on the stove top for a few slices of bacon you'd need for a sandwhich or salad. I almost always have bacon ready to go in the freezer like this. It works great.

And if you make fires or have to light a charcoal BBQ, keep the paper towel with the bacon grease stores in the freezer for when you need a fire starter.


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## granolalight (Nov 1, 2006)

Great idea to keep them in the freezer ready to go. I hate cooking bacon, so I'd rather get it overwith in one shot and then take it out of the freezer as needed. Thanks for the tip!


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