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How long will the bacon keep.....?

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 2:29 pm
by frenchian2
Hi, I need advice from you all.

I make my bacon by buying a 2½kg belly of pork from my local butcher. After having cured and smoked it, I take it back to him, and he very kindly slices it for me. Then I freeze it. No problem there.

My son is visiting in a few weeks, and wants to take some home. So, it'll have to be unfrozen, at least till he gets home. And, as it's going in his hold luggage, he's concerned about the smell getting onto his clothes - ordinary plastic bags, even double, aren't perfect. I know, he could wash the clothes, but.......

My butcher has a vacuum-packing machine.

However, the butcher is going on holiday this weekend, for 2½ weeks. I THINK I can spin the process out till he comes back (and will be available for slicing and vacuum-packing), but I'm concerned it will be longer that advised.

Timing looks like:

Curing............5/6days.............finish 19th June
Resting..............6days.............finish 25th June
Smoking.............1day..............finish 26th June
Resting...............6/7days..........finish 2nd July
Into butchers for slicing and packing........3rd July

It'll be in the fridge all the time, apart from the 12 hours of smoking.

What do you all think? I know cured bacon should keep for a long time, but I'm nervous.

Thanks

Re: How long will the bacon keep.....?

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 3:02 pm
by BriCan
frenchian2 wrote:My son is visiting in a few weeks, and wants to take some home. So, it'll have to be unfrozen, at least till he gets home. And, as it's going in his hold luggage, he's concerned about the smell getting onto his clothes - ordinary plastic bags, even double, aren't perfect. I know, he could wash the clothes, but.......


You only give part of the information :D :D

Where is your son flying to :?: :?:

No it does not need to be unfrozen -- temperature in storage on plane is well below freezing :shock:

Wrap it well in newspaper and plastic bags -- no problem of transfer of smell/taste :lol: :lol:

I did it for my mum many moons ago with fresh salmon that we froze and put in the case --- 24 hours later still frozen and no transfer of smell

I myself do it when flying home with Maple and Suffolk bacon, I am looking at at least 16 hours before arriving in the Midlands and that's from Canada :mrgreen:

HTH


Welcome to the best Sausage Group/Forum

Re: How long will the bacon keep.....?

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:48 pm
by wheels
Having had the pleasure of eating some of Brican's bacon that was shipped all the way from Canada, I can vouch for his methods.

Welcome.

Phil

Re: How long will the bacon keep.....?

PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 6:11 am
by frenchian2
BriCan wrote:
Where is your son flying to :?: :?:

No it does not need to be unfrozen -- temperature in storage on plane is well below freezing :shock:

Wrap it well in newspaper and plastic bags -- no problem of transfer of smell/taste :lol: :lol:


Hi, Brican, thanks for the reply.

He'll be flying to Sweden from France, but it's not that simple. He's not flying back directly, but spending a day or two on route, so anything frozen will have defrosted by then. No problem there, but he'll be taking around 4Kg of bacon, enough for several months, so he'll need to freeze it when he gets home.

That's why I'm planning to vacuum pack it, for the journey. He can then split the bulk packs and freeze in useable quantities once he's home.

Cheers