How long does bacon last is answered by USDA’s storage table: 7 days in the refrigerator and 4 months in the freezer for bacon, 3 weeks and 6 months for bacon cured without nitrites, and 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator for cooked bacon. USDA also says to use or freeze bacon with a sell by date within 7 days of purchase, and to observe any use by date.
Every number on this page is from the USDA bacon and food safety page, and our product pages print no shelf life of their own, so the date on your pack is the one to follow. Below are the full storage table, how to freeze and thaw, what “shelf stable” means for dry cured bacon, and how to tell when bacon is done for.
- USDA’s bacon storage table
- Freezing and thawing bacon
- Shelf stable bacon: what USDA says about dry cured
- When to throw bacon away
- Questions people ask
How long does bacon last: USDA’s storage table
| Type of bacon | Pantry | Refrigerator | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacon | Not applicable | 7 days | 4 months |
| Bacon cured without nitrites | Not applicable | 3 weeks | 6 months |
| Dry cured bacon, sliced | 10 days | 4 weeks | 3 months |
| Dry cured bacon, slab | 3 weeks | 4 to 6 weeks | 3 months |
| Cooked bacon | Not applicable | 4 to 5 days | 1 month |
USDA notes that freezer times are for quality; frozen food kept at 0°F stays safe, but the taste and texture fall off after the months listed. The table is USDA’s; our packs carry their own date, and the package date wins.
Our America’s Best Dry Cured Bacon is labeled dry cured and sold in 6 packages of 12 oz; our uncured line is labeled uncured, and USDA requires uncured bacon labels to carry “Not Preserved, Keep Refrigerated Below 40 degrees At All Times” unless the product is dried or salted to USDA’s limits. Which USDA row applies is on your label. Both lines ship frozen; the package date, not the delivery date, is your storage guide.
Freezing and thawing bacon
USDA says to freeze bacon in its original wrapping if you will use it soon, or to overwrap it for longer storage, and lists 4 months for bacon and 6 months for bacon cured without nitrites. Our packs arrive vacuum sealed and frozen; our shipping page says to put them in the refrigerator or freezer the same day.
Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave, USDA’s three methods. USDA says bacon thawed in the refrigerator is safe there for 7 days before cooking and can be refrozen without cooking; bacon thawed in cold water or the microwave should be cooked before refreezing. Do not thaw on the counter.
Cooked bacon freezes too, for about 1 month by the USDA table. If you cook a batch of bacon in the oven, the cooked row of the table is the one to plan by.
Shelf stable bacon: what USDA says about dry cured
First, a dry cured product is not automatically shelf stable, and the pantry column in USDA’s table is not permission to leave our bacon out: only your package can say that, and ours says to keep it refrigerated. USDA’s table gives dry cured bacon a pantry column, 10 days for sliced and 3 weeks for slab, and it is still perishable; the refrigerator time is longer.
Our dry cured bacon carries its own storage instruction on the package, and the package wins over the general table. We explained the cure in what dry cured bacon is and in our older post on the science behind dry aged pork.
When to throw bacon away
USDA’s rule is the date and the clock: use or freeze bacon with a sell by date within 7 days of purchase, observe any use by date, and keep it below 40°F. Bacon that arrives warm in a shipping box, above 40°F, should not be eaten; USDA’s mail order page says to notify the company and not even to taste it.
USDA’s mail order page also says perishable food should not sit between 40°F and 140°F for more than 2 hours, and that includes a pack forgotten on the counter after breakfast. USDA does not give a smell or color test for bacon, and neither do we; if the date has passed or the cold chain broke, throw it away. Our shipping page says to put the box in the refrigerator or freezer the same day it arrives, and we explained the box in bacon delivery.
Questions people ask about how long bacon lasts
How do you tell if bacon has gone bad?
USDA gives dates and temperatures, not a smell test: past the use by date, past 7 days in the refrigerator for raw bacon, or held above 40°F for more than 2 hours means throw it out.
Can you eat bacon 7 days after opening?
USDA’s refrigerator time for bacon is 7 days, so day 7 is the edge for ordinary bacon. Bacon cured without nitrites gets 3 weeks in USDA’s table.
Is bacon still good after 2 years in the freezer?
Food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe, per USDA, but the quality time for bacon is 4 months (6 for nitrite free). Two years is safe to eat and unlikely to taste good.
When should you throw away bacon?
When the package date has passed, when raw bacon has been in the refrigerator more than USDA’s 7 days, or when it has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours.
The date and the thermometer decide. How long does bacon last is USDA’s table plus your package date. Thick cut, applewood smoked, Heritage Duroc; the same rules apply.
Check availability on the dry cured bacon, or the 6 package box; the uncured line is in the bacon category.