Coleman Natural Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon is a family favorite. It tastes salty and is crispy and satisfying. The average American eats about 18 pounds of bacon a year, so it’s not surprising that it’s often gone within a day or two of being brought home from the store or delivered to your door.
However, sometimes your bacon might get pushed to the back of the fridge. Or perhaps you find yourself buying a bit more than your family can eat. Before long, you might be wondering whether your bacon has gone bad or is still edible.
No matter how natural the ingredients are that are used to cure and smoke our bacon, it doesn’t stay fresh forever. If you want to know if your bacon is safe to eat, let’s talk about how it was packaged and four signs that it’s time to throw it away. Table of Contents.
As a healthy alternative to pork bacon, turkey bacon has become a staple in many homes. But this leaner bacon variety has a very different texture that leaves some consumers wondering – is turkey bacon supposed to be slimy?
When handling turkey bacon, it’s common to notice a sticky, slick feeling. The strips seem coated in a glistening sheen. This is a noticeable contrast from the more matte, dry finish of pork bacon.
To understand whether this sliminess is normal or a sign of spoilage, it helps to first look at what gives turkey bacon its unique properties.
What Makes Turkey Bacon Slimy
Turkey bacon has a high moisture content. Pork bacon is generally 35-40% moisture while turkey bacon contains up to 70% moisture. This extra water content affects the texture.
Higher moisture means the turkey bacon retains more of its natural juices and fats after cooking. This gives it a juicier mouthfeel, but also a sticky, slick quality when raw.
The moistness coupled with the smoothness of the turkey skin results in turkey bacon feeling slimier to the touch than regular bacon.
Is Some Sliminess Normal?
A small amount of sliminess in raw turkey bacon is normal. Straight from the package the strips may appear slightly glossy or tacky. This moisture sheen is what creates the juicy texture when cooked.
Some condensation inside the package can also contribute to surface dampness on the bacon strips.
So a bit of cling or tackiness is expected with turkey bacon before cooking due to the high moisture content. It does not necessarily indicate spoilage.
How To Tell If Turkey Bacon Is Spoiled
Though some sliminess is normal, turkey bacon that feels excessively sticky, slimy or tacky may be a sign of spoilage:
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Strong Odor – Fresh turkey bacon has a mild aroma. Rancid or off smells indicate bacteria growth.
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Color Changes – White or gray discoloration, versus pink or red, signals mold or fungi.
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Slimy Film – Thick, shiny coating on the meat points to fungal or yeast growth.
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Texture Changes – Very soft, mushy strips that are sticky means spoilage bacteria are breaking down proteins.
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Liquid in Packaging – Pooling of watery liquid in the packaging often means the growth of harmful microbes.
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Mold – Fuzzy spots of black, white, green or blue are mold colonies, meaning the bacon has spoiled.
If you notice any of the above signs, it is safest to discard the turkey bacon. The sliminess is now clear evidence that dangerous microbial degradation has begun.
What Causes Turkey Bacon To Spoil Quickly?
There are a few reasons why turkey bacon seems to turn slimy from spoilage faster than regular pork bacon:
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Added water increases moisture, which bacteria need to proliferate.
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The low fat content means less protective barrier from microbes.
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Preservatives used are less effective than pork bacon’s salt and smoke.
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The turkey skin is prone to fast fungal growth in moisture.
For these reasons, turkey bacon is very susceptible to going bad quickly if not stored properly.
Storing Turkey Bacon Correctly
To avoid spoilage and harmful bacteria growth on turkey bacon:
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Refrigerate promptly after opening. Keep temperature at 40°F or below.
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Do not keep an opened package for more than 7 days. Use within 1 week.
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Check sell-by date. Do not purchase or freeze if use by date has passed.
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Freeze unopened packages if not using soon. Turkey bacon lasts up to 1 month frozen.
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When freezing, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil to prevent freezer burn.
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Once thawed, do not refreeze turkey bacon. Cook within 3-5 days.
Proper storage methods will limit moisture and bacteria, keeping your turkey bacon fresher for longer.
Is Slimy Turkey Bacon Safe To Eat?
If turkey bacon has developed a significant slimy texture or film, it is not advisable to eat it. At this point, bacteria populations have likely grown to dangerous levels.
Consuming turkey bacon that has gone bad can cause foodborne illness, with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and cramps. Mold or fungal growth poses additional health hazards.
Do not attempt to wash the sliminess off or boil bad turkey bacon. These methods do not destroy the toxins released by microbes. For safety, you must throw away the spoiled bacon.
The Bottom Line
A little bit of tackiness or glossiness directly from the package is normal for turkey bacon. But significant sliminess, stickiness or tackiness indicates the turkey bacon has gone bad and may be unsafe to eat.
Follow proper storage guidelines. And if in doubt, remember it’s better to be safe than sorry. If your turkey bacon has turned suspiciously slimy, discard it.
How Long Is Bacon Safe to Eat After Opening?
It’s possible that you want to know how fast bacon goes bad now that you know how to tell.
As soon as you open a package of bacon, it becomes exposed to the air, and thus the bacteria and fungi lurking in the environment. Even if you reseal your bacon after opening, the initial exposure has begun the chemical reactions leading to spoilage. Therefore, you can expect open bacon to last for no longer than a week in the refrigerator, according to AllRecipes.
How Long Can You Keep Bacon in the Freezer?
- Putting your bacon in a plastic bag that won’t let air in and freezing it is one of the best ways to keep it fresh for longer.
- Fresh frozen bacon will stay tasty for up to a month if it’s well sealed.
- Bacon can be kept in the freezer for more than a month if it is kept at 0°F or lower, but it may become dry, get freezer burn, and lose quality overall.
If you’ve found yourself with more bacon than you can manage, try incorporating it into other dishes. Remember, bacon isn’t just a breakfast food. Corn and bacon chowder is a quick meal that you can make during the week, and air-fried sweet potatoes wrapped in bacon are the perfect snack for watching football or movies. You could also make this tasty Herb Pork Cubano Sandwich in five minutes if you want a hearty lunch without much work.
How Do You Know if Your Bacon Is Good? : Nutritious Dishes & Advice
FAQ
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