![]() Sugar, honey, or maple syrup may be added to the brine. "Immersion-cured" bacon is placed in a brine solution containing salt, nitrite, and flavoring material or in a container with salt, nitrite, and flavoring material for 2 to 3 days. Because of the lengthy processing time and labor required, dry-cured bacon is more expensive than the more mass-produced, pumped bacon. Less time is needed if it is going to be smoked. After the curing phase, the bacon may be left to hang for up to 2 weeks in order for the moisture to be drawn out. Additional cure may be rubbed in over a number of days, but the amount of added sodium nitrite cannot exceed 200 parts per million (ppm). "Dry-cured" bacon has a premeasured amount of cure mixture applied or rubbed onto the bacon belly surfaces, completely covering them. If not properly drained, pumped bacon can exude white liquid during frying. This type of mass-produced bacon is held for curing for 6 to 24 hours before being heated. "Pumped" bacon has curing ingredients that are injected directly into the meat to speed up the curing process and add bulk. Although less frequently used, FSIS still receives label applications for immersion-cured bacon. There are two primary methods of curing bacon: pumping and dry curing. Even so, the chilling is done quickly to prevent bacterial growth and promote its shelf-life.Īccording to FSIS regulations, the weight of cured pork bellies that are ready for slicing and labeling as "bacon" shall not exceed the weight of the fresh, uncured pork bellies. Because of the added salt and nitrite, bacon is far less perishable than other raw meat products. The majority of bacon is sliced before packaging. It is much faster to mass produce bacon using a convection oven (as little as 6 hours) than by traditional smoking (many days).īacon receives its smoke flavor from natural smoke obtained by smoldering wood chips or by spraying the bacon with a liquid smoke extract.Īfter heat processing and smoking, the bacon must be chilled to below 40 ☏ before it is sliced. Mass-produced bacon is heat processed in large convection ovens. After curing with salt and nitrite, the pork bellies are heat processed. First each pork belly is skinned and any ragged edges trimmed. Several steps are involved in producing sliced bacon. See the "Glossary of Bacon Terms" (found at the end of this publication) for definitions. favorites are American-style Canadian bacon (round slices of pink meat from the loin), turkey bacon made from light and dark turkey meat, and beef bacon prepared from various beef cuts. In addition to "streaky" bacon, other U.S. Unless otherwise noted, the information in this publication refers to "streaky" bacon. Most bacon sold in the United States is "streaky" bacon, long narrow slices cut crosswise from the hog belly that contain veins of pink meat within white fat. Pork bacon without any other descriptors is raw (uncooked) and must be cooked before eating. If meat from other portions of the carcass is used, the product name must identify the portions where the bacon comes from, e.g., "Pork Shoulder Bacon." Bacon is generally produced from young animals (6 to 7 months old) that weigh between 175 to 240 pounds. The term "bacon" is used to describe the cured belly of a swine (hog) carcass. Bacon can also be made from various parts of an animal thus, its appearance can vary. It can be made from several different animal species including pork, turkey, and beef. In Germany, it is called speck Netherlands, spek France, lard or bacon Italy, pancetta and Spain, tocino or tocineta. ![]() It was a sign of affluence if a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off some for guests and sit around "chewing the fat," now a colloquial term for "having a discussion." The term "bringing home the bacon" now means "earning a living" or "being successful."īacon is made in many countries of the world. The term derived from bako (French), bakkon (Germanic), and backe (Old Teutonic) that refer to the "back" of the hog.Įuropean peasants in the 1500's couldn't afford to buy pork often. About 500 years ago, bacon or bacoun (a Middle English term) referred to all pork. Some historians say that bacon made from hogs was a favorite of the early Romans and Greeks. ![]() ![]() The domestication of "pigs" (immature hogs) for food dates back to about 7000 B.C.
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