can i serve this bacon?

May 15, 2021 5:30 PM

Today at the farmer's market I bought some smoked bacon from a local stand. It was frozen (I think) and wrapped in a sealed plastic package.

I put the package in the fridge to defrost for about 6 hours (til now.) It is totally defrosted, so I don't know how deeply frozen it was when I got it.
Thing is: Now I notice the package is stamped "Packed on August 31." That seems like a long time ago if I don't know how deep the freeze was.
There are no preservatives in it other than whatever the smoking process was.
My family wants to eat this bacon now.
Can they eat it?
They are healthy adult humans. I myself am a vegetarian and have never felt totally clear about what is ok and not with meat.

posted by nantucket to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

Best answer: Yes
posted by hermanubis at 5:39 PM on May 15, 2021 [9 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you, and I can't pry it out of anyone's hands anyway :)
Great and welcome answer. Marked resolved!
posted by nantucket at 5:43 PM on May 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

The longer answer is that frozen food may lose flavor and texture during extended freezes but won't become unsafe.
posted by Candleman at 6:07 PM on May 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

TBH I wouldn't consider less than a year even an "extended freeze" - that's more for your several-year-old wedding cake in the back of the freezer, when I've heard warnings about texture or flavor loss.
posted by Lady Li at 3:58 PM on May 16, 2021 [2 favorites]