Bacon Diet
Bacon, mmm. Tasty for breakfast, filling for lunch, great for dinner, what’s not to like about it? It’s also mainly protein and fat, so it’s great on a keto or low carb diet. In fact, one successful dieter wrote a book called bacon and butter because those were the two main products he used for losing a great deal of weight.
Safe to Eat
How do you know it’s safe to eat? Bacon is a sliced meat produced from pork (pig) and sold in slices which may be fresh from the butcher’s slicing machine or ready packed in plastic packets. It comes in various grades, depending on the amount and placement of fat, all of which of course depends on which part of the pig it comes from. Generally, the fat on the bacon slice is white, though it can be yellow. Don’t buy it or use it if the fat is brown, grey or slimy.
Yellow bacon is actually perfectly fine and can last up to two weeks past the “sell by” date on the package. It can even be frozen for up to six months! Its bright, shiny appearance is caused by an optical process called iridescence, which creates rainbow-like colours in cooked or raw meat. The iridescence effect is caused by the presence of fat, iron, and other compounds in the meat.
The color and texture of cooked bacon is another indication of whether it’s rotten or fresh. Fresh bacon should have a pink or red color with streaks of white fat. Never purchase bacon that is grey or sour. If it’s slimy, gooey, or sticky, it probably has gone bad. This is because bacteria cause slime to form on meat. If you’re unsure about whether your bacon is rotten or fresh, you can always check the smell. If you suspect your bacon is spoiled, look for signs of mold and bacterial growth. The smell of rotten bacon is very unpleasant. It can smell like rotten meat or fish, and you should throw it away. If you smell any of these things, it’s probably spoiled. If it smells funny or sour, it’s probably rotten. The smell of spoiled bacon can also affect its taste. The best way to avoid getting food poisoned from leftover bacon is to buy the meat before its sell-by date. This date can be found on the packaging of the bacon. Despite its name, the expiration date isn’t necessarily the same as the use-by date. Bacteria can grow and multiply during the manufacturing and processing process. However, the sell-by date is an accurate guideline for when you should begin cooking and eating.
Buying bacon
When buying bacon, choose a brand that is not preservative-laden and has as few ingredients as possible. If you can afford it, go for organic or locally produced bacon. You may also be able to find a speciality supplier who sells what is called black bacon or dry bacon. This kind of bacon does not have water injected during the curing process but it is of course more expensive.You can also opt to use no preservatives and always purchase your bacon from a trusted source.
There are even recipes for making your own bacon, which is an excellent way to save money and eat healthier! It may even be worth the extra effort. So, why not try something new and treat yourself? Always check the flavor of your bacon before eating it. While it may look good on the counter, spoiled bacon has a fishy or sulfuric smell. Bacon odor is caused by bacteria and fungi that have taken hold of it. However, if the flavor is still smoky, it’s fine to eat it. If it’s stale, it’s better to throw away the piece than risk contaminating other meat products or giving yourself food poisoning.
Bacon Looks Yellow after Cooking
My bacon turned yellow after cooking one day. I was frying up bacon for lunch when the fat started turning yellow. No, there wasn’t anything wrong with the bacon, it’s just that I had been cooking something else in the frying pan earlier that morning and that something was turmeric (along with other ingredients for a curry). Turmeric is a very flavorsome and healthy root for cooking and I use it a lot but it tends to turn everything yellow, including my fingers. Sometimes I see people thinking that I am a heavy smoker, my fingers are so yellow after chopping it! The pan had been washed and dried before being used for frying the lunchtime bacon but obviously, not all the turmeric had been washed off. The bacon and the fried eggs and the frying bread were all either yellow or had a yellow tinge. It didn’t affect the taste and no one complained but I now wash the pan extra carefully after using turmeric, so I don’t get any more yellow bacon!