Have you ever wondered why bacon costs so much money? Or why there isn’t more of it? There is only so much bacon to go around! Let’s take a look at where bacon comes from, and answer a bunch of other bacon questions!
Where Does Bacon Come From?
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Bacon comes from the pork belly. Unlike the pork butt which is actually more like the shoulder, the pork belly is actually from the belly area.
How Much Bacon Can You Get From One Pig?
Everybody loves bacon, right? And who wouldn’t trade some ham for some bacon? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Let’s take a look at how much meat you can get from a hog.
When a hog is considered “finished,” it weighs between 200-220 pounds. Once the hog is “dressed” (internal organs like intestines removed), there is about 150 pounds left. Some of that weight is bones, connective tissue, and lard. The chart above shows approximately how much meat you can get from a single hog. Every hog will be a little different, so these are just average numbers. You can find more information about the different kinds of meat that we get from hogs here.
How Much Does Bacon Cost?
A lot of the cost of bacon depends on the brand you’re buying. Our favorite bacon comes from our local butcher shop (Dewig Meats in Haubstadt, Indiana). I can buy bacon in bulk there for around $40 for 10 pounds of bacon. We go through a lot of bacon… but not quite that much. I split the giant box of bacon up into 1-pound packages and freeze it.
At our local grocery store, the last time I checked (June of 2018) the store-brand bacon was $3.60 a pound, and one of the fancier brands of bacon was $4.65 a pound.
Just like with all other meats and produce, the price will change a little bit with supply and demand. The best trick is to know what bacon typically sells for at your store, and stock up when you catch it on sale! Bacon freezes really well, so you can stockpile for later.
How Do I Freeze Bacon?
Bacon freezes very well. If you are only freezing for the short-term (less than 4-6 weeks), bacon can stay in its original packaging. Use a Sharpie to label the bacon with the date you froze it.
If you are planning to freeze bacon for longer than about 6 weeks, the bacon should be repackaged. Place the bacon in a Ziploc freezer bag, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag, and seal it tightly. Use a Sharpie to label the bag with the contents and the date it was frozen.
Keep track of what is in your freezer with an inventory like this one! Try to use the older food in your freezer first, and save the newer foods for later. Now you’ll never run out of bacon again!
Everything You Need to Know About Bacon
For any other bacon questions you might have, check out this video from our YouTube channel! (And be sure to subscribe to our channel if you haven’t yet – you won’t want to miss a thing!)
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