Anyone who says they dont like bacon is lying or simply has no idea what they are missing out on. Bacon is one of those foods that goes with just about anything. It can be used as a salad topping, as an accompaniment to pancakes and eggs, and even as a sweet treat!
Candied bacon has a thick coat of brown sugar that adds a bit of sweetness and crispiness to an already-delicious piece of meat.
Contents
- Storing Techniques
- How to Make Candied Bacon
- How to Use Candied Bacon
- Candied Bacon Recipes
- Final Thoughts
- FAQs
- How long can you keep candied bacon?
- Does smoked candied bacon need to be refrigerated?
- How long does maple bacon last?
- How to cook bacon for a crowd in advance?
- What’s the best way to reheat candied bacon?
- How long does covered bacon last in the fridge?
- Where do you store smoked bacon?
- How long can smoked bacon sit out?
- How long does smoked bacon stay fresh?
- Can cured bacon go bad in fridge?
Storing Techniques
Once youve made candied bacon, you want to make sure that it is stored properly. Candied bacon is perishable, so you cant leave it sitting out for too long or it will go bad. After two hours, candied bacon should be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Take a piece of parchment paper and wrap up each slice of bacon before later storing it in the fridge. You can also freeze bacon to have it last longer. Bacon may be stored in the fridge for up to three weeks. In the freezer, however, candied bacon can be good for up to six months.
When you are ready to eat it again, you can always leave it to thaw and eat it cold, or reheat it in the microwave. You can also heat it up in the oven at 350 degrees for about five minutes, No matter how you serve it, candied bacon will always taste delicious!
How to Make Candied Bacon
Making candied bacon is quite simple and the best part is that you only need two ingredients to make it: bacon and brown sugar.
You can use any kind of bacon to do this, but classic strip bacon works better than thick-cut bacon. If you don’t use brown sugar, it won’t caramelize properly.
You can customize your candied bacon, too, by adding maple sugar, hot sauce, and even herbs to it. There are no rules when making this delicious treat!
Make sure to bake the bacon and not try to cook it on the skillet as it will be messy because of the maple syrup. Use a brush to put the brown sugar or maple sugar on top of your bacon.
When you go to bake it, be sure to use a baking rack so as to let the air circulate as much as possible. You will also want to have another pan on the bottom of the rack so it can catch any drippings from the bacon.
In terms of the amount of time you should leave it in the oven, it depends. Start at about 18 minutes and then check on it continuously. The crispier you want your bacon to be, the longer you should leave it in the oven.
When you are finally ready to take the bacon out of the oven, be sure to let it cool before digging in. Otherwise, you not only risk burning your mouth but the syrup may still not have had time to settle so you will, without a doubt, get very messy.
How to Use Candied Bacon
As mentioned earlier, candied bacon is extremely versatile and can be used in just about any recipe. You can eat it on its own or chop it up to put in salads, baked potatoes, and soup.
Its also a great ingredient to use in sweet and savory desserts. Sprinkle it on top of cupcakes or even on an entire cake.
Candied bacon also makes the perfect garnish for a Bloody Mary! Add it in on its own or you can pierce it through a toothpick alongside olives and pickled onions.
To make the bacon seem more appealing, sprinkle it with black pepper.
Candied Bacon Recipes
If youre looking for specific ways to use your candied bacon, youre in the right place! Maple Bacon cupcakes are one of the best ways for you to use it.
For this recipe, you can either use a boxed mix for the cupcakes or you can make them from scratch. If you do decide to make them yourself, you will need flour, baking powder, salt, butter, vanilla extract, eggs, milk, and maple syrup.
Mix together the sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Then you want to start adding the eggs, one by one. Be sure to stir in each egg in between adding them so theyll mix in better.
In another bowl, you are going to want to combine the maple syrup and the milk. Mix both wet and dry ingredients together and start scooping them into your cupcake pans.
You are going to want to leave them in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until they are completely cooked in the middle.
Once they are done, you can take them out of the oven and leave them to cool. Next up, you can start working on the frosting. For this, you will need powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, bacon, and imitation maple flavoring.
Start by mixing up your butter, vanilla and maple extracts. Add the powdered sugar slowly and mix it in with a mixer or a spoon. The frosting should be done after this but if you feel that it is a bit too thick, you can always add a dash of milk.
When the cupcakes are cool enough, you can start adding the frosting. You can then garnish with cut-up pieces of the candied bacon!
If youre looking for a more savory recipe, you can also try using your candied bacon in addition to roasted brussels sprouts.
For this recipe, you will need halved sprouts, olive oil, thick bacon, and salt and pepper. You will also need maple syrup and brown sugar for your bacon. It couldnt get any easier to make this delicious recipe!
Place your sprouts in a pan along with your uncooked candied bacon. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and put them in the oven for about 35 minutes, or until the sprouts are brown.
Check to see whether your bacon has finished cooking!
Final Thoughts
Candied bacon is an easy, delectable treat that can be served with just about anything from desserts to cocktails to just plain on its own. It is simple to make and requires only a few ingredients.
To recap, make sure that once you have finished cooking your candied bacon, you let it sit for a while so that it can cool down. Then when you are ready to put it away, wrap it up in parchment paper and then add it to a Ziploc bag or airtight container.
You can then either leave the bacon in the fridge for up to a few weeks, or place it in the freezer and leave it for up to three months.
To reheat your candied bacon, all you need to do is microwave it or throw it in the oven for a few minutes. You can even use a toaster oven if thats easier. Chop it up, eat it whole, or use it as garnish.
Whatever you decide to do, we guarantee that it will give all your recipes that extra kick they need!
FAQs
How long can you keep candied bacon?
After baked and cooled candy bacon can last for a few hours at room temperature and 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to store pig candy with sheets of wax paper between the layers of bacon to prevent the slices from sticking together.
Does smoked candied bacon need to be refrigerated?
Cook the bacon in the air fryer at 400°F for 14 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. Candied bacon is perishable, so it should be stored in the refrigerator within 2 hours of making the recipe. You can store the cooked candied bacon in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How long does maple bacon last?
An opened package of uncooked bacon will last up to one week in the fridge. That rule applies whether the bacon is thick-cut or thin, hickory or maple-smoked, the fancy stuff or the cheap stuff. You have seven days. Cooked bacon however, only lasts four to five days in the fridge.
How to cook bacon for a crowd in advance?
How do you keep bacon warm for a crowd or potluck?
put the warm bacon in a slow cooker on low.
keep it in a covered pan in your oven on the lowest setting.
cook the bacon ahead of time and reheat in a skillet on low when it’s time to serve.
I’ve also been known to keep mine in the microwave as a holding spot.
What’s the best way to reheat candied bacon?
To reheat your candied bacon, just microwave it or place it in the oven for a few minutes. If it’s simpler, you can use a toaster oven. You may eat it whole, chop it up, or use it as a garnish.
How long does covered bacon last in the fridge?
Information. You can keep bacon in the refrigerator at 40 ºF or below for one week. Bacon can also be frozen at 0 ºF for four months (for best quality). For more information about bacon and storage of other bacon products, go to Bacon and Food Safety.
Where do you store smoked bacon?
How to store bacon in the fridge. You can store raw, opened bacon in its original package, backed up with a large zip-top bag or a few layers of aluminum foil. You can also store bacon in an airtight container for up to a week. Store cooked bacon in an airtight container, immediately after use, for four to five days.
How long can smoked bacon sit out?
As a general rule, food should not sit out for more than two hours to avoid this harmful bacteria. So, uncured bacon can sit out for a maximum of 2 hours. And in warmer climates or temperatures at 90°F or higher, bacon should be stored within an hour.
How long does smoked bacon stay fresh?
Generally, unopened bacon can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 8 months in the freezer. Meanwhile, bacon that has been opened but not cooked may only last around 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.
Can cured bacon go bad in fridge?
The USDA recommends using dry-cured sliced bacon within ten days when unrefrigerated, and within four weeks if you keep it in the refrigerated. If the dry-cured bacon comes in a slab—the kind you slice yourself—it can last up to three weeks without the fridge, and four to six weeks in the fridge.