Bacon for camping?

D

diablero

Joined
Oct 10, 2003
Messages
174
Hey all,
Anyone know of a source for old style bacon that does not require refrigeration? Something not-canned would be a nice change while camping :)
Thanks,
D
 
There's always Bacon Salt! :D
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-- FLIX
 
You can buy the pre-cooked bacon from your local supermarket. As long as it is stored out of extreme heat, it should last in the vacuum sealed package for a long time. It is stored in the center isles of the store so it is meant to last at room temp. Should last in a pack the same way as long as temps are right.
 
A whole piece of smoked uncut bacon is what you are after. You will find it at a good butcher shop.

It is the exposure to cutting surfaces that makes meat go bad quickly. it is the reason cold cuts dont last very long in the fridge and why ground beef can be harmful if not fully cooked. The more metal it touches, the more surface area is exposed to bacteria which grows and makes the meat rancid.

Cured and salted pork products are a pretty standard camping fare. Uncut bacon, summer sausage and salami (a combination of meats) are excelent portable and long lasting travel food. The high concentrations of salt aid in preservation and it requires no refrigeration but the cooler you can keep it the better.
 
One of my rafting pals buys a big roll of pre-cooked bacon at one of the big-box type stores (as recommended above). We've taken it on 2-3 week river trips in Alaska with no storage problems. I especially like the fact that when you warm it up, you don't have a lot of bacon grease to dispose of (in Griz country).

DancesWithKnives
 
Exactly how well does smoked uncut bacon keep? This idea appeals to me. Would it be good for a weekend in the summer without refrigeration?
 
"old style" bacon is now called salt pork. It doesn't require refrigeration, but it ain't exactly what I'd call bacon. It is good to cook with, but not as good to eat alone like we all love to do with bacon.
DWK2, dispose of bacon fat? That is blasphemy! ;) Save it to fry up some fresh caught fish or make some killer bacon flavored banock.
 
Well, I must concede that bacon fat does have a lot of good uses! I cooked with it a modest amount when I was younger and slimmer. Unfortunately, my condition has changed over the last few decades. Now I'm grilling the fresh Alaskan salmon and ingesting fish oil rather than hog oil. I'm also doing a lot of other things to try and keep the weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure down.

Too bad for me because you are definitely right about the good taste added by bacon fat and the fact that it allows you to cook hot & fast without burning.

DancesWithKnives
 
I was up at the cabin this last weekend and cooked a salmon fillet with onions on top and then wrapped the entire thing with thick smoked bacon and grilled..... oh man..... but i digress.
 
If you're talking about the impact of bacon fat on blood cholesterol levels and arterial plaque, I've read articles that support your position. However, I think most people will acknowledge that bacon fat does have a certain number of calories that are added to fish cooked in it. Personally, I need to avoid those extra calories and eat fish that is simply grilled over the fire.

DancesWithKnives
 
blazink said:
"old style" bacon is now called salt pork. It doesn't require refrigeration, but it ain't exactly what I'd call bacon. It is good to cook with, but not as good to eat alone like we all love to do with bacon.
DWK2, dispose of bacon fat? That is blasphemy! ;) Save it to fry up some fresh caught fish or make some killer bacon flavored banock.
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Now that I need to try with trout, I just called about ordering some bacon from the site briangandrews posted. The lady I spoke with says it will hold several weeks at room temp in those packages its shipped in.
 
I just prepared some 'salt pork' (over-cured, over salted organic bacon). I just filleted it off of the skin and cut it into thick slices and dropped it into boiling water for a couple minutes. That took a lot of the fat out and most importantly the extra salt. From there I diced it, fried it, and chucked it in with some scrambled eggs and some spinach...yum.

FWIW, a smoked ham will also keep well if wrapped in several layers of brown paper (no plastic). I kept a melon-sized ham for 7 out of 9 days on the West Coast Trail that way. Outside temps were up to about 25 degC or so.
 
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