Conditions and rules on how to store bacon at home

Despite controversy from nutritionists, lard continues to be an important part of our food culture. Prepared in a variety of ways, with the addition of seasonings and spices, bacon is still the number one appetizer on our everyday and holiday tables. If you know how to store lard well, it will retain its freshness, tanginess and excellent taste for a long time.

What is the product

In fact, lard is subcutaneous animal fat, a nutritional reserve deposited by an animal body during a period of increased nutrition.

The composition of this fat:

1. Almost completely - triglycerides, containing residues of saturated fatty acids, especially useful for the body oleic, linoleic, linolenic and, most importantly, arachidonic acid. It plays an important role in cholesterol metabolism, the work of the hormonal system, and helps the body activate defense mechanisms in the fight against bacteria and viruses.
2. Small amounts of minerals (mainly selenium and zinc).
3. Also some vitamins - B4, D, E.

The product can be stored for a long time in salted, smoked, boiled form.Does not lose its consumer properties after prolonged freezing, can be stored.

How to choose the right one

Factors you need to pay attention to in order to choose a truly tasty and aromatic product:

1. The best quality product is on the animal's back and sides. However, despite the fact that the quality of abdominal fat is considered inferior, many prefer it because of the layers of meat.
2. The color of a good fresh product is white, light pink or light yellow.
3. The surface of the skin should be smooth, even and thin. A thick skin is a sign that after cooking the bacon, the salty or smoky finished product will become tough.
4. The consistency of good lard is firm, firm.
5. The fat obtained from wild boar smells of urea, and that from old pigs smells strong. Favorite product of young females.

When buying on the market, it is important to ensure that the lard is controlled by the sanitary services and has the appropriate mark and documents allowing the sale.

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Storage requirements

Shelf life depends on the choice of salting method. In any case, in order to keep the lard long enough, a temperature below -10°C is necessary.

Ways to keep lard fresh

In order for the product not to lose its consumer qualities for a long time without salting and heat treatment, it must be stored in the freezer, and not refrozen.

Without refrigerator

Fresh lard cannot be stored at room temperature. Maximum - a few hours if the room is cool.

In the fridge

Fresh lard can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, after which it must be determined for long-term storage in a freezer, salted and heat-treated.

In the freezer

Unsalted bacon can be stored in the freezer for up to 3-4 months:

• if, after thawing, it is salty, it is frozen in a large whole piece;
• if they are used for cooking, they are immediately cut into portions.

For storage in the freezer, fresh bacon is wrapped in parchment paper, then in a plastic bag or cling film.

Harvesting methods at home

They are generally subdivided into:

• dry method - easy and quick, but the resulting product should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a month;
• wet - soaking in brine;
• hot - boiling followed by salting;
• smoke - hot or cold, while lard is salted in advance.

Salting

This method is one of the simplest and fastest. Salted lard is tasty, tangy and looks good. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month and in the freezer for up to six months. Salting is usually used in a plastic bag.

An approximate recipe for 2 kg of lard:

• salt - 150 g;
• ground red pepper - 1 pinch;
• garlic cloves - several pieces.

Salting technology:

1. Cross sections are made on the cut bars with a thickness of about 4 cm.
2. Wipe them with salt, pepper powder.
3. Slices of garlic are inserted into the incisions.
4. The blocks are tightly wrapped in a plastic bag or several layers of plastic wrap, stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

After that, the walls of the pieces are cleaned of salt and used for food.

Smoking

Lard is hot and cold smoked. They differ in temperature parameters and processing time.Hot smoking can be done in a special or homemade smokehouse. Lard in a few hours or even a day is cut into portions and rubbed with salt.Prepare the smoker, put the fruit tree chips in it and place the prepared pieces of bacon on the grill. For a complete smoke, half an hour to an hour is usually sufficient. Then the bacon reaches the desired state in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The finished product will be covered with a thin brown crust.

Cold smoked lard is considered a healthier product because it contains less fat and more aroma and taste. The smokehouse is used in the same way.

Differences in cooking - pre-boiling lard in a salt solution, lower smoking temperature, not exceeding 20 ° C. As a result, the cooking time increases to 2-3 days.Smoked bacon will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. In the freezer, it will not lose its taste during the year.

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Molten

This fat is called lard.

For cooking, a lower quality product is used than for salting and smoking:

1. Pieces of 1-3 cm, small pieces are laid out in a container with a thick bottom and walls.
2. They simmer over very low heat.
3. When the fat has melted and the water has evaporated, the fat cubes will turn transparent.

The molten product is filtered through several layers of cheesecloth and cooled. In a tightly closed lid, the jar is stored in the refrigerator for at least a year.

Boiled

For cooking, you can use cuts with meat veins. This bacon is particularly tender and chewy.

How to cook:

1. A kilogram of bacon is cut into large pieces, poured with a liter of water and boiled for 3 minutes.
2. Add 4.5 tablespoons to the water. I. salt, leave the lard in the solution for half a day.
3. Dry the salted pieces with a cloth, rub with a mixture of spices to taste.
4. Cooked slices are wrapped in cling film, placed in the refrigerator for a day.

Preservation

The fat being of animal origin, a strong saline solution and a heat treatment are necessary for its conservation in order to disinfect possible parasites.

Cooking steps:

1. A kilogram of product is washed and dried, cut into small pieces.
2. They are mixed with 1.5 tbsp. I. coarse salt, 3 pcs. chopped bay leaves and 1 tbsp. ground black pepper.
3. Divide the mixture into small sterilized containers.
4. Put them in a saucepan with water so that the jars fit in it "up to the shoulders", cover with boiled lids.
5. Hold over low heat in boiling water for 2.5-3 hours.
6. They are taken out, rolled up, cooled and stored in the refrigerator or in a cold cellar.

in brine

Another recipe for cooking evenly salted, tasty, "tender" bacon.

How to cook:

1. For the brine, boil a liter of water with a glass of coarse salt.
2. Bay leaves, spices and garlic are added to the cooled solution to taste.
3. 1.5 kg of lard is cut into long large pieces and immersed in brine.
4. Squeezed with a filler, stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

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The finished product is dried with a linen cloth, again covered with spices. Stored like regular salted bacon.

How to save the lard on the road

In 2 days, this fat will remain not only tasty, but also harmless to health, if you follow simple storage rules:

• only well-salted or smoked bacon can be taken on the road;
• it is useful to cover salted pieces with salt;
• if the temperature is likely to be high during the trip, it is best to play it safe and freeze the product, then place it in a thermal bag or wrap it in aluminum foil and several layers of paper .

Common Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes consumers make is trying to store fat in the wrong way. Unfortunately, the belief that salt as a preservative preserves the product for a long time without deteriorating in ambient conditions leads many to a hospital bed with food poisoning.

More factors to consider:

1. The room where the bacon is stored should be dark. Light, and even more so the rays of the sun, considerably reduce its shelf life.
2. If the finished bacon is stored in the cellar, it must be dry - high humidity causes rapid mold growth and spoilage.

Additional tips and tricks

There are many ways to store fat in the long term, the nuances depend on the available conditions:

• in a dry, cool and dark room for some time, pieces of smoked bacon can be stored hanging, wrapped in clean paper;
• Another option is to store a large amount of well-salted or smoked bacon for a short time - in boxes, sprinkled with rye straw or sawdust.

In any case, it is necessary to remember the animal origin of the fat, observe the temperature and safe storage conditions.