The Coiling Trick That Makes Frozen Bacon Easier To Handle

Nothing beats the smell of freshly cooked bacon. It goes well in a creamy pasta, alongside a sweet treat like pancakes, or on a savory breakfast sandwich with cheese and eggs. It does have one downside, though: the packaging. Most store-bought bacon packages aren't easily resealable, and depending on how many you're cooking for, there is often more bacon in a package than you actually need. Thankfully, it freezes well, but to make your life a little easier, try coiling it before you place it in the freezer.

When bacon is packaged, the slices are placed angled on top of one another; you have to peel them back to get them loose. But once they're frozen, it's nearly impossible to peel them; you have to just defrost all of the leftovers. If you coil the bacon before freezing it, there's no concern about it sticking together. Then, pull it from the freezer, and uncoil it before cooking.

Stacking anything before freezing it is risky, and bacon is no exception. Once those grease-covered bacon strips turn solid, there is almost no chance of breaking them apart. Instead, take your package of defrosted bacon, and separate the strips. Coil each one into a spiral, then set all of them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for about an hour, or until they're solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container.

Next time you need bacon, don't stress about not having a resealable bag; freeze the rest, and you won't have to cook the whole batch as a means of defrosting it. Once the bacon is frozen, it will maintain its quality for about four months, per the USDA. If you don't want to coil the bacon and have to worry about peeling it back open, you can also add strips of wax paper between the bacon before freezing it, which will prevent it from sticking together.