Hey Gang,

A couple of weeks ago I ordered 2 cans of CMMG Tactical Bacon. I had been looking for Yoder's Canned Bacon, but none of the places that had it in stock had it for a reasonable price. I suspected that CMMG probably sourced their canned bacon from Yoder's, and merely put their label on it.

Anyway, I heated up some of the CMMG Tactical Bacon today, and it was pretty darn good. It's rolled up in layers of wax paper, and you must separate it. Now, the can says you simply open it up and enjoy the bacon. However, IMHO, it is way too greasy to enjoy right out of the can. I separated all the bacon strips and placed them onto paper towel in single-strip layers, and heated it in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds. This pulled a bit of the grease out. I then threw it in the frying pan after cooking some eggs to crisp it up a bit. It's fully cooked, so you may enjoy it right out of the can, but heating it in the pan was definitely a better way to go.

Compared to regular, store-bought bacon, it wasn't quite as good. But it's very close! My wife, who is very finicky about food...especially stuff that is either packaged or prepared in ways she's not used to, really liked it. I ordered a full case of Yoder's bacon today, along with some canned butter. I'm attracted to the idea of canned bacon that lasts for years, because I don't buy regular bacon often, and when I do, it usually goes bad before I cook it (it's not that I don't like bacon, it's just that I have a hectic lifestyle...).

I found a link to an AR15.com article that showed CMMG Tactical Bacon is actually Yoder's Bacon. I haven't been able to confirm this yet, but I still suspect that it's true. It's the same size can, and CMMG probably puts their novelty logo on a can of Yoder's....hopefully I can confirm this.

What's the weight on this?

9 oz. of bacon in the can.

I was considering buying some, but then read that it had 50+ slices. That's a bit much for a family of 3! In the middle of winter, when all of outdoors becomes a freezer, or if the electricity is sill working, that would be OK. But the description I read didn't say if the slices were full length or 1/2.

How many slices were in your can? About how many meals would you call it?

God bless,
Bonnie
Opportunity Farm

I didn't count the slices when I opened the can, but I believe it's been estimated at about 40-50 slices. One thing to consider: The bacon is sliced very thinly, but it is cut in full-length slices. So, for breakfast, with typical store-bought bacon, I might have 4 pieces with my eggs and toast. With this canned bacon, I'm leaning closer to 6-7 pieces (I probably eat too much bacon anyway) because of how thin (and delicious) it is. It's also pre-cooked. Once I warm it up to drain off some of the extra grease, I put it in a plastic bag in the fridge, and eat it for the next few mornings with my breakfast. At 5 pieces of bacon per serving, you're probably looking at 8-9 total meals...so it would last 3 people for 3 meals...ish. The weight of the bacon is only 9 ounces...probably very close to a pound of un-cooked bacon at the store.

This topic is making me hungry.

Do you know what the shelf life of the bacon is after you open the can?

I wouldn't really call it a shelf life once the can is opened. You probably have about 7-10 days to eat all the bacon if you refrigerate it once it's open, just like with any store-bought bacon once it's been cooked.

That's still a lot of slices. Do you think vacuum packing with something like the Food Saver would work on this bacon?

I wouldn't try repackaging it for long-term storage. I'd either freeze it, or eat it all within 1-2 weeks, if kept refrigerated. Otherwise, look to jerky and/or Biltong for storage meats. Long term storage meats must be preserved and dried. Simply cooking a meat, like this bacon, will not increase its shelf life by much. Vacuum bagging with the Food Saver will get most of the air out, but you still have high moisture content...

Bacon typically has some preservatives in it, like most pre-packaged deli meats...but I really don't know how long it would last. I think your best bet is to refrigerate and/or freeze any leftovers. I've had lunch ham that has the same preservatives as bacon, and it will last 3-4 weeks in the fridge, so maybe this bacon would too.