| How to Freeze Bacon Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:00 PM PST While bacon should only be refrigerated for up to seven days,[1] you can prolong the freshness of your bacon by freezing it. However, if you freeze the entire package, you'll need to thaw and cook the entire package, too! For those times when you need a couple slices of bacon for your dinner recipe or are craving just one slice (or two… or three…) to go with your morning eggs, here are a couple methods for freezing bacon individually. [Edit]Folding Your Bacon in Wax Paper - Cut a long strip of wax paper. You want to have enough wax paper to spread out your entire package of bacon with a couple inches between each piece.[2] You can also use parchment paper.[3]
- Lay your wax paper on your counter. Be sure your counter is clean and free of crumbs.
- Place your bacon on the wax paper. With your fingers or tongs, place one piece of bacon on one end of the wax paper.[4] Smooth the bacon flat.
- Wrap your bacon.[5] Grab the other end of the wax paper and pull it toward your bacon until it touches the edge of the slice you just laid down. Create a crease so that your bacon stays put.
- Your first slice of bacon is now covered with wax paper on both sides.
- Add another slice of bacon. Place it directly on top of the wax paper covering the top of your first slice.[6]
- Repeat your fold.[7] Pull the end of your wax paper that is free of bacon back over the top of your second slice of bacon.
- You are essentially creating an accordion fold around each slice of bacon so that they are individually wrapped.[8]
- Continue this process until all your bacon is folded into the wax paper.
- Place your bacon in a freezer bag. [9] Place your wax paper-wrapped bacon stack in the bottom of the bag and use your arm to flatten the rest of the bag against the counter. Be sure to squeeze all the air out of the bag.[10]
- Write the date on your freezer bag so that you remember how long you have stored it.
- Freeze.[11] There's no need to deep freeze your bacon, just be sure that your freezer is set at zero degrees.[12]
[Edit]Rolling Your Bacon Individually - Prepare a baking sheet. Line your baking sheet with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper. The lined baking sheet will serve as your surface for creating and freezing your bacon rolls.
- Create your rolls. You can lay your bacon onto your prepared baking sheet or roll your bacon as you pull it out of the package. Begin on one end of the bacon strip and roll it until the entire piece is wrapped around itself.[13]
- Place your rolls on your baking sheet. Be sure that the end of your bacon roll is on the bottom so that the bacon doesn't uncoil. Your bacon will resemble the shape of a snail.[14]
- Be sure that the bacon rolls aren't touching each other.
- Freeze your bacon. Once you have completed all of your bacon rolls, place the baking sheet into your freezer.[15] Wait until the bacon is frozen solid.
- Put your bacon in a freezer safe bag. Once your bacon has frozen into the rolls, you can take them off the baking pan, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and put them back in the freezer immediately.[16]
- You can now use your bacon as needed. You won't need to pry frozen bacon off of wax paper, and the bacon strips will only be frozen to themselves (not each other).[17]
[Edit]Flash Freezing Your Bacon - Prepare a baking sheet. This method also requires that you line your baking sheet with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper. The lined baking sheet will serve as your surface for laying out and freezing your bacon slices.[18]
- Place your bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer. You don't need to leave a lot of space between each slice, but be sure the sides of your bacon are not touching.[19]
- Add another layer. If have more bacon than fits on your baking sheet, you can add another sheet of wax paper on top of your first layer of bacon. Then you can finish spreading out your bacon on top of that second sheet of wax paper.[20]
- Freeze your bacon. Place your baking sheet in the freezer.[21] Wait until the bacon is frozen solid.
- Separate your bacon. Once your bacon is frozen on your baking sheet, pull off the slices of bacon from your wax paper, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and put them back in the freezer immediately.
[Edit]Handling Bacon Safely - Grab the bacon last. At the supermarket, be sure that your bacon is the very last item you select before checking out.[22] If you pick up your bacon at the beginning of your supermarket trip, it's potentially developing bacteria while you are checking the other items off your list.
- Freeze immediately. Do not use previously opened bacon that has already been stored in your fridge. Cured meats like bacon can spoil or develop bacteria at temperatures higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit[23], so be sure to prepare your bacon for individual freezing immediately after purchasing it.[24]
- Wash your hands. While this step might seem obvious, it's still important. Even beyond washing your hands before and after you prepare your bacon, you should also wash your hands at any point after touching the bacon and before touching any supplies.
- For instance, if you need to grab some more wax paper or a freezer bag, don't forget to wash your hands first. Otherwise, your roll of wax paper or box of storage bags will be contaminated.
- Disinfect your counter top. It's important to disinfect both before and after you prepare your bacon for freezing. Any bacteria that is on your counter can be transferred to the wax paper and onto your bacon.
- Check the date. Be sure to check the "use by" date and the number of days recommended for refrigeration, as well. While freezing keeps your bacon fresher longer, you should definitely freeze your bacon prior to the expiration date. Likewise, if you needed to store the bacon in your fridge before freezing it, be sure to freeze it before the end of the suggested refrigeration period,[25] which is seven days.[26]
- The longer bacon is stored, the less flavorful it will be. For best quality, store your bacon in the freezer for no more than one month.[27] Three months is the recommended maximum storage time.[28]
- Use your bacon immediately after thawing it. Always thaw food in the refrigerator or in cold water. If using cold water, replace the water at 30 minute intervals. Do not thaw bacon at room temperature.
[Edit]Warnings - It is best to freeze unopened packages of bacon.[29] However, if you do follow one of these methods, be sure to keep your bacon frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit[30] and use it immediately after defrosting.
- Check your bacon before cooking to make sure it hasn't gone bad. If your bacon is slimy or has a dull color, discard it immediately.[31]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Wax paper or parchment paper
- A baking sheet
- Freezer bags or an airtight container
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Make Bead Earrings Posted: 07 Mar 2022 08:00 AM PST Beaded earrings might seem difficult to make, but they are really very simple if you have the right tools and materials. You can easily create a beautiful pair of beaded drop earrings to give as a gift, to match a special outfit, or to sell as part of your handmade jewelry business. [Edit]Making a Basic Pair of Beaded Earrings - Gather your materials. Making beaded earrings is quite easy. However, you will need to have some special materials ready before you get started. You will probably need to visit a craft store to find everything, or you can order your materials online. Before you begin, you will need:[1]
- Endpins (These are also known as headpins and look like a straight wire with a small button at the end.) Endpins are available in various thicknesses to accommodate different sizes of beads. Sometimes you will see the thickness mentioned by gauge (ga) on the packaging. In this case, a larger number (for example, 24 ga) indicates a thinner endpin, while a smaller number (for example, 20 ga) indicates a thicker headpin.
- Beads in the colors and types of your choice
- Round nose pliers
- Earring hooks
- Wire cutters
- Add your beads. First, put a spacer bead or a bead with a smaller hole than your other beads at the bottom of the endpin, then add the beads of your choice on the endpin.[2]
- Arrange the beads in the order you want them to create a colorful pattern.
- Experiment with different colors and styles.
- Use spacer beads to separate colors if desired.
- Continue adding beads. Keep adding beads to the endpin until you have 1/4" to 3/8" (6mm to 1cm) of space remaining. It is important to leave some space so that the earrings will retain their movement and will not be stiff.[3]
- If you want your earrings to be shorter, use a pair of wire cutters to snip the headpin to the appropriate length.
- Use a pair of round-nose pliers to bend the top of your head-pin. Bend the head pin until it is at a 90 degree angle to the beads. This will help to secure the beads in place and begin the attachment to your earring hook.
- Bend the top of the endpin into a loop using the round-nose pliers. This loop allows you to add a post or wire to complete the earring at the end of the headpin with the round-nose pliers. Using the tip of the pliers as a guide, form the end of the headpin into a neat loop.[4]
- If there is any excess wire going out from the loop, then snip it at the base of the loop using a pair of wire cutters. Make sure to wear eye protection when you do this because the wire may fly up towards your face.
- Add the earring hook. Next you will need to attach the earring hook to the loop. Do this before you close the loop all the way. Then, use your round nose pliers to close the loop.[5]
- Make your second earring and enjoy! After you have created one earring, you will just need to make a second earring in the same manner, and you will have a completed pair of beaded earrings! Try them on, give them as a gift, or add them to your stock of handmade jewelry to sell.
[Edit]Customizing Your Earrings - Include a central bead or pendant. Instead of making your earrings with a sequence of small beads only, you can use a larger decorative bead or a pendant as a way to make your earrings stand out more. Try putting one large, interesting bead near the bottom or center of your earrings, or attach a pendant to the bottom of your endpin.
- You can find endpins that have a rounded wire end, which is useful for hanging pendants from.
- Unless the pendant already has a jump ring attached, you will need to get some jump rings to attach the pendant. These are small metal ring that you open and close with pliers to attach them to the wire endpin.
- Experiment with wire wrapping. Wire wrapping is a jewelry making technique that can make your hand-crafted earrings look even more intricate and beautiful. You can use pliers to wire wrap large beads and stones, which you can use as a pendant for earrings.
- This technique takes some practice and patience to learn, so plan on doing some experimental pieces before you are ready to make earrings.
- Use a different type of base. Endpins are the classic type of earring base that jewelers use for earrings, but you can also use other types of bases to give your beaded earrings a different design. See what types of earring bases are available at your local crafting store and do some experimentation.
- For example, if you want your earrings to have more movement, then you could use some fishing line as the base for your beads instead.[6] Or, you may be able to find some hoop earrings that are thin enough to slide your beads onto.
[Edit]Warnings - Remember to wear eye protection whenever you use wire cutters. While making beaded jewelry is quite safe compared with a lot of other crafts, a small snipped piece of wire can be propelled with a lot of force in an unpredictable direction.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Endpins
- Round-nose pliers
- Wire cutters
- Beads
- Earring hooks
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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