11 Things You Didn't Know You Should Be Doing With Bacon

Few foods have the kind of cult following that bacon does. Let's be honest, it's practically the perfect food. With its crunchy texture, umami flavor profile, and that irresistible scent, we find it to be an endlessly utilitarian food item. According to HuffPost, Americans typically eat 18 pounds of bacon annually per capita. That's a lot of porcine deliciousness and calories — 44,000 to be precise. That much bacon consumption also comes with some downsides — namely a lot of sodium, saturated fat, and nitrites, which are a known carcinogen. Still, eaten in moderation, bacon can be a part of a healthy diet.

If themed gifts are any indication as to the popularity of something, there is no shortage of bacon fandom, per Esquire. From ornaments to bandages to pillows to iPhone cases — bacon swag can be found almost everywhere. There is even a "Bacon of the Month” subscription, not unlike the fruit of the month offerings from the likes of Harry and David.

Truthfully, not many topics stir up controversy as fierce as the best way to cook bacon. Everyone has an opinion, although there are some basics that are non-negotiable, notes Tasting Table. However you make it, eat it, or celebrate it, there are some things you really should be doing with bacon and we are here to share them with you. Short of bathing in it — which we aren't sure isn't the greatest idea ever — the possibilities for bacon are virtually endless.

We've always thought that if someone could come up with a line of food-scented candles they'd become millionaires. Imagine a house redolent with roasted garlic, sauteed onions, and bacon. Well, you don't have to imagine anymore because apparently great minds think alike. According to Boston.com, the Yankee Candle Co. developed a line of candles in 2013 to launch in time for Father's Day called "Man Candles," which featured a bacon-scented option called "MMM, Bacon." The scent isn't listed in their current offerings on their website so we wondered if there was a recipe for making homemade bacon candles. Sure enough, we found one.

Thrillist has a recipe that is so simple it's almost comical. After discovering how easy it is to make, we may never buy another gift for a bacon-loving human again. All it takes is a mason jar, a wick, some super glue, and copious quantities of bacon. Once the bacon fat is rendered down, it is poured into the mason jar, which has had the wick super-glued into it. As the fat cools, it hardens into a candle. When lit, the aroma of cooked bacon will permeate every inch of your home. Bonus: The process of making this candle yields a lot of bacon to nibble on for a midnight snack. We recommend saving it for a BLT sandwich or maybe a Cobb salad.

According to celebrity chef Mark Bitterman, salt has been a staple of culinary creations worldwide for over 12,000 years (via Cooking Light). While most people are only familiar with the basics — namely table salt and kosher salt — flavored salts of all varieties have become more common. These salts are typically thought of as "finishing salts," meaning they are added at the end of the cooking process prior to serving to enhance the flavor of your dish. One such flavored salt is bacon salt.

Bacon salt is incredibly easy to make and is the perfect homemade gift to give your foodie loved ones. While it does make for a great finishing salt, it is also a great way to amp up the flavor of everything from roasted vegetables to chocolate chip cookies, per BENSA Bacon Lovers Society. 

The recipe is as simple as baking the bacon in the oven until crispy, draining it, then cooling it. Once cooled, the bacon can be processed in a food processor until pulverized into tiny pieces. The final step — add the kosher salt and pulse together to combine. If you want to jazz up the flavor a bit, you can brush the uncooked bacon with liquid smoke and sprinkle it with freshly cracked pepper or another spice. Store the finished product in an air-tight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to four weeks, or in the freezer, where it will last six months.

The number of variations of bacon products available commercially is staggering. Knowing which cut to use for a recipe is something invaluable in terms of maximizing the flavor of any culinary creation. But deciphering the distinctions between all the unique options is a daunting task. On The Gas notes that at its most basic, differences can be boiled down to cut, fat content, and how the pork is cured. European bacon typically comes in round slices and is meatier. It also is sourced from the back of the pig — known as the loin — and is not smoked. This differs from American bacon, which tends to be fattier, comes in slices, and is sourced from the pork belly.

For the purposes of determining what kind of bacon to implement in a recipe, Lacademie has created a simple reference guide indicating the cut, source, signature characteristics, and best use for 21 distinct types of bacon. For example, jowl bacon — which comes from the pig's cheek — is great on sandwiches, while lardon — which derives from the pork belly — is most typically associated with French delicacies like Coq au Vin and Beouf Bourgignon. The list also delves into some international options, like Hungarian Szalonna, Chinese Lap Yuk, and Italian Pancetta — each of which possesses unique attributes rendering them suitable for use with spices and ingredients indigenous to those countries.

If you Google methods of keeping a turkey moist during roasting, dozens of suggestions will pop up ranging from brining the bird to stuffing it with fruit to rubbing the breasts with herbed butter. While all of these may have merit for different reasons, wrapping your turkey in bacon is one of our favorite ways of keeping the breast moist while the turkey cooks through completely.

The Pioneer Woman herself, Ree Drummond, agrees. Not only will the fat from the bacon baste the turkey keeping it juicy, but the smoky and salty goodness of the bacon will also impart a delectable flavor into the bird. The final presentation looks incredible as well, with a lattice blanket of bacon dressing the turkey up to the nines. 

Drummond mentions two key factors to using bacon on your turkey. First, don't cover the bird tightly or the bacon won't get crispy — and who likes floppy bacon? She suggests instead loosely tenting it with foil and then removing the tent toward the end of the roasting process to crisp up the bacon. Drummond also recommends adding some water to the roasting pan to produce a steam bath that will work like a turkey sauna making its flesh moist and dewy. The final product doesn't just yield the perfect turkey, it comes with the bonus of a bunch of bacon to nosh on.

Bacon jam is one of the most versatile condiments you can have on hand. While you can purchase it, it is actually quite simple to make your own at home. It just takes a little time, patience, and a bit of willpower, as the finished product is tempting to just dive into before it ever makes it into a mason jar. And talk about a great gift idea for the bacon lover in your life!

While you can use bacon jam in obvious applications — like as a sweet and savory spread on a charcuterie platter or to doctor up your eggs at breakfast — it shines most in more unusual places. We love the idea of incorporating it into your pancakes, waffles, or other sweet recipes. And what better way to make a grilled cheese sandwich even more delectable than by smearing some bacon jam on the bread to compliment a smoked cheese? You can even take it a step further by putting it on a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich and adding it to S'Mores. Chocolate, marshmallows, and bacon...oh my!