National Bacon Day … Who Knew?

Posted on by under History, Holidays, Humour, Social commentary

I first posted this one last year on this date, December 30th, and for much the same reason as I’m posting it this year … a lack of inspiration for my usual snarky posts!

I was working on a more serious post this evening, but by the end of ‘family time’, I was feeling tired and out of sorts, so I was fairly certain there would be no a.m. post today.  But then, my daily digest from the National Day Calendar people hit my inbox and when I saw that today is National Bacon Day and thinking about some of my readers — Larry, David, the other Larry, and Emily — who are serious bacon lovers, I decided to have a bit of fun with it!

According to the National Day Calendar website …

On December 30th each year, bacon lovers celebrate one of nature’s favored gifts on Bacon Day! The day reminds us that bacon is not just for breakfast and encourages us to test out various ways to enjoy this culinary marvel. 

Everything is better with bacon, so someone said once. And our research shows very little to dispute this assertion.

The United States and Canada make bacon from the pork belly. Other countries around the world use the side and back cuts of pork. The meat is cured in either a salt brine or a salt pack. It is then either dried, boiled, or smoked.

Bacon is a very popular food in the USA. In 2020, over half of the U.S. population said they used a pound or more bacon that year. You can also find many items flavored or scented with bacon, including popcorn, soap, candles, air fresheners, and much more. While these uses fit right into the day, we suggest cooking with bacon.

It’s not just for breakfast anymore, either. Bacon improves everything from beverages to dessert. Some cocktails such as the Bloody Mary and Caesar add bacon to the olives, pickles, and other assorted ingredients. Bacon improves the flavor of many appetizers, sandwiches, and soups. Incorporate bacon into salads as a topping or mix it into the dressing. For dessert, bacon pairs well with maple frosting or maple ice cream. Thanks to bacon’s salty, smoky flavor, it compliments sweet quite well. The possibilities are endless. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #BaconDay

The founders of Bacon Day encourage us to eat a variety of bacon while watching Kevin Bacon movies or movies with bacon in the title. Other suggested traditions such as bacon toasts and kissing under pork fat mistletoe are mentioned as well. We make these recommendations for celebrating the day:

    • Try a new recipe.
    • Test the best way to cook bacon.
    • Top your salad, soup, or eggs with this delicious ingredient.
    • Give the gift of bacon.
    • Sample different varieties and determine your favorite.
    • Host of cookoff and post your favorite recipes.
    • Write a song about bacon.
    • Make a smiley face using bacon.
    • Visit your favorite butcher and give them a shout-out!

BACON DAY HISTORY

Danya “D” Goodman and Meff “Human Cannonball” Leonard founded Bacon Day in 1997 as the one great day to bond everyone together.   

Bacon FAQ

Q. Is bacon a dessert?
A. Bacon can be eaten at every meal of the day. For dessert, try Bacon Apple Pie or Bacon Maple Ice Cream.

Q. Can I cook bacon in the microwave?
A. Yes. Bacon can be cooked in the microwave, a conventional oven, on the stove or griddle, or in a convection oven.

Q. How many calories are in one slice of bacon?
A. One slice of bacon contains approximately 43 calories. It also has 9 mg of cholesterol and 1.1 gram of saturated fat (that’s the not-so-good fat). If you’re trying to watch what you eat, limit your portion size or substitute pork bacon for turkey or chicken bacon.

Now, as far as the best way to cook bacon, you place the slices in a single layer on a wire rack on a baking sheet with edges, sprinkle liberally with ground pepper, then bake at about 425° until it reaches the desired level of crispness.  Personally, I like mine ultra-crispy, nearly blackened!

Now go forth and try some new bacon recipes!  Be sure to let me know how they turn out.  Here’s one I use sometimes for Candied Bacon … it’s really simple, just three ingredients!  Happy Bacon Day!!!

21 thoughts on “National Bacon Day … Who Knew?”

  6. Thank you for sharing!!.. no bacon here today… with the weather being what it is (cold, foggy, rainy, etc.) a bowl of calm chowder, biscuits and a cup of hot chocolate with a few marshmellows…. 🙂

    Hope you and your family have a wonderful New Year filled with peace, love, happiness and life is all that you wish for it to be and until we meet again… 🙂

    May the love that you give
    Always return to you,
    That family and friends are many
    And always remain true,
    May your mind only know peace
    No suffering or strife,
    May your heart only know love and happiness
    On your journey through life.
    (Larry “Dutch” Woller)

    Liked by 1 person

    • That bowl of chowder sounds like just the thing for these cool, dreary, drizzly days! Thank you, my friend, and I hope that your new year will be peaceful and happy. Your poem is beautiful and is perfect for the day!

      Like

  8. Jill, our oldest son turned us onto the following bacon recipe:

    use thick sliced bacon
    make a sauce to baste on the bacon with your favorite mustard and maple syrup
    brush on and broil the bacon in a drip pan in the oven

    It is a different taste. Keith

    Liked by 1 person

  9. There’s more than one National Bacon Day. September 2 is also National Bacon Day & apparently, so is August 31 (that was just a quick Google search). I would wager that there’s a few more. There’s also an International Bacon Day! People love their bacon!

    Just for shits & giggles & because I live in Buffalo, I looked up Canadian Bacon day … it’s March 3. Of course, that’s a whole different kind of pig! But still yummy!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.