The blog has lain dormant while I have been taking an online class, but here I am again with the next and final step in making your own bacon. After your rubbed piece of belly has been in the fridge for 7-10 days, it will take on a dark appearance and feel somewhat stiff. There will also be some liquid in the dish; this is the moisture that the salt drew out during the curing.
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| Like so. |
Rinse the rub off the belly, catching the salty water in a bowl or bucket so that the salt does not go down your drain. Later, you can use the salt water to kill some poison ivy or annoy some fire ants.
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| This is what it will look like rinsed. |
At this point, those of you who do not like strong, salty tastes may soak the cured belly in clean water for 30 minutes to an hour. This will draw some of the salt back out and curb the flavor.
Next, set up your smoker and smoke the bacon to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F, which usually takes 2-3 hours. Your homemade bacon can now be sliced and fried. After it has cooled, cover it and store it in the refrigerator. We don't know how long it keeps because we have never had to keep it for long.
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| At the beginning of smoking. |
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| Smoked and ready. |
Anne Marie
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