Your nose knows before your taste buds do. If your bacon grease smells sour, metallic, or like old crayons, toss it immediately. Another giveaway: a cloudy, greyish color or any mold growth on the surface—though that’s rare if you keep it sealed.
Here’s a fun fact: bacon grease can actually go rancid, which is not the same as spoiled. Rancidity comes from oxidation, meaning the fats have broken down chemically. It won’t make you sick, but it will make your food taste like a dirty ashtray.
How to Make It Last Even Longer
Want to treat your grease like a vintage wine? Freeze it. Pour your strained bacon grease into an ice cube tray, pop them out, and store the cubes in a freezer bag. They’ll last over a year—perfect for dropping into a pan of roasted Brussels sprouts or scrambling into eggs.
Can You Add New Bacon Grease to Old? A Home Cook’s Guide - Drool Recipes
Another pro tip: always use a clean, dry spoon when scooping out your grease. Moisture and bacteria are the #1 enemies of shelf life. Treat your jar like a sacred artifact—because, honestly, it kind of is.
