BLT.

For supper tonite,I probably had my last Bacon,Tomato and lettuce for the year,plants are not putting anymore on.
Now lets talk Bacon for a minute!!!!
I've tried every brand of bacon the store has to offer,most are way to salty,others no flavor!
Tonite we tried a new one for us,called private selection,not to salty and a good flavor for a change.
When I was a kid we bought fresh side from a pop butcher shop,it smelled like pork chops frying when cooking it,it also had that kind of taste as well,but looked like bacon,I wish the stores would carry it,I really enjoyed it,does anyone know what I'm talking about?

My frustration is going to buy a pound of bacon and only getting 10 ounces. Why are the plants not doing anymore; don't you have green tomatoes that will still turn. Our temps are definitely getting cooler but I haven't given up on more tomatoes ripening. Or are your plants drying up and quiting?

I hear you,the bacon packages even look a lot smaller!!!
Yep the tomato blight has overcome them,are dried up,still have a couple small green tomatoes,might have green fried tomatoes though!!!

I remember that good ol' fresh side pork, sure do. I know exactly what you mean about not being about to buy quality bacon like what use to be available from local butcher shops. Even those are starting to be a thing of the past. One particular brand that I like better than any other that's on the market today is Wrights (processed in Springdale AR). It's a thick sliced peppered bacon that fries up like the old fashion hickory smoked bacon of yesteryear. Taste is really good.

yes I've had that too!
Seems that walmart will carry a item for a while then stop getting it just when you find something you like whoops can't seem to find it again!

Tropicman, you are right on about that!!! Frustrates me to no end!

If that thick sliced bacon gets any thinner they are gonna have to change the label...and the thin sliced almost disappears when you cook it!

Oh that so bothers me no end! I don't get bacon often but when I do, I want BACON!

My favorite is Applewood bacon. Applewwood smoked. Mmm...sooooo yuuuummmmmyyyy... Not too salty and has lots of flavor. There's no one brand I can think of right now that has it but look around, it's there.

Farmland and Smithsfield I believe have the apple bacon.
Nanny your so right,it shrinks to where you can hardly find it in the skillet!!!!
Then it's mostly fat and lots of grease in the skillet,where the bacon was supposed to be!!!!!

Has any body tried the black pepper bacon?
I like lots of black pepper on just about everything,but it's so thick on the bacon,I'm afraid won't be able to taste the bacon!!

That's the kind I love, Wright's thick sliced peppered bacon. Some of the pepper cooks off but enough stays on to cook with the bacon. So chewy and good.

Haven't tried black pepper but know we'd like it.

Why we are on the subject,has anyone tried that microwave bacon ?

I love bacon! After Gustav passed through my bacon thawed out so I had to cook the whole package. I buy Farmland, I think. I like pepper but I don't like peppered things. I like straight up smoked bacon. I used to do the microwave bacon way back when, it's not the same. If you're in an area that sells Farmer John, that's the brand to buy.

Isn't the precooked bacon more expensive?

It's way more expensive but you are paying for the convienence. I've sent it home with my bachelor son for quick meals. He doesn't get it often, and with only a microwave and a hot plate, it does come in handy.

But how does it taste???

It's very thin pre-cooked bacon. Doesn't taste bad, just sort of fake, in a weird way.

That's exactly right, crissy. Not as good as pan fried at all. You can tell you are eating bacon, but, I wouldn't serve it next to a plate of eggs for breakfast. Better to use in a sandwich or crumble in a salad. That's my take on micowave bacon.

I always microwave my bacon! Regular bacon--not any kind that is made especially for the MW.
I put 2 layers of paper towels on a dinner plate and then lay all the bacon slices on top of that. Then cover them all with another layer of paper towers and nuke them for about 3-4 minutes. DONE!

It is great! The bacon never sits in the grease--and all the grease soaks up into the paper towels (top and bottom). You simply discard all the towels and enjoy the bacon.

I also prefer thick-sliced bacon. I always look for packages that have the most lean showing in the slices.
I like the bulk bacon BJ's (or Costco or Sams) sells. I take 2 slices--cut them in half--and then put them in a Snack sized baggie and freeze them. If I want some bacon--I just take a baggie out--thaw it-- and nuke it.

YES!!! I also long for any part of Pork that I remember from the "old days" that actually smelled and tasted like fresh, country Pork. NOT to be had nowadays--sadly.......
It has a TOTALLY different taste!!!!!

Gita

That's a good idea!, Freezing bacon. I'll have to try that.
I too have microwaved regular bacon using a rack. I'll try the paper towel method. That never occurred to me. LOL. The microwave rack just doesn't hold enough bacon for my family. We can cook a whole pound of it for one meal. But that pre-packaged microwave bacon isn't all that great in comparison to freshly cooked bacon by any means.

I have a platter that is ribbed so I can cook bacon on it. I've used it a few times but I always forget to cover it and have to clean up grease on the inside of the microwave. OL

Is the bacon crisp done in the microwave?

Yes it is, but the closer to that crisppness point the more danger it is of it burning. You have to keep an eye on it. GITA, help tell us how to watch the bacon to keep it from burning in the microwave. I guess it depends on the wattage of your microwave and how many pieces of bacon you are cooking. May need to test and time a few slices.

I found an off brand of thick sliced smoky bacon that we really like, of course it will won't be in the store someday. But until then we will enjoy it.

BLT's are great. I found a wonderful recipe for a BLT salad her on DG and had that a few times this year. It was a big hit with company. Everyone who tried it raved how good it was. It does not keep though, so all has to be enjoyed in one sitting.

I did not grow tomatoes this year, but my brother had pretty good success. I took some extras and dried them in the dehydrator. These will be used in tomatoe/basil bread this winter. Ohhhh, I am starting to make myself hungry!

Yes, it is crisp. If it were regular sliced bacon, it would be even more crisp--and probably burn quicker....
I think my MW is 1.1cf. --not sure...it is a Sharp.

Since I always cook the same amount of bacon (2 thick-sliced bacon slices cut in half), I know how long it takes. 2-1/2 minutes for softer-cooked and 3 minutes for crisp. Then you just throw all the grease-soaked towels away.
I use a regular dinner plate to cook them on. Double layers of towels on the bottom--single layer of bacon slices--and one layer of towels on top.

You can "watch" the bacon by starting with less time and then taking a peek to see how done it is. Then do another additional 30 seconds at a time....or whatever....Soon you will remember how long it takes.

PS--I do thaw the bacon slices slightly (also in the MW--about 30 sec.) before I cook them, or you can't lay them down single layer.

Gita

I cook at least two packages at a time and would go through a lot of paper towels doing it.

After it is cooked and cooled I package it up in ziplocks and freeze it. Then when there is a need for bacon I don't have to go through the mess it makes on the stove to have it. Just one big mess every once in a while.

My mom used to microwave bacon on paper towels, it was good but I don't microwave anything, outside of frozen dinners, because when I was growing up my mom microwaved everything, from fresh veggies to steak. Every meal was microwaved. Nasty!

Back to the fresh side bacon ... We love it but it is difficult to find. We coat ours with corn meal and fry it, then put a few pieces on a slice of bread with lots of horseradish, the hotter the better. Man, that's good eating!

Judy nukes regular bacon. We keep a package thawed in the refrigerator since we usually buy several at a time when "on sale". I don't have a clue about cooking time but it's usually crisp. She has a microwaveable rack with ribbing and one end is higher than the other so the grease drains down to a reservoir. She puts paper towels on top of the bacon also.

My most recent BLT had apple wood flavored bacon on it. It was at a resaurant. I had no trouble with the bacon but they used shredded lettuce. Whoever heard of such a thing? My mom never did it that way.

The only time I like maple-flavored bacon is when eating pancakes. I lack strong feelings for or against peppered bacon.

Fresh Side Bacon here is what we call streak-o-lean. And yes it is wonderful lightly floured then rolled in corn meal. Fresh peas, fried down creamed corn, cooked cabbage, streak-o-lean, sliced tomatoes and corn bread and peach cobbler can't be beat! Lawd have mercy!

I love BLT's but there is so much sodium in bacon, I opt for the turkey bacon by butterball and sometimes there is another brand beside it. Can't remember the name??
Hubby came home one night last week telling me that a customer made him a fried green tomato and feta cheese sandwich. I had seen Paula Deen make a bagel with fried green tomato, cream cheese and capers and smoked salmon. Had to try it with feta and it was sooooo good!
Cordeledawg, I'm coming to your house for lunch! lol
"Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes, there's one thing that money can't buy, that's true love and home grown tomatoes" remember that song? ;)

All this talk about uncurred (fresh??) bacon had me all inspired today......

Had a Dr.'s appt. about 40 min. away from home. On the way back, I stopped at the only Trader Joe's that is near me. NOT too many of them around! Haven't been there in almost 8-9 months! I stocked up on my favorite cereals (3 boxes) and also bunches of bagged nuts--slivered Almonds and toasted ones, Cashew bits (will freeze them all for use when needed), and their awesome Honey Sesame sticks. Oh, my!!!! Are they ever good!!!! Absolutely addictive! Also got 2-1qt. bottles of Kefir. Can't find it in Grocery stores here---maybe in health food stores....so I have heard....

When i was in Latvia, all we drank there was Kefir--at home, in Restaurants and when visiting anyone. Their's, over there, was SOOOO good! Fresh and sweet......Not created by culturing something...like everything is done here. You should have tasted their Sour Cream!! To die for!!!! Not sour at all---fresh and sweet and yummmmmmmy.....and rich...

I never had had Kefir before I went there.
What is it? Not sure of the contents, but if you can imagine fresh country Buttermilk (from churning butter) and them imagine it twice as thick and rich....that is Kefir.

When I got home from my trip, I tried to duplicate it--with not much success.....I bough a qt. of Buttermilk (which I love anyway) and mixed some sour cream in it. It just was not anywhere near the taste of that in Latvia (or other N. European Countries, i am sure).....the sourness of both ruined it. Cultured--you know.....

Anyway.....I did start this about bacon.....
While at Trader Joe's, I bought 2 packages of uncured bacon. NO nitrates (nitrites??) in it. Looked just like regular bacon. I plan to fry/nuke one of them and then freeze it for use when needed. Someone above suggested doing that. I might just do one package that way--and freeze the other "fresh"....

Also bought 2 loaves of the ONLY bread I love to eat....."Milton's Multi-Grain--99% fat free Bread". You can only get it at Sam's Club, BJ's or Costco. AND--Trader Joes--if you have one near you.
If you have never been to one---and have one near you--GOOOO!!!!
It is a California Chain.....lots of organic foods.....Health food-type of things...brands you may never have heard of....etc. ALL good! LOTS of cheeses!!!

IF in your state wine is sold in Grocery stores (NOT here!), Trader Joe's has it's own vineyard in CA somewhere that makes wines just for them and they sell it at their stores.
Ever hear of "Two Buck Chuck"????? That refers to the price of their bottles of wine....GOOD wines for $3-$4. I guess $2--if you live in CA...Correct me here if i am wrong.......ANYONE?...... in CA????

Gita

Primrose is a good brand of bacon that is not too salty. Of course , the next time I get it, it will probably be. I love bacon too. Everyday for first break I get a bacon biscuit. I have to have my bacon crisp or I can't eat it. Peppered bacon is good but I don't want it everytime. Maple flavored is too sweet for me. Microwaving is fine but I use real bacon. However I prefer mine fried. Also I am not a mayo person yet its the only kind of spead I can eat on a BLT. How about ya'll? I love mustard but can't eat it on bacon. If I don't have mayo I eat it dry. My mayo ruins before it is eaten unless I get on a BLT kick. LOL

Born and raised, spent the first 33 1/2 years of my life in the Central Valley. I miss Trader Joes, their Tapioca and Cinnamon Rice puddings are wonderful! And 2 Buck Chuck is wonderful too, it's called Charles Shaw. I guess it doesn't have a long shelf life. I have a case here that's about a year and 3 months old that my mom picked up for me when she was visiting CA. I wanted to pick up some St. Helena wines when I was there a couple of weeks ago but I didn't want to take it back on the plane.

I eat Mayo, can't stand mustard or miracle whip. Dave went to buy some mayo and bought miracle whip on accident.

All this bacon talk made me bacon hungry. We've had BLT's for two straight days. LOL Hummm, hummm good!

Man,I put on 5 lbs just reading about all the good eating and drinking on these last threads,had to loosen my belt too!!!LOL
Here in Wichita Ks,we don't have any of those stores,except Sams,and they hardly ever
carry the same item twice!!!
Is there any piggly Quiggly stores any more???
No safeways either! I miss my old southern spaghetti sauce!!!!

There's a few Piggly Wiggly's in very small towns here in GA. WalMart has put several of our grocery stores out of business,. We don't have any of the stores Gita was speaking of. Wish we did.

Same here!!!

Now that I'm caught up...I'm hungry now, too! LOL Guess I'l have a... BLT?

We had Chili & BLT's for dinner last night!! There are a couple of Trader Joe's in Indianapolis, but nowhere close to me!!

Miracle Whip on my BLT . . wasn't introduce to Mayo until I moved to CA. Now I like both for different uses.

Only Miracle whip for me!
Other mayo's have a twang taste to me!