Bacon is one of the most popular breakfast foods around. Who doesn’t love that savory, smoky, salty flavor? However, sometimes even diehard bacon lovers find it just a bit too salty. If you’ve ever had to skip that enticing strip of bacon due to high blood pressure issues or simply wanting a milder taste, you know the struggle.
Luckily, it is possible to remove some of the excess salt from bacon. With a few simple preparation methods you can tone down the intense saltiness and still enjoy bacon’s signature taste and texture. In this guide, we’ll explore several techniques for removing salt from bacon before or after cooking.
Why is Bacon So Salty in the First Place?
To understand how to desalinate bacon, it helps to first look at why it’s so salty to begin with. There are two main reasons behind bacon’s pronounced saltiness:
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Curing – All bacon is cured as part of processing, either with a dry rub or a wet brine. This curing introduces salt, plus often sodium nitrite
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Concentrating – As bacon cooks, moisture evaporates, leaving the salt behind on the shrinking pieces. The salt doesn’t escape as the fat renders out.
These two factors result in bacon containing a heavy salt punch in every bite. The level of saltiness depends on factors like the curing method used and cooking time. Now let’s look at practical ways to counteract some of that salt.
Pre-Cooking: Soaking and Rinsing
If the bacon is still raw, you have the advantage of being able to draw out and rinse away excess salt prior to cooking. Here are two pre-cooking methods:
Soaking
- Soak strips in cold water for 30 mins up to 1 hour (refrigerated).
- Drain water, pat bacon dry.
- Soaking longer risks mushy texture.
Rinsing
- Rinse under cool running water briefly.
- Pat bacon dry thoroughly before cooking.
- Doesn’t remove as much salt as soaking.
The pre-soak or quick rinse can dissolve away surface salt and make it markedly less salty. Just be mindful that soaking too long turns the bacon to mush.
Post-Cooking: Diluting and Blotting
If you’ve already cooked the bacon and find it over-salted, you can still reduce the saltiness using a couple approaches:
Diluting
- Add bacon pieces to unsalted liquid (broth, water, juice).
- Simmer briefly to allow salt to diffuse into liquid.
- Drain and pat bacon dry.
Blotting
- Lay cooked bacon on paper towels.
- Gently press to absorb grease and moisture.
- Helps draw out surface salt.
While not as effective as pre-cooking methods, diluting or blotting can provide some salt reduction for cooked bacon. Just avoid oversoaking and turning it to mush.
Complementary Ingredients to Balance Saltiness
In some cases, you may not be able to pre-treat the bacon directly. Another approach is choosing ingredients to serve it with that counterbalance the saltiness:
- Sweet fruits like oranges, apples, grapes
- Sweet vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, corn
- Tangy vinaigrettes, citrus juice
- Honey, pure maple syrup
- Starchy breads, oats, potatoes
Pairing salty bacon with something sweet, acidic, starchy or bland can help keep the saltiness in check. Creative pairings result in balanced, craveable flavor.
Adjust Cooking and Serving Size
In addition to the above tricks, you can also manipulate saltiness by adjusting cooking methods and portion size:
- Cook less – lighter crisping leaves more moisture.
- Microwave instead of pan fry.
- Bake in oven on a rack to allow fat to drain.
- Crumble over a dish instead of eating strips directly.
- Sprinkle over salad instead of eating alone.
- Saltiness stands out more when eating solo – combine with other items to dilute.
Lighter cooking and smaller portion size avoids intensifying that salty kick. Sprinkle crumbled bits over soup or salad for a salty accent instead of the main event.
Purchase Low-Sodium Bacon
If you find yourself needing to desalinate bacon frequently, purchasing low-sodium bacon varieties is an easy fix:
- Look for “25% less sodium” or similar phrasing.
- Uncured bacon has less salt since no sodium nitrites added.
- Nitrate-free labels indicate less processing and salt.
- Center-cut bacon is leaner with less salt.
- Check small local producers for artisanal options.
Specialty low-salt bacons solve the problem right from the start. You may pay a bit more, but saves the hassle of trying to remove salt after the fact.
Video Demonstration: Simple Methods to Reduce Bacon Saltiness
To see desalination in action, this quick video demonstrates two easy methods to reduce excess salt in bacon:
The video walks through rinsing raw bacon under cool water to remove surface salt before cooking. It also shows soaking cooked salty bacon in unsalted chicken broth to draw out salt via diffusion.
These visual examples provide a handy reference for using the pre-cook rinsing and post-cook diluting methods to cut down the saltiness of bacon.
Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Salt from Bacon
Here are answers to some common questions people have about reducing bacon’s salt content:
Does soaking bacon in water reduce the smoky flavor?
Soaking will primarily only dilute the salt, not the smoky notes. However, long soaking times (over 2 hours) may start to leech out other flavors. Moderation is key.
Can I freeze bacon after soaking and rinsing to desalinate it?
Yes, you can freeze desalinated bacon for later use. Be sure to pat it very dry first and seal air-tight in freezer bags.
Instead of rinsing, can I wipe salt off cooked bacon with a paper towel?
While blotting cooked bacon may lift off some surface salt, rinsing is much more effective at dissolving and removing it.
What about boiling bacon – will this make it less salty?
Boiling is not recommended. The bubbling action can break up the bacon, resulting in a mushy, stringy texture.
Is turkey bacon less salty than pork bacon?
Turkey bacon does tend to be mildly less salty than traditional pork bacon on average. However, salt levels still vary widely by brand. Check labels for sodium content.
Get the Savory, Smoky Flavor You Crave Without the Salt Bomb
With a few tweaks to preparation, cooking, and ingredients, it’s possible to enjoy all the delicious flavors of bacon without getting knocked out by an intense salt punch. Hopefully these tips equip you to modify bacon’s salt content to your ideal level.
Armed with this knowledge, you can now savor bacon more often without resorting to sad, droopy unsalted substitutes. Just remember – a little salt goes a long way, so small adjustments make a big difference. Now go forth and keep enjoying bacon in balance!