Emma Miller
Lard is the main Ukrainian product and our national pride. It is a shame to throw away such a valuable product. Even if the fat has turned yellow, weathered, and tough, you can give it a “second life” and make a tasty snack out of it. Here are a few ways to use old bacon in the kitchen.
Can you eat old bacon?
If bacon is yellowed and weathered, it has been stored for a long time. You can eat such lard if it has not been stored for more than 30 days in the fridge and 12 months in the freezer. However, old lard tastes different from fresh lard and is tougher. After long storage, lard can absorb the smell of the refrigerator and neighboring products, which also spoils the taste of the product.
How to Restore Old Lard
If a piece of old lard has been stale in the refrigerator, it can be restored to its fresh taste. To do this, put the lard in a suitable container. If the piece is large (larger than the size of the palm of your hand), then it should be cut into several pieces. Pour the old bacon with milk and put it on the stove on a small fire for 20 minutes. Then take out and cool the lard.
Lard from old bacon
Yellowed old bacon will serve you again if you melt it into lard. To do this cut the fat into small pieces and fry it in a hot, dry pan until it turns brown. Lard can be served with scrambled eggs or deruny, and melted lard from the frying pan pour into a jar and stored in the fridge.
Old Salted Lard in Borscht
Dressing for borscht from old lard turns out even more flavorful than from fresh product. To do this, pour warm water over old salted lard and leave it for 1 day at room temperature. Then grind it in a mortar with garlic or grind it in a meat grinder, and add it to the borscht at the end of cooking.
Pasting made of old bacon
- Lard – 300 gr.
- Garlic – 4 cloves.
- Ground black pepper – 0,5 spoons.
- Ground sweet paprika – 0.5 tsp.
- Greens and salt to taste.
Grind bacon with other ingredients through a mincer with a fine mesh. Finely chop the greens with a knife and mix with the spread. Store the old bacon spread in the refrigerator.
