With the rising cost of food and groceries in general, it is important to stay conscious of what we are paying for and receiving as a consumer. It may seem petty to some people, but knowing exactly how much of something you get for your money is only fair, including how many slices of bacon are in a pound.
This knowledge is also helpful when meal planning, so you can judge exactly how many servings you will get in a package of bacon.
Visual Inspection
When purchasing bacon in the grocery store, first have a look at the bacon itself. How much “white” do you see? This white is fat and as it cooks, will shrink your slices down, making it seem like less. Your 12 inch slice of bacon may shrink down to half that size once the fat renders away.
Therefore, you would require more slices to feed the family. Look at the cut of the bacon you are purchasing. Is it a thin sliced variety or perhaps a thick slice? Obviously, the thicker the slices, the less actual slices you will get in your package since each package usually weighs 12 to 16 ounces despite the cut of each slice.
Cut/Type of Pork
The type or cut of pork may change the quantity of bacon in the package. There are a few varieties of bacon available for purchase, depending where the pork was cut from the pig. Side bacon comes from the side of the pig and is the most commonly purchased variety.
Peameal bacon comes from center back of the pig and is a leaner cut. It is also called Canadian Bacon and tends to be more “ham-like”. This variety is usually heavy and thicker, therefore rendering less slices per pound.
Overall, if you are purchasing a 1lb. package of bacon you almost bet you will get about 16 to 20 slices in your package. If you are opting for thin sliced bacon instead, you will get approximately 35 slices in a pound. These totals are specific to side bacon, of course.
If you wish to purchase peameal bacon then you can expect to get about half the amount of side bacon at approximately eight slices per pound.
Hopefully this helpful outline has answered your question of how many slices of bacon are in a pound. It isn’t always straightforward with a few different variables to consider, but once you narrow down exactly what you are purchasing the answer is clear.
You can then easily meal plan for your family and know exactly how far your hard earned dollar is being stretched. If this was helpful, please leave a comment and let us know. We love feedback and suggestions from our readers.
We know how important it is to know what you are buying as consumer and where your money is going, therefore answering questions like this is great for everyone. Happy bacon cooking!
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