How long do bacon and sausage keep?

United States Reviewed May 2026 Method v1.1 EU/UK: package use-by dates govern

Refrigerate opened or fresh bacon for up to 1 week and raw sausage for 1–2 days at 40 °F (4 °C) or below. Best freezer quality: about 1 month for bacon and 1–2 months for raw sausage.

These are safety guidance figures for the refrigerator and quality targets for the freezer. Unopened packages: follow the printed date — the manufacturer date governs.

Pantry

Not safe

Max 2 h at room temperature

Refrigerator ≤ 40 °F (4 °C)

1–7 days

Safety guidance · Bacon up to 7 days; raw sausage 1–2 days

Freezer 0 °F

1–2 months

Best quality · safe indefinitely

Calculate a date for bacon / sausage

Starting event Event date

Pick an event and date for a labeled result — never a bare “expiry date.”

Can I freeze it?

Safe, with quality loss

Safe to freeze; quality window is short. Bacon holds best quality about 1 month, raw sausage 1–2 months.

The high salt and fat content means cured meats turn rancid in the freezer faster than plain meats — the safety is unaffected, but flavor declines noticeably.

Prepare & portion. Separate bacon strips or sausage portions with parchment so you can take out only what you need.

Package. Wrap tightly in freezer wrap inside a freezer bag; air is what drives rancidity.

Thaw & use. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or cook bacon straight from frozen at lower heat.

Thawing and post-thaw handling

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bacon can be cooked from frozen; sausages cook from frozen with roughly 50% longer cooking time. Cook sausage to 160 °F (71 °C).

Refreezing

Refrigerator-thawed bacon or sausage may be refrozen, with further flavor loss. The general rules are in the refreezing guide and the Refreezing Decision tool.

Common mistakes

Freezing a whole slab of bacon that has to be fully thawed for two strips.
Ignoring the opened-package clock because the printed date is weeks away — after opening, the after-opening rule applies.

Package exception: Unopened packages: the printed date and package instructions govern.

Calculate a date for this food Open in Can I Freeze It? Make a label

Source-to-claim map
Bacon 7 days / sausage 1–2 days refrigerator; ~1–2 month freezer quality — FoodSafety.gov — Cold Food Storage Chart · Bacon and sausage storage detail — USDA FoodKeeper (FoodSafety.gov) · All sources · Change history · Report a correction