What is worse than Zombie Apocolypse? Bacon Shortage.. duh.

MikeFlyMike

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57519703/global-bacon-shortage-unavoidable-group-says/

Guess I am going to go buy my own pig too.

jamk1446

I was surprised not to see a major flurry over this on the main boards. Everybody loves teh bacons!

I read a couple of different articles, it's not going to have as great an impact in the states as Europe and other parts of the globe. But prices will definitely go up towards the end of the year. But there will be a surplus in the fall, suppliers will slaughter their pigs early to avoid the increased feed costs from the drought. I'm considering stocking my freezer.

mensasu

LeidaPrimal

I find it hilarious that in the middle of the whole bacon panic I am fighting to de-baconize our hog order. That's 3rd year we are getting a pasturized heritage pig... The first year I did not know any better, the second year we asked for pork belly cut into 1 lbs pieces andnon-cured, and got CURED, UN-sliced bacon (the worst of both worlds), AFTER the farmer corresponded with us like 3 times, confirming that we, OMG, did not want our bacon cured, but they did not charge us.

I have been seeing Pork Belly on food TV for 2 days in a row, and, boy, I think I can cook it even if I don't cure it into Russian salo (frozen bacon made with just salt, spice and garlic). Russian, or Chinese, I am keeping fingers crossed to win against the wily butchers and farmers who keep curing our meat!

I seriously don't like bacon, and I am worried about all the crap they add to it to cure it. I don't trust it. Food paranoia!

Middangeard

If it comes to it, we could always go for beef or lamb bacon -- but I've never actually had that. I've seen both for sale from local farms, but I'm a little worried I'll be disappointed. Anybody know how they compare to pork?

mensasu

Aporkalypse Not Now: Bacon Shortage Exaggerated, Experts Say
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/2942-bacon-pork-shortage.html

caribougal

I find it hilarious that in the middle of the whole bacon panic I am fighting to de-baconize our hog order. That's 3rd year we are getting a pasturized heritage pig... The first year I did not know any better, the second year we asked for pork belly cut into 1 lbs pieces andnon-cured, and got CURED, UN-sliced bacon (the worst of both worlds), AFTER the farmer corresponded with us like 3 times, confirming that we, OMG, did not want our bacon cured, but they did not charge us.

I have been seeing Pork Belly on food TV for 2 days in a row, and, boy, I think I can cook it even if I don't cure it into Russian salo (frozen bacon made with just salt, spice and garlic). Russian, or Chinese, I am keeping fingers crossed to win against the wily butchers and farmers who keep curing our meat!

I seriously don't like bacon, and I am worried about all the crap they add to it to cure it. I don't trust it. Food paranoia!

I had the same experience. Got cured bacon from the 1/2 pig from our CSA and it tasted terrible. I don't think I'm ordering a pig this year... going for goat if I have room in the freezer. I'll have to keep ordering my sugar-free bacon ends from US Wellness Meats. They are nomnom good.

I think I actually ate that Russian salo once, but I didn't know what it was called. I was in Moscow for a week in 1991 (still soviet then), and drinking vodka with some random friends we made on the street that day (ah, the life of a 21 year-old). They pulled out what looked and tasted to me like a hunk of salty fat from the freezer. At first, I could NOT bring myself to eat it. But Russian peer pressure along with vodka wore me down, and I ate it. It actually was the perfect compliment to the vodka... salty, cold... and probably helped reduce hangover the next day to consume a bunch of fat while drinking. All that, without speaking more than 5 words of Russian, and they certainly didn't speak any English. It's amazing how far vodka, pig fat, and cross-cultural goodwill will take you.

zellagrrl

A couple of my friends have cured their own bacon, and enjoyed the results. I've had good luck when buying from local butchers.

I'm not a huge fan of goat, as I don't like stews in general.

monkeydharma

I get my pork from a friend (custom raised and butchered), and do not have ANY of it cured. I cook the sliced pork belly just like bacon and hit it with a good dose of seasoning salt - when it crisps up, it's virtually indistinguishable from bacon. What does sodium nitrate taste like, anyway?

I don't think there is much of a flap in the hunter/gatherer community because it won't affect us as much. What the shortage will do is:

1. Raise the price of feedlot animals within range of grassfed/pastured animals;
2. Convince more ranchers to switch over to grassfed/pastured practices.

For me, the prices may rise a little, because of more competition for baled grasses, but - since my beef, pork and chicken/egg providers have assured me that they will be giving their long-time customers priority over newbies - I don't expect to see much of a change.