Is Making My Own Bacon Worth the Effort

Have you ever thought about making your own bacon but wondered if it was worth the effort?

Have you heard that the flavor of the homemade smoked bacon will convince you never to buy it from the store again?

I have never made my own, so I can’t verify how good it tastes or give my opinion on if it’s worth the effort.

However, I can share what others say.

Hopefully, you will learn from what others are saying. Whether it’s from those who love making their own bacon or those who have tried it and thought it was too much work.

I will share a video on how Cowboy Kent Rawlins makes his own bacon at the end.

So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Is Making My Own Bacon Worth the Effort?

People who make their own bacon say it’s not much work and definitely worth the effort. They say it’s the best-tasting bacon they’ve ever had. Some, who like homemade but don’t want the hassle, will tell you to buy your bacon from the butcher. It tastes as good (or almost as), and you have none of the work. Still, others have not even given it a thought as they like store-bought bacon just fine.

You Will Never Buy Bacon at the Store Again

There are whole websites dedicated to bacon, and forums where people share their experiences of making their own. The popular opinion on these sites is that curing your own bacon is worth the effort.

On several forums, someone would ask whether it was worth the effort or if homemade bacon really tasted better. And people responded by saying things like:

You can’t get the kind of bacon you make yourself at a store.
The wait time is longer, but the work is minimal.
Making your own is fun and easy and costs less [not everyone agreed it costs less].
If you try it once, you won’t ask such silly questions.
Bacon had flavor growing up. It was smoked and not just injected with smoke flavoring. Now I make my own and it tastes like it did when I was a kid.
Besides tasting better, it doesn’t pop or shrivel when frying.
It only takes 45-50 minutes of total work.
I appreciate that I’m not eating processed meat.
Bacon is the easiest of all the meats I smoke.
Making your own allows you to use different aromatics and cut the thickness to however you like it.
You’ll never go back to store-bought once you make your own.
There is something magical about making your own food that most people don’t make.

Buy Your Bacon From the Butcher

A few have tried making their own bacon and decided it was too much work. They agreed it tasted better, so they wanted to find a compromise. Additionally, several people who had never tried making their own bacon still had ideas on what was better than store-bought bacon. Here are the kinds of things they said:

Buying butcher’s bacon is better than store-bought and cheaper than making your own.
Bacon from the butcher is comparable to making your own.
Making your own is such a pain. Buying it from the butcher is far easier, and it tastes great.
I don’t have the time or energy to make my own, so I get it from the butcher because I don’t want to give up the better homemade flavor.
A good compromise is to purchase thick-sliced bacon from the store and cold-smoke it for 3-4 hours.
It’s not worth the effort compared to what I can get from the butcher.
Making your own is fun and delicious but too much work. And it doesn’t last as long unless you use nitrates.
It may be worth it if you have a slicer.
I went from making my own to buying it from the butcher, and I’m satisfied.
It’s only worth it if you can’t get quality bacon.

Grocery Store Bacon is Good Enough

Keep in mind that most people buy their bacon from the store and have never considered making their own. Therefore they don’t visit forums that talk about making your own bacon. But for the few who did weigh-in, they mainly had the same reasons; reasons such as :

I don’t have the time or inclination.
Making your own bacon doesn’t sound like fun.
What I can buy at the store is good enough for me.
I can’t even grasp why I would want to or how to make my own.
It sounds like too much work.

Easy Homemade Bacon – How to Cure Your Own Video

5 Tips I Picked Up in My Research

If you have decided you would like to try making your own, here are a few tips that others mentioned:

Cut the pork belly into portions that will fit in 1 or 2-gallon ziplock bags.
Ask the butcher to remove the skin from the pork belly unless you plan on using it.
Have a good knife for slicing (or a slicer).
Many grocery and warehouse club stores have their own butchers. If they don’t carry pork belly, they can often order it.
You don’t need a smoker. A charcoal grill will work if you put the charcoal on one half and smoke the pork on the other half.

Not Everyone…

If, after reading what others thought, you decided making your own bacon is not for you, don’t feel bad. Not everyone:

Thinks making their own bacon is fun or magical
Owns a smoker or charcoal grill
Wants to take the time to make something that the store already sells
Is convinced it is as easy as some people say it is
Thinks the benefits will outweigh the effort it takes
Is the least bit dissatisfied with store-bought bacon

Final Thoughts

As you can see, making your own bacon is a matter of preference. Some say it is worth the effort while others say it isn’t.

If you find cooking adventurous and fun, you are more likely to be drawn to making your own bacon.

Or if you think the benefits outweigh the time and effort it will take.

Perhaps someone you know has made their own bacon, and you had a chance to taste it. And now you’re dissatisfied with store-bought bacon and are looking for a tastier or healthier option.

You might be willing to make your own or try getting bacon from the butcher.

However, if you are busy and cooking isn’t you’re favorite thing, you are less likely to want to make your own bacon.

Maybe none of the reasons people had were convincing enough.

Or you don’t own a smoker or a charcoal grill.

Or you like what you can buy in the grocery store just fine.

I would say that is me. But, maybe I would feel differently if I made my own.

How about you?

Will you make your own, buy it from the butcher or just keep getting at the grocery store?

Is Making My Own Bacon Worth the Effort – 3 Opinions to Consider