Why is bacon so expensive these days?

[legendaryhog]

Personally, I think it is because of the damn foodnetwork and all these chit cooking shows that are driving up the cost of what used to be the cheaper cuts. They always talk about these "hidden" cuts, as if everyone was duped into buying cheaper cuts and slow cooking them, and now all the sudden they are the rage.

Everything comes with bacon on it now. It is getting kinda ridiculous. A pound of bacon shouldn't cost more than a pound of ribeye. Brisket is through the roof. Skirt steak! Farking skirt steak at 10 bucks a pound!!! What the chit! Damn you foodnetwork!!!! Damn you all!!! *head explodes*:evil:

 

[spinningwheel]

Another question: Why is 1 pound of 'thick' sliced bacon $7.50 and 1 pound of 'regular' sliced bacon $5.00? A pound is a pound is a pound in my math.

 

[early mornin' smokin']

Well, I make bacon. So I pay over $3/lb just for the raw belly. So traditional pricing would say if I was just cooking it, i'd sell it for $9/lb. However, it's being dry cured, air dried and smoked. So that drives the price up to around $12-15/lb. My bacon doesn't shrink when it's cooked because its dry cured, and hot smoked to a food safe temp 145ish. bacon shrinks due to water being injected. When I sell you a lb of bacon, you'll get at least 3/4lb worth of meat. No store bought bacon will live up to that.

 

[Mo-Dave]

I have been buying a 10 lb box of bacon, which cost between 1.50 and 1.80, depending if its on sale. I break in down into 1 lbs to freeze, these are not the ends and pieces, but are full bacon strips.

As has been said, bacon is in everything these days.
mayo
salt
air freshener
salad dressing
cologne
Candles
Many other items. I blame brisket, rib and butt prices on competition bbq contest. :laugh: I do make buckboard from time to time , but I prefer using it for seasoning other things.
Dave

 

[Wornslick]

Chicken wings use to be cheap too.

 

[Teleking]

Chicken wings use to be cheap too.

Yep Tyson flash frozen went from $1.15 / lbs to $2.49 in the last year and thats BJ's prices

 

[PaulieG]

It's because of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PED) it's a swine disease that was only in Europe and china but has infected swine in 15 states. It increased the price of pork bellies from $135 per 100 pounds to over $189.

 

[dport7]

Too bad "we" the end user's, take the hit for every little price increase by the industry
"They" turn the increase to us four fold, to keep profits high.

I went through that in the oil industry.

 

[Vision]

Probably because the current bacon fad.

 

[coastal]

it seems like it would be much more affordable to smoke ourselves assuming the pork belly cut isn't expensive. How can a cut of meat, predominantly fat, be that expensive? It seems like $1.50 a pound would be about right. Compare that to the $5 per pound they are fetching for bacon these days.

china

 

[swbill]

Bacon @ Costco here is $15.?? for 4#

Yep that's what I just paid at Costco in Michigan

 

[bbqgeekess]

As a substitute to bacon, I've been browning up leftover pork butt in some fat, making it crispy.. tastes really good I got a deal on pork butt the other day for only $1.40 a pound--yeah!

 

[popeye]

Supply & Demand!

you got it

 

[captndan]

Another question: Why is 1 pound of 'thick' sliced bacon $7.50 and 1 pound of 'regular' sliced bacon $5.00? A pound is a pound is a pound in my math.

For the same reason that pork belly is $3.29/lb. and packaged bacon is $2.50/lb. Who in their right mind would pay more for the really good stuff?

 

[aawa]

As a substitute to bacon, I've been browning up leftover pork butt in some fat, making it crispy.. tastes really good I got a deal on pork butt the other day for only $1.40 a pound--yeah!

Looks up buckboard bacon that you can make with pork butt. I think you would be pleased with how good of a substitute of bacon it is.