Here at Stoltzfus Meats, we work under the general rule that you either like bacon or you’re wrong. Okay, not totally, but we do happen to think that bacon is one of the best foods known to man. Which is why the quality of Stoltzfus Meats bacon is so important to us!
Our bacon is made using the same recipe developed by our founder, Amos Stoltzfus, many years ago. This bacon is hand-trimmed, not pressed, and slow-cured with the perfect seasonings and flavor. It is then smoked to perfection over hardwood to give it a deep, smoky flavor. Stoltzfus Meats bacon has no fillers or extenders and it is gluten-free and MSG free.
Our three main flavor options are original, applewood, or pepper. Original has a brown sugar, hickory flavor, while applewood is a bit sweeter with brown sugar, maple syrup, and Kauffman’s apple cider. The pepper bacon is similar to the original bacon, but is dry rubbed with butcher’s course ground pepper.
Today we’re going on a behind-the-scenes tour into our wholesale plant to learn more about how our bacon is made!
Trim & Tumble
The first stop for the slabs of meat after they enter the plant is with our expert meat cutters. Each slab is inspected and hand-trimmed to remove excess fat. Once trimmed, the slabs are slow-cured and tumbled.
Above: Two of our expert meat cutters, Jason and Norm, checking each slab and trimming off any excess fat.
Rest & Hang
After being tumbled, the slabs rest to allow all of the flavors to soak into the meat. They are then prepared for the smokehouse. They are once again inspected and any remaining pieces of fat are removed. The slabs are then hung on a rack that will go into the smokehouse.
Above: Carlos inspects and hooks each slab to hang them on a smokehouse rack.
Smoke & Cool
Into the smokehouse they go! The slabs are smoked to perfection over hickory wood or applewood, depending on the type of bacon that is being made.
From the smokehouse, the bacon is moved into a cooler to be cooled before the final steps of the process.
Above: Original and pepper bacon slabs in the cooler after they have been smoked.
Slice & Pack
From this point, the bacon is either boxed as full slabs for our wholesale customers or put through the slicer. After being sliced, some of the bacon is put directly in boxes while some of it goes to the packing room to be vacuum-sealed into approximately one pound packs for retail use.
Well, there you have it: the step-by-step process of how we create the Stoltzfus Meats bacon you know and love! As always, we hope you can see just how committed we are to ensuring that we are creating a high quality product during each step of the process. Next time you visit one of our retail locations, be sure to pick up some bacon for your next breakfast or BLT! Or visit our online store and have some bacon shipped right to your front door. It doesn't get much simpler than that!
Check out our recipes page for more ideas on how to use Stoltzfus Meats bacon and your other favorite Stoltzfus Meats products!