You take a thick, lengthy piece of bacon out of the package, only to have it shrink to half its original size during cooking. It's a bummer for breakfast.
Bacon shrinks due to its fat content, according to Bacon Scouts. As it cooks, the fat drains out, shrinking the strip of bacon.
The higher the fat content, the more probable shrinking will occur. Cheaper cuts are higher in fat and thus shrink more.
The website says to look for bacon with mostly pink meat, which is a sign of better quality. Too much white means too much fat.
Surprisingly, the bacon-obsessed site also blames the shrinking on the higher amount of water in the cheaper bacon from the supermarket.
While bacon appears thick and robust in the supermarket, the water quickly evaporates upon contact with a hot pan.
The website advocates obtaining high-quality bacon from a butcher once more. The more expensive cuts are justified by the superior bacon.
Getting bacon from a local, quality butcher not only yields a slab that is less fatty and not inflated with water, but also reduces the amount of preservatives.