"K Frame:
"Those bacon bits generally aren't bacon."
Where'd you get that from? Rocket man also questioned that. I just threw out an emptied jar of those so I can't check the ingredients, but I wasn't aware of that. Brand name differences?"
Well, when I was growing up, the only "bacon bits" that you could store in a cupboard were Bacos.
From the Amazon listing for Bacos (which are unavailable):
"Bacon-flavored condiment made with the goodness of soy
No saturated fat or cholesterol; contains no meat
Preservative-free food in a convenient, re-closable container"
There are a number of other makers of similar products, like McCormick, only they're flat out called imitation bacon bits. But they're made with soy (as in textured soy flour).
I see the imitation bacon bits most commonly on salad bars (saw them on the salad bar at the grocery last night, in fact). Never cared for them, never go looking for them, never use them.
But, as others have noted, and which I didn't know about, there's now REAL bacon bits in bags that are relatively shelf stable. I never went looking for it so I didn't know it existed.
But, I think I still want to sock away some real bacon in the freezer. Few things smell better than bacon cooking, and part of cooking bacon for a recipe is getting the bacon fat as a cooking oil.
For example, when I do chili and put bacon in it, I cook the bacon slowly to get it fairly firm, but to also get all of the fat out of it.
Then I cook the onions, peppers, garlic, chilis, and anything else in the bacon fat before it all goes into the pot. Simply can't beat that flavor boost.