Following a stimulating discussion on the Selfsufficientish forums about making bacon, I have given it a try.

Truth be told, I have tried it twice. The first batch inadvertantly got cooked up early by Jane, who had not been fully briefed on the process. However, last night I tried resuls from my second attempt. I did not get it quite right even with a clearly labelled container. I started on 24 November and every three days dried the bacon and rubbed in a new sugar / salt mixture (1 tsp of each). The last treatment was just over a week ago and then I left it in the fridge until last night.

What I should have done is added the mixture daily for about three days and then dried it off and left it for a while Never mind — sliced up and served with eggs and a reheated vegetable mix (sweetcorn and peppers fried and coated with some polenta) it was delicious although a bit salty. The rest is dried off and I will probably consume it at the weekend.

I will definitely try again although I might try observing the instructions a bit more closely next time. My dependence on shop-bought bacon rashers might be nearing an end!