Posted on July 31 2017
Have you been wondering if you can vacuum seal fresh veggies from your garden or the local supermarket? Wonder no more: the answer is yes, although the work involved varies.
Most vegetables will do just fine when vacuum sealed and stored in the freezer. Green beans, for instance, can last as long as 2-3 years when vacuum sealed and stored in a freezer, versus a normal safe storage life of 8 months. Corn has a similar life when vacuum sealed.
View our food storage chart >
Cruciferous Vegetables
Some cruciferous vegetables (plants of the cabbage family) will require a little extra work before they can be vacuum sealed. These include:
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Radishes
- Turnips
This group of savory greens emit gasses. If you were to throw them into a vacuum sealer bag and seal them, the bag would fill up with that gas, causing them to spoil. To vacuum seal cruciferous vegetables for long term storage, you should first blanch them.
Blanching
Blanching vegetables is a process of boiling them for a short period of time and then dropping them in cold water. Boiling deactivates the enzymes responsible for producing the unwanted gas, and the cold water stops the vegetable from cooking. As you might have guessed, the amount of time the vegetable spends in the boiling water will have to be monitored closely, otherwise you could end up cooking it. A few examples, shown below, are given by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
| Vegetable | Boiling time in minutes |
|---|---|
| Broccoli flowerets 1-1/2" across | 3 |
| Medium brussels sprouts | 4 |
| Shredded cabbage | 1-1/2 |
| Cauliflower flowerets, 1" across | 3 |
| Cubed turnips | 2 |
Do you have a favorite way to store your harvest? Tips and tricks for growing your favorite crops? Let us know in the comments below!
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Hello Garima – It really depends which vegetables you are preparing. Here is a link to an Extended Storage Time for Vacuum Sealed Foods chart which may help you.
https://foodvacbags.com/pages/storage-time-for-foodvacbags-vacuum-sealed-foods?pos=4&_sid=3255c1008&ss=r
Hello,
I prep the entire week vegetables ahead. If I vacuum seal them – how Long should it last
Should it be stored in fridge or freezer
Thank you and looking forward to reply
Regards
Garima
Hi Frank – Yes, you can vacuum seal yellow squash, zucchini and Japanese eggplant. However, you must blanch them first! These vegetables emit gases. Left unblanched, your neatly sealed vacuum bags would fill up with this gas and your produce would spoil.
Hello,
Could you vacuum seal yellow squash, zucchini and japanese eggplant?
Regards,
Frank
Hi Kevin – You would be able to vacuum seal some of these without issue. Garlic and Mushrooms both contain anaerobic bacteria, which can grow without the presence of air, meaning even within a vacuum sealed pouch these bacteria will continue to grow and may pose a risk to your health.
So we do not suggest vacuuming sealing them. Also, the brussels sprouts should be blanched before vacuum sealing. Cherry tomatoes should be sealed very delicately.
Hi Julia – As long as you blanch your vegetables, you should be able to vacuum seal and freeze them without issue.
Hi Melissa – Yes! You can vacuum seal most fruit.
We love to make our own soup/ragout base mix, which consists mainly of julienne cut carrots, celery, kohlrabi and parsley roots. Would we be able to freeze this mix under vacuum?
Hi
Does anyone know if you can vacuum seal any fresh fruits?
Thanks
Hello Jeane, you can freeze fresh string beans for 2-3 years.
How do I freeze fresh string beans with my food saver
Hello Karen,
Cruciferous vegetables should be blanched before vacuum sealed; even if placed in the refrigerator.
Do not eat the brocolli after vacuum sealing. I didnt know, i opened it and it was rotten, only a couple of days. Dont take the chance.
Emily, yes you can vacuum seal asparagus. It is recommended to blanch it first for 3 minutes.
https://foodvacbags.com/blogs/foodsaverblogs/freezing-spinach-leaves?pos=2&_sid=6bb988c66&ss=r
Can you vacuum asparagus????
I was planning on vacuum sealing asparagus, brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes and mushroom with olivia oil and crushed garlic. I would use them within a week and keep them in the refrigerator. Not looking to store long term but just prep on Sunday to have roasted vegetabls later in the week. Would this safely work? Should I leave the olive oil and garlic out to keep it dry or ok to include since its less than 7 days?
Hi Marinne. Unfortunately, cabbage and broccoli release gases and they should be blanched; even if just storing for two weeks vacuum sealed.
I want to vacuum back cabbage broccoli for about 2weeks without blanching is it safe
Teresa, unfortunately you are no longer able to blanch your vegetables after they have been placed in the freezer. They will still last for about 6-8 weeks if frozen.