Posted on February 07 2019
We love vacuum sealing, not only for saving a ton of money on food, but also for saving time in and out of the kitchen. Did you know that vacuum sealing can be used for more than just saving meat and cheese?
Recently we asked our readers for their favorite ways to use their vacuum sealers. We were pleasantly surprised to hear some new and unique ideas!
Whether you are an expert vacuum sealer or brand new to it, you are going to find plenty of new ways to use your machine in this mega list of 101 ways you can use your vacuum sealer.
- Avocados- Great way to keep that second half fresh for the next use!
- Baby Food & Formula- Use your vacuum sealer to make large batches of homemade baby food or smaller packs of individual baby portion sizes. Store full unopened containers of baby formulas using larger gusseted vacuum seal rolls.
- Bananas- Vacuum seal them fresh or when ripened to save for smoothies and banana bread.
- Books – Rare & Collectibles- Book collectors know how fragile these items can get over time. Keep these precious finds waterproof and safe from other element damage by vacuum sealing them and storing away.
- Bread- Now you can buy or make tons of bread and save it for a long time! Read "Can I Vacuum Seal Bread" for instructions.
- Breakfast - Quick or Pre-made- Some great ideas are breakfast sandwiches, omelets and pancakes in individual portion-sized vacuum seal bags. Our vacuum seal bags are microwavable, you can pop them in and have breakfast ready in minutes.
- Bugout Bag- This is what survival preppers consider a last-minute grab bag of 36-72 hours worth of food and supplies. Vacuum pack your spare socks, underwear, and warm clothing to make it more compact. Learn how to create a bug out bag, get a bug out bag checklist and tips on how to survive a natural disaster.
- Bulk Food Buys- You can buy in bulk and re-package in any sizes you may need later!
- Cabin items- Safely store cabin items away from moisture and other damaging elements like paper products, emergency kits, matches, dry goods, cereals, toiletries, and sanitary supplies.
- Camping- Keep gear or food dry and safe from the elements and animals. Check out "5 Things You Should Vacuum Seal Before Camping."
- Car emergency supplies- Keep an emergency kit, baby wipes, or even snacks handy in the car.
- Cell Phone - Waterproofing- Seal up your phone when going to the beach, pool, or even boating. Leave a little air in it to make it buoyant in the water!
- Cheese- Vacuum seal an open block of cheese to keep it fresh 3 times longer than in a baggie. Shredded cheese can be saved, as well.
- Chip Bags- Seal a whole bag inside a vacuum bag or just seal the open end for extended freshness.
- Chocolate- Keep your chocolate fresh longer. It stores well in the freezer!
- Clothes- Try our gusseted bags - they expand and have plenty of room for clothing or blankets.
- Coffee Beans- Keeping beans fresh is so important for that perfect brew!
- Coins – Gold & Silver- Keep your important coins safe from tarnish by vacuum sealing them.
- Collectibles - preserve - Keep your collectibles safe from air and moisture so they don't deteriorate or get damaged.
- College Care Kits-Make meals and emergency care kits for your college kids.
- Comic Books- Vacuum sealing protects from air or water damage.
- Condiments- Prolong freshness of your condiments in your camper or even the leftover take-out packets that pile up in your fridge.
- Cookies- Make holiday cookies - or any cookies- ahead of time and store in the freezer.
- Deli Meat- Keep your lunch meat as fresh as the day you opened it by freezing it. Or store it in the fridge to make it last all week.
- Documents - Protect- Insurance documents, photos, birth certificates, etc, will last longer when vacuum sealed. Add a flat piece of cardboard for extra protection.
- Dry Goods- Vacuum seal your baking dry goods or rice and oats to maintain freshness!
- Dry Mixes & Rubs- Create great seasoning rubs and keep them fresh or even share with friends!
- Electronics- Seal up jump drives, USB's, cords and more to protect from water or damage while being stored.
- Emergency Items- Store matches, candles, even flashlights and batteries to protect them so they are always ready when needed.
- Fire Starters & Kits- Vacuum seal fire starter kits or emergency items so they are ready for any situation.
- First Aid Supplies- Keep band-aids, bandages, and other supplies dry and ready!
- Fish- Seal up your big catch and keep it fresh in the fridge or freezer. Rolls are great for the whole long fish or make fillets and seal up smaller portions.
- Fishing Lures & Bait- Keep rubber lures from drying out or cracking in between fishing trips.
- Food Item Display (Professional/Restaurant)- Package up items for sale in our black backed bags or our zipper bags. They look great and stay fresh longer!
- Freezer Foods-Vacuum seal everything from meats to veggies to soups and store in the freezer for 3x longer than regular storage times. You can also use deli containers to take to work and reheat for lunch.
- Fruits- Slice or chop them up, par-freeze and vacuum seal in individual portions to use for pies, smoothies, and other recipes.
- Games & Game Pieces- Vacuum seal game pieces and tape to the inside of the box. They will always be handy for game night!
- Grains - Rice, Oats, Homemade Breading, Homemade croutons- Seal open containers for extended freshness.
- Guns & Ammunition- Our rolls are great to seal up a whole long gun or make whatever size you need. Ammo can be sealed too! Add an oxygen absorber to make sure all moisture is gone.
- Halloween Candy- Save some of the "Halloween haul" to enjoy at a later date.
- Herbs- Fresh herbs will last longer if sealed up or even frozen.
- Holiday Meals- Vacuum seal leftovers to send home with company! Make portion sized bags for the freezer or fridge to enjoy at a later date.
- Holiday & Seasonal décor- Seal up potpourri or candles to keep them smelling great longer. You can even vacuum seal in groupings of how you use your decorations! Read more "Fantastic Holiday Uses For Vacuum Seal Bags."
- Home Repair Supplies- Keep cords, spare parts, building supplies, paint brushes, and other repair supplies from getting lost or damaged by vacuum sealing them before storing for later use.
- Hunting Food, Snacks & Necessities- Nuts, trail mix, raisins, and other snacks are great to take hunting in portion size packs.
- Hunting Gear- Vacuum seal your bulky socks, pants, or jacket to make it smaller for storage or hauling to your hunting gear to camp!
- Ice Cube Herbs, Seasonings, Broth & Oils- Make your own pre-made ice cubes to use for cooking. Simply take an ice cube tray and place water, oil, broth, seasonings herbs in different mixtures that you love to cook with. Let them freeze and then vacuum seal them so they are ready to use when you want to cook with special combinations!
- Ice Packs for First Aid- Make our own ice packs with a 2:1 mix of water and rubbing alcohol and vacuum seal in a quart size vacuum seal bag for emergencies and first aid kits.
- Infrequently used foods - Save food from hardening or spoiling that are used infrequently by vacuum sealing them. Examples: marshmallows, chocolate chips, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, and oats.
- iPad- Don’t let that expensive iPad or notebook get wet when at the pool or beach. Not only can you vacuum seal to keep waterproof but you can still use it with the touchpad. Our quart size sealer bags may be perfect.
- Jerky- Do you love to make jerky or buy in bulk? This is a great food to vacuum seal and save for a long period of time. You can store away in emergency kits, send overseas to military persons or hide from others in the house that you don’t want to share with. We love this "Easy Beef Jerky" recipe, especially for camping.
- Jewelry- Keep jewelry and other precious keepsakes from tarnishing by vacuum sealing them.
- Keepsakes- In additional to jewelry, there are many other types of keepsakes that you may want to store away but keep safe from outside elements. Precious keepsake items you can vacuum seal are kids items, collectibles, and valuables.
- Keto & Diet Meal Items - Making meals ahead is a big factor in being successful in a dietary program, especially one like Keto. Do large meal preps on Sunday and then vacuum seal them in portion sizes to grab throughout the week for breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Great ideas include zucchini slices, peppers & bacon, omelets, salami, cheeses, and pre-made low carb meals. What is Keto? Keto Diet for Beginners
- Kids Craft Supplies- For projects or art supplies that you want to store away: Vacuum seal those loose pieces, or place moldable dough, paints, and markers in vacuum seal bags for long term storage or just to keep from drying out between play times.
- Kids lunches & snacks- Create easy on the go kids snacks and lunches.
- Leftovers- This is one of those fantastic ways to save money and keep your food fresh. Save your leftover meals right on their full plates so you can easily take them out of the fridge and reheat the next day.
- Lettuce- “Can I Vacuum Seal Lettuce?” is one of the #1 questions customers ask. And the answer is YES! Plus, you can also create your own salad mixes with different varieties!
- Liquids- So many of our customers ask us how to vacuum seal foods with liquids, like stews, marinara, and stock. Super easy! Just pour items into vacuum seal bags leaving ample space at the top and setting them upright in the freezer to par-freeze until slightly hardened. Then, you can easily lay down and vacuum seal without worrying about the liquids falling out. You can also use deli containers.
- Magazines - Collectibles- Many people hold on to magazines for collecting or for future reading. To help keep your paper products flat while vacuum sealing, some collectors we know like to cut and insert a piece of cardboard on the bottom side.
- Maps- You can vacuum seal maps in sections or the whole thing folded up to keep dry when traveling or camping. If you choose to vacuum seal in sections, you can easily fold it to fit neatly during packing.
- Marinated Meats- The vacuum process opens the pores of whatever you're marinating, which allows the marinade to penetrate better and faster than if you just put it in the fridge overnight.
- Matches – Waterproof- Whether for camping, traveling or hunting, always keep your matches waterproof by vacuum sealing them.
- Meals & Meal Prep- Make-ahead meals are a great way to prepare for our busy weeks!! Meals prepared ahead in portions for the whole family or just one or two save time and hassle. You can also make ahead party or holiday meals.
- Meatballs- Make ahead a ton of meatballs and then vacuum seal them for future meals! This way, you can have meatballs ready to go when you make spaghetti or even want meatball sandwiches! Try our Chicken Parmesan Meatball recipe.
- Meat- Chicken, Fish, Beef, Pork, Wild Game. Free Storage Chart >
- Medical Supplies- Seal emergency items and kits, like band-aids, gauze, and Neosporin. These items can often dry out, crack or leak. By vacuum sealing them, you can help prevent them from becoming damaged or unusable.
- Medicine- Advil, Tylenol, cough drops, inhalers - NOTE: These all have expiration dates. Ask for pill or tablet medications because they will last longer than a liquid form. Write the expiration date on the bags.
- Military - Sending overseas- Sending items overseas can take weeks to arrive. We’ve found it best to vacuum seal treats to send overseas to military and missionary members. Believe us, they’ll love to get your gifts safe and protected.
- Money- Whether you are collecting coins or stashing money in the backyard for emergencies, vacuum seal them to protect from outside elements and keep waterproof.
- MRE's- Make custom survival rations or camping meals. Mix ramen noodles, dehydrated vegetables, bouillon powder and seasonings in a bag. Add a plastic spoon and seal it up. Raisins, dried cranberries, peanuts, chocolate chips, and dehydrated meats work great too!
- Non-Perishable Items- As you can see with this mega list, there are plenty of non-perishable items you can vacuum seal and keep safe, waterproof, and protected. Such as documents, collectibles, valuables, baby items, medical supplies, camping gear, hunting gear and plenty more!
- Nuts & Bolts- Never lose those random nuts & bolts after assembling furniture and such. Try vacuum sealing them together in pint size vacuum seal bags and keep them stored in a cabinet or drawer. This also comes in handy for when you are moving and need to keep bed bolts and other misc. pieces together.
- Oil & Vinegar- If you love to have many different types of oils and vinegar in your kitchen, vacuum seal the ones you opened and won’t use as often to keep them fresher longer.
- Pancakes- It's easy to make too many pancakes or have batter leftover. Simply make them all and then vacuum seal individually or in small packs and freeze. Pop them in the toaster or microwave for a quick breakfast. If you want to put multiple pancakes in a vacuum seal bag, simply separate with wax paper to avoid them sticking to each other.
- Parts- Safely store leftover IKEA bits and computer pieces in a vacuum sealed bag so they don’t get separated or lost altogether. Get even more organized by purchasing clear plastic shoe size storage containers and place the vacuum sealed pieces in the bins. You can use a marker to write exactly what the pieces are for.
- Pastas- Keep those pastas fresh by vacuum sealing them in bags after opening. If you’ve made some pasta sauce and want to keep it for leftovers, be sure to par-freeze the sauce before vacuum sealing.
- Photographs- Keep photographs safe by laying flat, placing a piece of cardboard with them and vacuum seal.
- Portioned Food- Use the vacuum seal bags to make individual portion sizes and family size portioned food. When you’re pressed for time at night or during lunch, it’s super easy to just take out a portion size meal from the freezer, heat up and eat without the hassle of making the dinner that night.
- Puzzle Pieces- Keep puzzle pieces together and safe from damage by vacuum sealing them and then placing in their box. Or, you can cut the picture off the box and place all the items in a vacuum seal bag to save space in storage.
- Quartz and Other Minerals- Store your quartz and other precious minerals safe by vacuum sealing before sending off to storage or safe deposit boxes.
- Refrigerated Foods- There are so many uses for vacuum sealing to keep your weekly food fresh all week long including cheese, veggies, lettuce, leftovers, and deli meats.
- Salad mixes- If you love those easy pre-made salad mixes, you will love saving money and using your own lettuces to create your own mixes. Simply get your items, place in vacuum seal bags, seal them and store in fridge or freezer.
- Seeds- Whether you are buying seeds or using seeds from fresh fruits and vegetables, place them in vacuum seal bags to keep dry and ready to use for years. Make sure seeds are laid out to completely dry before vacuum sealing.
- Scrapbook supplies- Vacuum sealing is a great way for scrap-bookers to keep their sticky items and other plastics from breaking, chipping, and drying out. Store stickers, buttons, beads, and ribbons safely from the elements and ready to use when your creativeness comes calling!
- Scent Killers- Hunters often have a bunch of different scents and items to help attract game (or disguise their smell), but they don’t want to have them smelling when they don’t need them. An easy solution is to vacuum seal each of the scents and then they can be packed together without smelling too harshly or smell up their other items.
- Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables- It’s great to buy fruits and vegetables during their peak seasons, but even better when you have them out of season too! Buy them in-season, then vacuum seal for meals, pies, and smoothies at a later date!
- Silverware- Vacuum seal silverware to keep it tarnish free and safe from outside elements. Be careful not to let any sharp edges or points puncture the bags.
- Single Serving Meals- Take any meal or leftover and seal in smaller individual single serving vacuum sealed bags.
- Smoothie Fruits & Packs – bananas- You can make your own protein packs and smoothie packs with fresh fruits or mixed frozen fruit during peak seasons while they're fresh or on sale. Then add in your own yogurt, protein powders and seeds.
- Soups, Stews & One-Pot Meals- If you make large batches of soups, stews and one pot meals, save the leftovers or extras by vacuum sealing in portion sized bags. Simply add foods to a bag upright, place in freezer to par-freeze the liquids for about 10 minutes or until the liquids solidify, then remove and vacuum seal.
- Sous Vide Prepped Meats & Veggies- Vacuum sealing is the only way to get sous vide meals the way restaurants do. What is Sous Vide cooking?
- Spices- Buy bulk spices and sperate to keep longer in vacuum seal bags. Create your own spice combinations and rubs and then vacuum seal them for cooking.
- Survival packs- Survival packs need to be kept airtight and waterproof to prevent from spoiling and getting damaged. Many survival preppers use vacuum sealing to save space and limit the bulkiness while storing long term food items. And don’t forget those oxygen absorbers.
- Tea- Keep your tea fresh by vacuum sealing in smaller pint size vacuum seal bags and store in a cabinet or pantry. It is fresh and ready to take camping or traveling, too!
- Unopened Food Packages- You can seal up unopened food packages to keep them fresher longer- even if you haven't opened it yet.
- Valuables- Protect your valuables from air and water by vacuum sealing them before storing them away. Vacuum seal gold, silver, jewelry, collectibles and more.
- Vegetables- Vegetables are plentiful during their peak summer and fall season, but by vacuum sealing them, you can use veggies like tomatoes, potatoes, beans, carrots and more all year long. They will taste incredibly fresh. View our seasonal harvest guide >
- Wedding cake- Newlyweds are often encouraged to keep their wedding cake and eat in on their first anniversary. it’s often gone bad due to lack of proper storing. Use a gusseted vacuum seal bag to save the top of the wedding cake and store it in the freezer.
- Wine- Did you know you can save your wine? You can use a specialty wine resealing attachment with your vacuum sealer and store your wine to last much longer in the fridge.
- Yams- We don’t want any potato or yam spoiling too fast, so vacuums seal them (fresh or prepared) to keep them ready to use when you need them.
- BONUS ITEM! Zucchini- Zucchini is a great way to incorporate hidden veggies into any dish. It’s even a carb substitute for diet programs including Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and the Keto program. Shred it for bread, casseroles, lasagna, stews, and more!
Related Articles You May Like!
101 Items You Didn't Know You Could Vacuum Seal
Why Should I Vacuum Seal? Uses, Tips and Benefits
Can You Boil The Food Saver Bags?
Can You Vacuum Seal Frozen Meat?
Share Your Vacuum Seal Uses!
Tell us how you love to use your vacuum seal bags, rolls, and sealers!
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What a great suggestion, Michael. Thank you for sharing. – FoodVacBags
I found that once you fill a coin album they fit perfectly inside a quart size bag. I foodsave them to keep they air out of certain areas of my collections
Unfortunately, wood filler is not something we have tested but if it dries out when left in the open air, removing the air should allow it to stay soft. As long as you take the precautions to not allow the wood filler to be vacuumed into your machine, vacuum sealing it would be a good option if it is something you don’t use on a regular basis.
Can you vacuum pack wood filler?
Hi Glen,
If you are just storing an already vacuum sealed store-bought item there is no need to vacuum seal it again. However, if you are purchasing larger size bags of items and would like to make smaller portions to be consumed at different times vacuum sealing is perfect. We have a great food storage chart that can be found using this link: https://foodvacbags.com/pages/storage-time-for-foodvacbags-vacuum-sealed-foods If you are going to vacuum seal fresh fruit like strawberries to be used at a later date we recommend freezing the fruit for at least a few hours before you try vacuum sealing them. If you try vacuum sealing them just fresh from the store, they are going to get smooshed flat by the vacuum sealing process. If you want your fruit to last longer in the refrigerator the latest studies show storing your fruit in covered mason jars helps keep them fresh longer. As for the dried rice and beans, vacuum sealing is a great option. There is a great video by Homestead Corner that can be found on our website and on Youtube where she shows you how do vacuum different items. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4KxW7yr0cg I hope this helps answer some of your questions.
Can I vacuum seal a closed store bought bag?
Does it help prolong the shelf life of the food if the bag I seal is not a tight seal. ie something like fruit, a bag of prunes or a bag of dehydrated rice and beans. or a bag of store bought jerky? Or powered milk in a bag?
Hello Yve – we recommend using dried tea leaves. Tea Leaves typically last about 4-8 weeks at room temperature in traditional storage. However, vacuum sealing dried leaves increases their shelf life significantly. Vacuum sealed tea leaves can last 1-2 years. As far as the cabin air pressure question, I’m sorry we cannot answer that for you as we have not done any testing of our own.
Hi there, I’m new to vacuum packing, so apologies if this is a silly question. I make olive leaf tea from my trees. If I vacuum pack the fresh leaves without drying them first will they go mouldy? I’d also like to send some olive oil by airmail. Is there a chance the bag could pop from cabin pressure?
Thank you in advance.
Yve
Hi John – Thank you for the information.
You do not want to vacuum seal computer displays that use LCD technology. These are Liquid Crystal Displays. Any liquid in a vacuum will boil. OLED and AMOLED displays will work in a vacuum, but are not suitable for larger displays. Even if the LCD screen is sealed, the seal may not withstand the vacuum forces and could “pop” or result in a small scale explosion. (Think an inner tube popping).
Think twice before subjecting electronic equipment to a vacuum. Getting equipment certified for low pressure glove boxes and such is a daunting task.
Hi Lissa – It really depends on the type of soap you’re trying to vacuum seal.
Can soap be vacuum sealed?
Hi Stacie – Removing the air and vacuum sealing your frozen vegetables will help them last longer vs simply keeping them in the bag they came from the store in.
If i take frozen broccoli or frozen string beans out of their bag and vacuum seal these in a new bag without un freezing them and pop them right back in the freezer … do you think it will make them last longer?
Hi Carmen,
Yes you can vacuum seal clay.
Hi Thanks for the article. Do you think clay (for pottery) could be vacuum sealed?
Thanks for a great informative message. It has opened my eyes to vac sealing so many things
Hello Gokul,
You can find more information about vacuum sealing fresh vegetables here: https://foodvacbags.com/blogs/foodsaverblogs/can-you-vacuum-seal-fresh-vegetables?pos=2&_sid=076cd36ab&ss=r Hope this helps!
I want to do my project which is based on vacuum sealing of foods. i have a doubt which is if we store vegetables as vacuum sealed then due to vegetables has mostly water content what will happen to vegetables. because at zero pressure water leads to boil.so are vegetables?
Sunny, we honestly haven’t tried vacuum sealing a cardboard carton. Should work on manual mode. We’re not sure how long the juice will last. Let us know!