Posted on July 19 2019
Have you ever wondered if there are foods you should not be vacuum sealing? There are many foods you can vacuum seal for extended freshness; unfortunately there are a handful that you should not preserve using this method. Some foods contain anaerobic bacteria, which can grow without the presence of air. Within a vacuum sealed pouch, with reduced oxygen, these bacteria will grow and may pose a risk to your health.
Do not vacuum seal:
- raw mushrooms
- garlic
- soft cheeses (blue cheese, brie, camembert, ricotta and other soft and unpasteurized cheeses)
- freshly cooked or steamed vegetables (safe to vacuum seal after they are at room temperature)
In addition, many common vegetables emit a gas when stored. If these vegetables - in the Cruciferae or Brassicaceae family - are kept in a vacuum sealed bag, this gas will cause them to spoil. To store these vegetables properly they should be blanched, dried, then vacuum sealed and frozen for storage.
Blanch first:
- arugula
- bok choy
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- kale
- radishes
- turnips
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Hi Toby,
There really is no need to use oxygen absorbers when storing salt. If you use oxygen absorbers when storing salt or sugar the result will be clumping of the product not sickness.
i`ve heard that no oxygen can cause botulism in salt and not to use oxygen absorbers, vac sealing takes out oxygen, is it different?
toby
Hi Elga,
A beginners guide is a great idea but at this time isn’t something we offer. Our Food Storage Chart is a great tool for those just getting started. You can find the storage chart, FAQ’s and other great information under the “MORE INFO” tab at the top of the website. We also recommend bookmarking your favorite FoodVacBags Blog Posts so you can look back at them anytime as you start your vacuum sealing journey. If you ever have questions don’t hesitate to reach out, customerservice@foodvacbags.com. Happy Vacuum Sealing!
Do you include a booklet on do’s and dont’s in the beginner package?
Hi Mich, Glad to hear you are enjoying vacuum sealing. Thanks for sharing your seasoning and first aid kit ideas. Happy vacuum sealing!
I love my vacuum sealer. I am doing some prepping since things are getting rough in this world. I have had allot of trial and error. I have gotten better at making pouches for seasonings that can be cut apart. That way I don’t have to have a full container open. I will also seal things like a few small first aid kits.
It is fun to try new things with the sealer.
Just thought I’d give some ideas.
Good luck everyone.
When making a recipe that contains garlic or mushrooms it can be vacuum sealed after it has been cooked and cooled properly. This will help prevent bacteria from growing.
Say we want to seal a pizza, if the sauce has garlic in it, is that OK? Do you recommend to pre-cook the pizza before sealing?
Hi Hector,
Bags left in storage for a year should be perfectly fine to use, as long as they were not subject to the outside elements. Sunlight and heat may damage the bags or make them brittle. You always want to check on the items you a vacuum sealed a day or so after just to make sure everything has sealed properly and there is no air entering the bag. Keep in mind blood, grease, moisture and food crumbs could all keep your machine from sealing your bags properly as well as vacuum sealing sharp items that could poke holes. Please check out our other blog posts for ideas, tips and tricks and storage charts. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, customerservice@foodvacbags.com.
I bought a food saver and it stood unused for a year. Then I used it with the plastic bags included. Was it right using the seal bags after a year?
When vacuum sealing leftovers, it will generally last twice as long as it would have without vacuum sealing. For example, your pizza should last about a week vs. 3 days. Vacuum sealing can help extend the shelf life of food because it reduces the exposure to oxygen, which slows down the deterioration process. While vacuum sealing helps inhibit bacterial growth, it does not eliminate the need for proper food safety practices. If the food was prepared and cooled properly, using the food safety guidelines, you shouldn’t have to worry about avoiding certain pizza ingredients.
What’s the go with vacuum sealing a cooked pizza ?
Hi Anon,
Unfortunately, we have not done any testing on mayo but from what I could find online, vacuum sealing homemade mayo only last about 2 weeks.
Can i vacuum seal products with raw eggs in it, like mayo? And will it last 3x longer?
Hello Miriam – when vacuum sealing dried mushrooms oxygen absorbers are not necessary as the vacuum machine is removing the air for you. As a reminder, do not vacuum seal raw mushrooms. Some foods contain anaerobic bacteria, which can grow without the presence of air. Within a vacuum sealed pouch, with reduced oxygen, these bacteria will grow and may pose a risk to your health.
Hello Patricia – we recommend pre-freezing many things before vacuum sealing them. This keeps the desired shape of the item and saves room in your freezer.
Hi Emily – I would love to chat with you more about what kind of foods you are looking to vacuum seal. The different kinds of food require different answers. Feel free to contact us at 1-800-538-1442 or we have a great food storage chart available on our website www.FoodVacBags.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.
I see raw mushrooms cannot be vacuum sealed, but what about dried mushrooms? And the answer is yes, should oxygen absorbers be added too?
Can I use a glass container with lid and seal frozen lasagna with my food sealer once I get the food frozen.
Hello! 🥰 I’m waiting on a delivery of my first vacuum sealer, and am a little scared tbh.. I’ve also purchased a high end food dehydrator, for my prepping supplies, and have read that food with fats don’t dehydrate.. so… I was wondering about air fried food? Will this vacuum seal well, and what would the shelf life/fridge/freezer life be? I’m not sure if I could dehydrate air fried food to vacuum seal it?
Very grateful for any advice 🙏🕊️