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, can you vacuum seal home made sauce with cooked chili, onions, garlic, tomatoes and seeds? If so, about how long will the shelf life be? Thanks!
Hi Dawn – You can certainly vacuum seal your turkey breast. The expiration dates would still apply if you store it in the refrigerator. If you store some in the freezer, the expiration dates can be extended.
If I buy a cooked Turkey breast to slice at home then want to vacuum seal it in several packages, does it have to go in the freezer or can it be left in the fridge. Also does the expiration date on it still apply or is it different since I opened the original packaging?
Hi Nancy – I would suggest when you’re ready to use some of your lemons, cut the seal off of the bag at the very top. Grab what you need. Once you have what you need, feel free to reseal the rest back up. If you take just the seal off of the bag, you can continue to use the same bag and not have to repackage the rest of your slices.
Hi Debra – Yes! You can certainly vacuum seal cold cuts and swiss cheese.
Hi Debra – You could certainly freeze your thai noodles with pork and veggies, but the texture may be a little off when you go to reheat.
I vacuumed sealed a lot of my cut lemons. What do I do when I want to remove a cut lemon from my sealed bag?
Can i.vacum seal cold cuts and swiss cheese and American cheese.
I purchased thai noodles cooked with pork and veggies,can i.freeze that
Hi Steve – Some foods, like ricotta, 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.
Hi Nancy – We are so happy you love vacuum sealing! Please feel free to share your tips or tricks. We would love to hear them!
Hi Pearl – Fresh Pasta can be vacuum sealed. If you’re making it, you can store it in the fridge for about a day. If you freeze it, it will last about a month.
I have used a food saver since my kids were small. At 71 I am still learning new stuff. I just love it. If I want corn on the cob for Christmas I buy at peek season and vacuum seal.
Hi can i vacuum fresh pasta and how long will it stay if it’s vacuum sealed? Should i put it in the freezer or just in the fridge? Thank you
Do these recommendations pertain to foods that are being vacuum sealed and then immediately refrigerated and intended to be consumed within expiration date ? For example, ricotta that is vac sealed and the put in the fridge immediately.
Hi Gail – We do not recommend vacuum sealing any form of fresh onion. Doing so could lead to the growth of the bacteria botulism, which can be lethal.
can you vac seal whole onions that have not been chopped up but just had the outer skin removed?
Hi Kerrie! Thanks for the question! Yes! We use FoodVacBags to seal our batch cooked foods and store them in the freezer until we are ready to use them.
Hello, I am looking into getting a vacuum sealer for batch cooking. Dishes such as soups, chilli, bolognese, pulled pork etc. Would this be suitable?
Hi Hope! We do not recommend vacuum sealing freshly chopped onions. Vacuum sealing fresh onions can lead to the growth of botulism. If you cook the onions, you can certainly vacuum seal them once they are cool. Botulism only affects fresh onions.