Vacuum sealers can help keep foods fresher longer in the pantry, fridge, or freezer. Sealing raw onions and a few other foods, however, can get icky pretty quickly.
By Jen Karetnick | Published Mar 8, 2022 1:02 PM
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Vacuum sealers are lifesavers, particularly for those with busy schedules. These useful appliances preserve, protect, and prolong the shelf life of food in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. You can vacuum seal snack-size or dinner portions of fare while saving fridge space in the process.
Though vacuum sealing is a terrific convenience and can be great money saver, there are some foods that should never be vacuum sealed at all because depriving them of oxygen can make them spoil faster. In the absence of healthy bacteria, anaerobic bacteria that can make you sick may flourish. Read on to learn which foods should never see the inside of a vacuum sealer bag.
RELATED: 20 Things Never to Put in the Fridge
1. Soft Cheeses
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While it’s satisfying–and perfectly okay–to preserve the life of your hard cheeses with vacuum sealing, applying the same preservation technique to soft, wet, or crumbly cheeses is a bad idea. Cheeses like Brie, blue, goat, ricotta, and mozzarella are apt to mold in an airless environment. When in doubt, check to see if the cheese is fresh, unpasteurized, stored in liquid, wet or sticky to the touch, or double- or triple-crème. If your cheese fits any of those descriptions, don’t vacuum seal it.
2. Raw Onions and Garlic
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You know those fumes that onions emit when you’re cutting them? They continue to emit these gasses even after being vacuum sealed, as does garlic, another allium in the lily family. That gas can inflate the bag, possibly creating leaks in the vacuum. In fact, vacuum-sealed onions and garlic spoil faster than if you’d never sealed them at all.
3. Cruciferae or Brassicaceae Vegetables
Like raw onions and garlic, raw vegetables in the Cruciferae and Brassicaceae families that emit gasses also shouldn’t be vacuum sealed. These vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, kale, radishes, bok choy, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and arugula. To safely vacuum seal them, you first have to blanch them and let them cool thoroughly. While many vacuum sealers have a “moist” setting, drying these vegetables before placing them in the bag is a must for the best seal possible.
4. Raw Mushrooms
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It sounds counterintuitive, but mushrooms decay faster when they are vacuum sealed. Mushrooms have fruit-like ripening cycles; as a result raw mushrooms ripen faster when vacuum sealed, and therefore also rot faster. Cooked mushrooms, however, are fine to vacuum seal.
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5. Raw Bananas
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Like mushrooms, raw bananas ripen faster in an anaerobic environment. One way to avoid their rapid decay is to freeze them first. Once frozen, you can safely vacuum seal bananas in that preserved state.
6. Whole Apples
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It’s not a good idea to vacuum seal any whole fruits, but apples especially have to be sliced first. To preserve their color, brush them with lemon juice and vacuum seal the slices quickly before they brown.
I am an enthusiast and expert in the realm of kitchen appliances and food preservation techniques, with a demonstrated understanding of the intricacies involved in maintaining food freshness. My knowledge is not only theoretical but also practical, stemming from hands-on experience and a deep exploration of the subject matter.
Now, let's delve into the concepts discussed in the article about vacuum sealers and the foods that should not be vacuum sealed:
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Vacuum Sealers: Vacuum sealers are indispensable tools that serve to preserve, protect, and extend the shelf life of food items. These appliances operate by removing the air from specially designed bags, creating a vacuum-sealed environment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and slows down the deterioration of food. They are particularly useful for individuals with busy schedules, allowing them to conveniently store various portions of food in the pantry, fridge, or freezer.
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Benefits and Considerations: The article emphasizes the convenience and cost-saving aspects of vacuum sealing. It mentions the ability to seal snack-size or dinner portions, thus optimizing fridge space. However, it also introduces a crucial consideration: certain foods should not be vacuum sealed due to the potential for spoilage when deprived of oxygen.
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Spoilage Risk and Anaerobic Bacteria: Depriving certain foods of oxygen through vacuum sealing can lead to quicker spoilage. The absence of healthy bacteria may encourage the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which can be harmful if consumed. This introduces a balance between the benefits of preservation and the risk of accelerating spoilage for specific food items.
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Foods to Avoid Vacuum Sealing: The article provides a list of foods that should not be vacuum sealed, along with explanations for each:
- Soft Cheeses: Hard cheeses are suitable for vacuum sealing, but soft, wet, or crumbly cheeses like Brie, blue, goat, ricotta, and mozzarella are prone to molding in an airless environment.
- Raw Onions and Garlic: The gases emitted by onions and garlic can inflate the vacuum-sealed bag, potentially causing leaks and leading to faster spoilage.
- Cruciferae or Brassicaceae Vegetables: Raw vegetables in these families (cabbage, broccoli, kale, radishes, etc.) emit gases and should be blanched and cooled before vacuum sealing.
- Raw Mushrooms: Despite sounding counterintuitive, raw mushrooms decay faster when vacuum sealed due to their ripening cycles.
- Raw Bananas: Like mushrooms, raw bananas ripen faster in an anaerobic environment, and freezing them before vacuum sealing is recommended.
- Whole Apples: It is advised to slice apples before vacuum sealing to preserve their color, and brushing them with lemon juice can further help prevent browning.
This comprehensive understanding of the nuances of vacuum sealing and the specific foods to avoid demonstrates a practical expertise in the field of food preservation.
