In this blog we examine the question, “Can you vacuum seal fresh veggies?”

The answer is yes, you can absolutely vacuum seal vegetables!

However, you need to prepare your veggies correctly BEFORE freezing in order to preserve texture, flavour and nutritional content, while taking advantage of a longer shelf life.

Below is Pac Food’s Veggie Vacuum Sealing Guide outlining the dos and don’ts of vacuum sealing vegetables, plus which vacuum sealing machines, bags and rolls work best for fresh produce.

Vacuum Sealing Fresh Vegetables

Before vacuum sealing anything preparation is key. For produce, this means cutting your produce into pieces which are suitable for sealing.

While certain veggies (such as capsicum and green beans) can be sealed fresh, if you intend to freeze your vacuum sealed produce, they need to be blanched first.

How do you blanch vegetables?

Blanching is the process of scalding a food (typically fresh produce such as fruit or vegetables) in steam or boiling water (1-4 mins) and then running under cold water and drying prior to being sealed and frozen.

This is done to maintain colour, texture, vitamins and flavour.

Different vegetables have different recommended blanching times to ensure the best possible results. You’ll find a chart of blanching times down further in this blog.

Which Vegetables Can I Vacuum Seal?

• Can you vacuum seal potatoes?

Yes, you can vacuum seal potatoes! How you intend to use them later will guide you as how best to prepare them. For example:

• You can store them as French fries which have been fried briefly.[GF1] 
  • You can mash them and store them as patties. Freeze until solid then vacuum seal.
  • Potatoes can be cooked using the sous vide method.
  • You can dehydrate your potatoes as slices or cubes and vacuum seal.
    
• Can you vacuum seal herbs?

While a number of herbs are tastiest when picked fresh from the garden, you can actually preserve a selection of herbs by blanching and vacuum sealing them. These include:

• Parsley
• Mint
• Chives
• Basil
• Dill

Expert tip – Herbs should not be vacuum sealed when wet or even slightly damp as they will become soggy.

• Can you vacuum seal lettuce?

Yes – even ‘softer’ produce lettuce can be vacuum sealed.

Once this is done it can be stored in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life, which is typically up to about 2 weeks.

• Can you vacuum seal cruciferous vegetables?  (e.g. cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale etc)

Cruciferous vegetables will spoil if they’re vacuum sealed without being blanched, so don’t forget this important step first. Blanching times vary between each type.

Some of these times are outlined in the chart from the National Centre for Home Food Preservation below:

Vegetable	Blanching Time (minutes)
Broccoli (flowerets 11/2 inches across) Steamed	3 5
Brussel Sprouts Small Heads Medium Heads Large Heads	3 4 5
Cabbage or Chinese Cabbage (shredded)	1 1/2
Cauliflower (flowerets, 1 inch across)	3

What vegetables should NOT be vacuum sealed?

We do not recommend vacuum sealing the next few foods.

• Can you vacuum seal onions?

Onion, along with garlic, shouldn’t be vacuum sealed at all.

Vacuum sealing fresh onions, garlic and mushrooms can lead to bacteria growth which can cause botulism – a very dangerous, potentially lethal, disease.

• Can you vacuum seal mushrooms?

It is not recommended. A dangerous chemical reaction takes place when air is removed, causing these foods to be dangerous if ingested.

Pac Food Domestic Vacuum Sealing Machines

1. Vacuum Sealing Machine VS 105 (previous model VS 100)
   • Stylish black design
   • Compact and lightweight
   • Reliable and efficient vacuum sealing
   • Suits small to moderate home use
   • Best value
   • Easy to use
   • Extended sealing time option
   • Pulse function to control vacuum pressure
2. Vacuum Sealing Machine VS 603 (previous model VS 305)
   • Quick start/ seal only button conveniently located on handle
   • Clear perspex lid to see what’s going on inside
   • Pulse function to control vacuum pressure
   • Marinate mode
   • Impulse seal
   • Powerful dual piston pump
   • Sturdy stainless-steel body
   • Suits medium to heavy-duty home use or small production processes

Both of our domestic machines come with an accessory port for storage cannisters and a 1-year warranty on all parts. Click here to find out more about our two domestic machines.

Can you vacuum seal fresh veggies?

Yes! You absolutely can, with the correct guidelines.

It’s no secret that vacuum sealing produce extends shelf life, helps cut down food wastage and can save you time and money in the kitchen.

At Pac Food we have a number of high-quality machines – for both domestic and commercial use – which are great value for money and receive excellent customer reviews.

The Pac Food team is happy to help you with any queries you might have about vacuum sealing and our premium machines and best priced channel bags.

Reach out today online or by calling 1800 823 200.

Pac Food is committed to providing customers with the best products, best prices and best customer service. Perfect for domestic use – whether you love fishing, camping or buying meat in bulk – and even small food & beverage outlets such as cafes. 

Take advantage of our easy and secure online ordering system. View our extensive range of bags, rolls and vacuum sealers here. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our specials section – updated regularly – or view our range of combo deals to suit every budget. Got a question?  Contact us and we’ll be happy to help.